Creating Positive Peer Relationships The document discusses the importance of creating positive peer relationships in the classroom. It provides several recommended activities teachers can implement to help students get to know each other better through "acquaintance activities", establish a cohesive learning community through group bonding activities, and enhance diverse friendship patterns. Examples of activities provided include name games, interviews, secret gift exchanges, and initiatives to recognize positive student behaviors. Fostering positive relationships is important for student engagement, academic performance, and developing social-emotional skills.

1. Creating Positive Peer Relationships
1

2. Table of Content
➔ Who are we?
➔ Gantt Chart
➔ Chapter Review
➔ Literature Review
➔ Matrix Diagram
➔ Statement of the problem
➔ Fishbone
➔ Survey & Results
➔ Recommendations
➔ References
➔ Thanks

3. Who are we?
&
Gantt Chart

4. Fatma Betül Kaplan Elif Yurt Hatice Kübra Koçdeveci
Hande Gül Gökçe Gülüzar Öksüz Refia Candan

6. Chapter Review

7. Chapter Review
• Example: A teacher contacted with one of the authors as he was frustrated with
– Students’ unwillingness in the discussions,
– High absenteeism in the class,
– Students’ submission of incomplete number of assignments.
Q:So, what might be the reason for this problems the teacher confronts?

8. (Cont’d)
When asked if the students know each other or not, the teacher states that he thinks
the students are well acquainted because they’ve been taking this class for nearly a
semester.
However, students’ behaviors suggest that they feel some discomfort.

9. • People usually experience discomfort in places where they knew few people or
nobody at all.
• Students also experience similar feelings.
• To minimize this , the teacher should develop a positive, safe, caring classroom by
implementing some certain activities.

10. Q: Why is creating positive peer relationships and a
safe and supportive learning community important?
– To develop an appreciation for the value of all individuals,
– To improve academic performance,
– To decrease percentage of ‘racism, harassment and stereotyping’,
– To learn patience and compassion.

11. • Students’ feelings and behaviors are significantly influenced by their
classmates. And the type of relationship, positive or negative, affects:
– academic aspirations and school behavior,
– being productively involved in the learning processes,
– achievement through cooperative learning activities,
– feeling of safety, belongingness, respect for others and self-esteem.

12. • Creating a classroom group to function in supportive, safe, goal-directed
manner; the teacher should implement activities enabling students
– to know each other,
– to develop feelings of being included,
– to create diverse friendship patterns.

13. • Group Development Stages
– 1st Stage: Dependence Stage
– 2nd Stage: Inclusion or Orientation Stage
– 3rd Stage: Dissatisfaction or Control Stage
– 4th Stage: Resolution or Norming Stage
– 5th Stage: Production Stage
– 6th Stage: Termination or Adjustment Stage

14. • The Importance of Group Work
– Developing group skills and a sense of group cohesiveness,
– Promoting higher level thinking,
– Enchancing academic achievement.
• Preparing Students for the Workplace and Community Life
• The Issue of Self-Esteem
– Self-esteem is not a cause but an outcome of positive interpersonal experiences.

15. Literature Review

16. • As Bovey and Strain (2004) suggest, peer interactions are essential in that they serve
some important roles for students.
• Sharing, solving problems, and collaborating
• Building friendships that promote positive social and emotional development
• Stronger friendships more actively involvement in classroom activities

17. • Wang et al. (2014) have made a research in China to investigate the
relationship between teacher support and peer conflict resolution.
• Teacher support directly affects student conflict resolution that facilitates
student well-being.
• Teacher’s role in peer-peer relationship

18. Matrix Diagram
&
Fishbone

19. Teacher Based
Factors
Student Based
Factors
School Based
Factors
Culture Based
Factors
Betül Kaplan 7 6 5 4
Gülüzar Öksüz 7 5 6 4
Kübra
Koçdeveci
7 6 4 5
Refia Candan 7 4 6 5
Hande Gül
Gökçe
7 6 5 4
Elif Yurt 6 4 7 5
Total 41 31 33 27
Percentage % 31,2 % 23,4 % 25 % 20,04

21. Survey
&
Results

27. Recommended
Activities

28. I.Acquaintance
Activities

29. Acquaintance Activities
• A party
– You know very few people there
– You know everybody there
• Students also experience similar feelings.
• Thanks to acquaintance activities, a wider range of peers will be accepted and
supported.
• Further, the likelihood of being bullied, and isolation will be decreased.

30. • The Name Chain
• Bingo
• Interviews
• Guess Who?
• T-Shirt
Acquaintance Activities

31. I.The Name Chain
• An effective method for
helping students learn each
other’s name
• Each person saying his or her
name and something about
himself or herself
http://www.resilience.org/stories/2010-09-24/green-school-viewof-dignity

32. II. Bingo
• For upper elementary and middle school students
• Each student completing a brief self-information sheet
• Things about special interests, pets, hobbies, etc.
• Place one interesting piece of information about each student in each square of a bingo
card
• Each student is given a bingo card and walks around to find the people associated with
each square.

