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September 1, 2025
5 min (est.)
Vol. 83
No. 1
Designing Authentic Learning

Five Ways to Foster a Culture of Belonging

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    School Culture
    Two high school students collaborate, sitting at a table surrounded by laptops, papers, and books, while talking to each other
    Credit: SDI Productions / Getty Images Signature
      premium resources logoInstructional Strategies

      Designing Authentic Learning / Fostering Authentic Student Belonging

      18 hours ago
      Creating a school culture of belonging is important for the emotional and intellectual well-being of our students, but it can be hard to do well—and can even come across as inauthentic—if we only rely on occasional assemblies or school slogans. Here are some easy ways to strengthen belonging organically through assignments and classroom workflow.

      Mission Statement

      Work alongside students to develop a class-wide mission statement about topics like integrity, technology use, and the purpose of scholarly work. Collaborative digital tools can support coauthoring a shared mission. This type of statement helps build buy-in during later conversations about assessment and classroom behavior.

      Agency

      Students thrive when they have a sense of self-actualization and self-determination. Making space for student choice and responsibility not only supports well-being but motivates students to do their best. Let them choose from a menu of research topic options or formats (like podcasts, blogs, or video essays) to demonstrate their knowledge.

      Purpose

      Everyone needs to know their effort has a point, so give students a reason to do the hard work we ask of them with integrity and accuracy. For me, this means two things: honoring student inquiry (e.g., projects that explore students’ questions about the curriculum) and making an impact beyond the classroom (e.g., public performances of student work).

      Authenticity

      Instead of simulations or games, give students assignments that address real issues in their community and connect to their lives. Interview community members, take polls, or respond to local news and events. Digital tools for storytelling, surveys, and media creation can make these real-world connections more engaging and accessible. Share student learning by publishing their work for audiences beyond the classroom.

      Trust and Ownership

      Invite students into assignment generation, feedback, and assessment, helping them learn to give and receive constructive feedback while taking greater responsibility for their learning. Peer workshops and gallery walks support this process. Create opportunities for students to teach the class (how-to’s, passion projects, etc.), or take on leadership roles like team leads, student editors, or mentors.

      Michael Hernandez is an award-winning teacher, speaker, and author in Los Angeles whose work focuses on digital and civic literacy, project-based learning, and innovative teaching strategies. He is the author of Storytelling With Purpose: Digital Projects to Ignite Student Curiosity (ISTE, 2024).

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      From our issue
      Issue cover featuring an illustration of diverse school community members reaching toward each other in a circle, with the title "Teaching for Belonging."
      Teaching for Belonging
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