How to Build a Community in Your Classroom
Building rapport and connection will help learning (and make your lessons fun!)
A classroom can be just a group of students sitting in the same space, or it can be a community.
n one, students show up, sit down, do the exercises, and leave. They might learn a bit, but they will not take risks or really invest. In the other, they know each other’s names, laugh together, cheer when someone gets it right, and share the odd inside joke. It’s warmer, more alive, and it makes learning easier for everyone - and more rewarding for you.
I have had both kinds of classes. The quiet, slightly awkward ones where the air feels heavy. And the buzzing ones where I can barely stop students talking because they are so into it. The difference was never the grammar point or the coursebook. The difference was community.
What is classroom community?
Classroom community is that invisible web of trust and belonging that makes students feel “this is our place.” It is when students know they are safe to try, even if they get it wrong. It is when they look forward to seeing the people in the room, not just passing the test.
It is not just classroom management. You can keep a class under control with rules and routines, but community is about connection. It is what makes students lean in instead of switch off.
Why community matters
Learning a language is scary. Students put themselves on the line every time they open their mouths. If they feel judged or ignored, they will shut down. If they feel supported, they will take risks, and that is where the real learning happens.
Students who feel part of something bigger take more chances with language.
They stay motivated because the group pulls them along.
They often help each other, which means you are not the only one doing the heavy lifting.
I once taught a group of teenagers who would barely speak above a whisper. I tried every technique I knew — games, drilling, pairwork — nothing worked. Then one day I scrapped the book and asked them to invent a silly class ritual. They decided that at the start of each lesson everyone had to say one word in English while balancing on one foot. Ridiculous, yes. But suddenly they were laughing, watching each other, and the ice broke. From then on, they spoke more, risked more, and even helped the shyest members. A small, silly ritual had created community.
Why it feels hard
If you feel like community building is tough, you’re not alone. With some classes, it can feel tough.
Coursebooks rarely help. They are written to cover grammar and vocabulary, not to create belonging.
Large or constantly changing classes make it hard for students to bond.
Online teaching can feel especially cold when students hide behind black screens.
And honestly, most training courses do not prepare teachers for this. We are taught how to stage a lesson or check understanding, but not how to build human connection in a room. So if you’e struggling, you’re not failing. You’re just doing a job that is harder than people realise.
How to build a classroom community
Community does not appear overnight, but there are simple steps you can start taking.
1. Start with names and stories
Learn names quickly, and use them often.
Share a little of yourself, even if it is just “my bus was late” or “I spilled coffee on my notes.”
Use storytelling activities where students share small anecdotes. It does not have to be deep - “Tell us about the last time you X” works wonders.
2. Create shared rituals
Begin each class with the same question, chant, or silly action.
End with one student saying what they learned today.
Build running jokes. A shared laugh is the glue of community.
3. Encourage collaboration, not competition
Use pairwork and groupwork often.
Give tasks where students need each other to succeed, like jigsaw readings or group puzzles.
Praise the team effort, not just the fastest student.
4. Make learning personal
Adapt coursebook content so it connects with your students’ lives.
Use topics they care about: football, food, music, TikTok, whatever lights them up.
Let students create examples themselves, not just copy yours.
5. Celebrate success together
Recognise and reward effort, not just accuracy.
Try mini class challenges, like “five minutes of English-only.”
Encourage students to give each other compliments - peer praise is more powerful than yours sometimes.
How AI can help
Planning community-building activities can take time, but AI can make it easier.
Ask ChatGPT to generate fun icebreaker questions.
Get AI to create roleplay scenarios based on your students’ favourite TV shows or hobbies.
Use it to design quick collaborative tasks like “build a group story with these five words.”
Think of AI as a brainstorming buddy, not a replacement. It gives you ideas so you can spend more energy on actually connecting with your students.
Tips and cautions
Keep sharing optional. Never force a student to open up.
Balance fun with your learning aim, so class does not drift.
Refresh routines every now and again so they stay alive.
Online, use breakout rooms, polls, and collaborative docs to keep the sense of group.
If you liked this article, you’ll love my books:
📝 Lesson Planning for Language Teachers - Plan better, faster, and stress-free.
👩🎓 Essential Classroom Management - Develop calm students and a classroom full of learning.
🏰 Storytelling for Language Teachers - Use the power of storytelling to transform your lessons.
🤖 ChatGPT for Language Teacher 2025 - A collection of AI prompts and techniques to work better, faster.
💭 Reflective Teaching Practice Journal - Improve your teaching in five minutes daily.
Bell hooks: “As a classroom community, our capacity to generate excitement is deeply affected by our interest in one another, in hearing one another’s voices, in recognizing one another’s presence”
hooks viewed classrooms as spaces as liberatory, where students' lived experiences are central to a mutual learning process that challenges traditional power dynamics. This approach empowers students to think critically about the world, connect theory to their own lives, and build a "beloved community" where differences are welcomed and celebrated. It emphasizes the importance of vulnerability, authenticity, and transforming learning from an act of assimilation into one of decolonization and self-actualization.