33. http://www.allensteachingfiles.com/2012/08/get-to-know-you-activities-beautiful.html

34. III. Interviews
• Often foster new friendships and
feelings of self-importance
• Can be used in the classroom in many
ways
http://blog.ted.com/how-stories-can-transform-a-classroom-storycorps-interviews-
affect-both-students-and-teachers/

35. • Having students list ten questions
– What is your favorite color?
– Do you like your first name? If not, what would you change it to?
• Each student choosing a person whom they do not very well
• Using the questions, students try to learn as much as possible about their partners
III. Interviews

36. IV. Guess Who?
• An opportunity for students to see how well they know their peers
• Students writing brief statements about themselves which can be about their
personal histories, family, hobbies, and so forth
• Teacher collecting all the statements
• Teacher reading the statements while students writing the name of their friend who
they believe wrote that desription

37. • After all the statements have been read, teacher
rereads them and asks the authors identify
themselves.
• Students check whether they made the correct
choice.
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Beginning-of-the-Year-Ice-Breaker-Smart-
Board-Game-Guess-Who-300490

38. V. T-Shirt
• Students designing a T-shirt they
could wear to the school that would
help others to know them better
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/63894888436543278/

39. II. Activities for
Establishing a
Cohesive, Supportive
Group

40. II. Activities for Establishing a Cohesive, Supportive
Group
• Group cohesiveness refers to the extent to which a group experiences a
sense of identity and oneness.
• Positive feelings about being a group member are developed by making the group
attractive through activities.
• Most effective when introduced at the beginnig of the year

41. • Activities for Elementary School Classrooms
– Ways Of Having A Happy Classroom
– Classroom Arrangements
– Class Spirit
– Class Pet
– Photo Album
– Special Days
II. Activities for Establishing a Cohesive, Supportive
Group
• Activities for Secondary Classrooms
– Five Square
– Using Base Groups
– Paraphrasing Passport

42. 1.Activities for Elementary School Classrooms
• Ways of Having a Happy Classroom
– Focusing on the positive qualities of a classroom
– Listing things students can do to make the classroom a happy place
• Classroom Arrangements
– A comfortable classroom environment enhancing students’ motivation
– Providing opportunities for increasing thier sense of competence and power

43. • Class Spirit
– Establishing a class spirit that creates a bond among the students
– A class animal, name, flower, insect, song, flag, color, game, cartoon character, so
on
– E.g. Singing the class song at the close of each week
• Class Pet
1.Activities for Elementary School Classrooms

44. • Photo Album
– Capturing moments in the classroom
– An effective means of reinforcing a sense of identity and creating positive feelings
about the class
• Special Days
– Assigning special days allowing students to have some influence over their
environment
1.Activities for Elementary School Classrooms

45. 2. Activities for Secondary Classrooms
• Five Square
– This activity involves cooperative work of the students to reach a goal without speaking but
observing group members.
– Groups of five
– An envelop containing pieces for forming squares for each person
– No speaking
– No signal
– Members may give the cards to others

46. • Paraphrasing Passport
– Method for helping students listen effectively to their peers.
– Prior to providing a response, first paraphrase the statement made by
the previous speaker.
2. Activities for Secondary Classrooms

47. • Using Base Groups
– Method for creating positive, supportive peer groups in the classroom throughout the term
or for the whole year.
– Support each other, heterogeneous with regard to gender and ethnicity or academic
achievement.
– Meets several times a week for 5 to 15 minutes to check on everyone’s content mastery
and progress.
2. Activities for Secondary Classrooms

48. III. Activities for
Enhancing Diverse
Liking Patterns

49. III. Activities for Enhancing Diverse Liking
Patterns
• To increase the likelihood that all students in the classroom
will be liked and accepted by their peers.

50. •Students pay special attention to the nice
things people say and do.
•Whenever they see something nice being done,
have students write down what happened on a
leaf made of green paper and pin it to the tree.
Jones, V. F. & Jones, L. S.(2007).
1. Good Deeds Tree
http://www.clker.com/clipart-tree-
12.html

51. • Teacher prepares a list of class for each student and give them numbers.
• Every week students write letter that are positive and have compliments.
• At the end of the year they have letters from all class. Teacher makes a book of them.
• Teacher should talk about respect, compliments and manners as lifelong skills.
Jones, V. F. & Jones, L. S.(2007).
2. Compliment Chart and Books

52. 3. Secret-Pal Books
• A strategy for increasing positive communication.
• On Monday, each child draws the name of another student.
During the week, the students observe the nice things that
they see their secret pals doing and write these in their secret-
pal books.
• They can decorate the book with pictures.
• On Friday, students reveal their secret-pals and present them.
Jones, V. F. & Jones, L. S.(2007).
B rave
R esponsible
I nteresting
A thletic
N eat

53. 4. School Climate
• Quality of life in the school also affects the teachers’ and students’ attitudes and
behaviour.
• In their study Goodlad (1983) reported that schools differed very little in the type of
instruction found within class. However, differences in student achievement were
found.
Jones, V. F. & Jones, L. S.(2007).

