The Appreciative Close: A Strategy for Creating a Classroom Community

Appreciative close: creating classroom community
“What you appreciate appreciates” (Twist, n.d.). One of the practices I have employed in most of my classes during the past several years is “the appreciative close,” which is an offshoot of “the appreciative pause” recommended by Stephen Brookfield (Brookfield, 2015, pp.95-96). Brookfield suggests using the appreciative pause at the end of whole class discussions, providing an opportunity for students to acknowledge each other’s contributions in terms of how those supported classmates’ learning. I use the appreciative close at the end of each class session as a way for students to acknowledge each other’s broader contributions. In doing so, my aims are to help build a sense of community in the classroom, to strengthen the sense that learning is about bringing our whole selves into the classroom, and to support students’ self-awareness of the gifts they have to offer both inside and outside the classroom.

To continue reading, you must be a Teaching Professor Subscriber. Please log in or sign up for full access.

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Related Articles

I have two loves: teaching and learning. Although I love them for different reasons, I’ve been passionate about...
In a 2023 article published in The Hill, Sarah Eaton, an associate professor of education at the University...
Educators play a pivotal role in shaping students’ academic journeys, and their impact in the classroom extends far...
There are a myriad of answers to this seemingly simple question. Grading probably comes to mind for many...
Fears of disingenuous work, fraudulent and stolen information, and theft of intellectual property have been swirling around education...
Students often struggle academically due to an inability to organize their lives around achievable goals. Students beyond early...

Are you signed up for free weekly Teaching Professor updates?

You'll get notified of the newest articles.

The Teaching Professor Conference 2024

June 7-9, 2024 • New Orleans

Connect with Fellow Educators at The Teaching Professor Conference!