Create a participatory classroom environment that accommodates different personalities and different modes of learning. At some points in the day, you will need to teach the children from the front of the room, leading a formal lesson. At other times you can open the floor to the students. Set up stations for math exploration or science experiments, and encourage students to propose their own project ideas. The classroom environment is the ultimate model for the children to follow. By creating activities that welcome their participation, you tell them that their contributions are welcome and valid.
Model respectful communication. When a student comes to you in anger, engage the student in a calm and respectful manner. Allow the student to cool down, then talk about his or her feelings about the situation. Treat those feelings as valid. When two or more students come to you with a conflict, encourage them to reflect on how the situation makes them feel and encourage them to come up with joint solutions to problems.
Help children understand differences among people and respect those differences. When you encounter a child with a difference, show that child the same respect that you would any other student. Read books of fiction and nonfiction that explain human differences. These might include cultural and religious differences, racial differences, or disabilities and learning challenges. Encourage the children to discuss what sets them apart from others and what makes them the same.
Explore difficult topics. Children constantly come up with challenging questions about life. For example, as you study a war in class, they might ask why the war occurred. Students might consider the feelings people had as they participated in the war. They might talk about death.
Let the children know that no question is too off-topic or silly for them to ask. Treat students with respect as they ask questions. If necessary, defer the questions to another day when you can address them in more detail or as a class. You may also decide to talk with a small group or a single student about a specific question.
When your classroom becomes a safe place for children to explore deep questions, you know that you have created an environment that shows respect.
Create routines that demonstrate unity. Begin and end the day with a consistent rhythm such as a pledge, a story, a song, or a recollection of good things and hard things that happened that day. Have the children co-create a document that spells out how they will behave in the classroom and refer to it regularly. Encourage the children to work together on informal and formal projects or volunteer activities. Take note and mention when the children are working particularly well together.