54. • “I have used the adjectives, ‘healthy’, ‘satisfying’ and ‘renewing’ to
describe schools in our sample that pay more than average attention to
the quality of interactions among those inhabiting the school and to the
physical and social context in which those interactions occur… Schools
differed in their ability to create an academic ambience, but the
differences appear to be more related to school and classroom climate
factors than the methods of teaching per se.”
(Goodlad, 1983, p. 555 in Jones&Jones, 2007)
So...

55. A central aspect of a positive school climate is mutual trust
respect being developed between all adults who support the
students’ educational experience.
Jones, V. F. & Jones, L. S.(2007).

56. School
Climate
Peer
relationships
Teacher-
teacher
Teacher-
administrator
Educator-
caregiver
Teacher-
student
relationship

57. Other
Recommendations

58. Activities for Creating a Positive School Climate
• Taking pictures of students (including those with a history of school
problems) involved in positive behaviour. Enlarge these and post them in
the hallway.
• Involve students in beautifying the school. Plant flowers around the outside of the
school.
• Set aside some time each day or week when everyone in the school stops what they
are doing and reads quietly.
• Encourage the school staff to write notes to their collegues whenever they observe a
collegue involved in an especially helpful or thoughtful interaction with a student or
staff member.

59. Issues Related to Peer Harassment and Bullying
• Physical aggression, verbal abuse, nonverbal gesturing, spreading rumors..
• Bullying has a strong negative effect on students’ ability to feel comfotable and be
successful at school.
• Bullied students may suffer from anxiety about their own safety and may experience
guilt about not having prevented or stopped the process.
• Bullies are more likely to underachieve at school and are at risk for higher rates of
criminal behaviour after leaving school.
Jones, V. F. & Jones, L. S.(2007).

60. Kauffman (1997) describes features of effective programs :
• A school climate characterized by a warm, positive, supportive school atmosphere in
which adults set clear and firm limits on unacceptable behavior
• Continous monitoring and surveillance of student activities in and around the school.
• Adult mediation of student interactions and assumption of authority stop bullying
when it is observed.
• Disscussion of the issue of bullying with bullies, victims, parents and neutral students
(nonparticipants) to clarify school values, expectations, procedures and
consequences.
Jones, V. F. & Jones, L. S.(2007).

61. References

62. Imece circles by Hayal Köksal
Kauffman, J. (1997). Characteristics of emotional and behavioral disorders of children and youth (7th ed.) Upper Saddle River, NJ:
Merrill/ Prentice Hall in Jones, V. F. & Jones, L. S.(2007). Comprehensive Classroom Management: Creating communities of support
and solving problems, 8th edition. Boston: Pearson/Allyn & Bacon.
Goodlad, J. (1984). A place called school: Prospects for the future. New York, NY: McGraw Hill in Jones, V. F. & Jones, L. S.(2007).
Comprehensive Classroom Management: Creating communities of support and solving problems, 8th edition. Boston: Pearson/Allyn &
Bacon.
Jones, V. F. & Jones, L. S.(2007). Comprehensive Classroom Management: Creating communities of support and solving problems, 8th
edition. Boston: Pearson/Allyn & Bacon.
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/63894888436543278/
https://scontent-fra3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xat1/v/t1.0-
9/12074833_10153250298873108_6675637160343284375_n.jpg?oh=d4556dac7a35720df269c9b30d4e93ab&oe=56FA1EA7
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Beginning-of-the-Year-Ice-Breaker-Smart-Board-Game-Guess-Who-300490
http://blog.ted.com/how-stories-can-transform-a-classroom-storycorps-interviews-affect-both-students-and-teachers/
http://www.allensteachingfiles.com/2012/08/get-to-know-you-activities-beautiful.html
http://www.okyanuskoleji.k12.tr/avcilar/avcilar-ilkokul/haberler/avcilar-okyanus-ilkokul-ogrencileri-dunya-su-gununu-kutladi-8207/
http://yalovaataturkilkokulu.meb.k12.tr/tema/icerikdetay.php?KATEGORINO=1001552
http://www.clker.com/clipart-abstract-logo-1.html
https://www.google.com.tr/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwiOucOVupXKAhXBfxoKH
RdDCAMQjRwIBw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hayalkoksal.com%2Fgallery%2F&psig=AFQjCNEP4Et1vB398UogwLlFc5MY9WgtuA&ust=
1452178906643679

63. Thanks to
Dr. Hayal Köksal