virtuous, determined, caring, responsible, committed, artistic, competitive, christian, athlete, swimmer, funny, sarcastic, sister, brother, friend, italian, mexican, polish, american, ireland, gamer, minecraft, basketball, softball, golfer, camping, hunting, construction, ebike, flips, tropical, silly, demonic, mcdonalds (middle school)

The first week of school is always about building community, but this year I tried something different with my 6th graders. Instead of typical icebreakers, students spent time narrowing their identity down to just one word. What started as a simple activity became both a meaningful way to build classroom community and solve my eternal problem of how to decorate my walls.

The Process

The “One Word” lesson came from Cult of Pedagogy and teacher Tom Rademacher. It’s brilliantly simple: students brainstorm five words that describe who they are, then systematically eliminate until only one remains. That final word goes on our classroom wall.

The elimination process was good for getting students to be reflective in a way that gave me a chance to learn about them. Some students changed their minds three times. Others knew immediately. Both responses taught me something about who they are.

Building Community Together

The real community building happened during the art-making phase. 6th graders love arts and crafts, and while they were creating their word displays, they were naturally learning about each other. Students helped with supplies, admired each other’s designs, and asked questions about word choices.

The wall has become our portrait. Where it goes from here, I’m not sure, but for now it represents who we are together.

For Other Teachers

If you’re interested in trying this, I’ve created a detailed lesson plan that breaks down the original Cult of Pedagogy idea into specific daily activities that worked for me, with timing, learning objectives, and California standards alignment for both SEL and CTE.

Sometimes the most important lesson is helping students see themselves - and each other - clearly. ✨