Expert Instruction Podcast
Behavior
Classroom
Climate
March 18, 2025

Ep. 47: Cultivating a Culture of Belonging in Your Classroom

Join us this month with guest Dr. Nikole Hollins-Sims as we discuss how to use PBIS to cultivate a culture of belonging in your classroom.

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Join us this month with guest Dr. Nikole Hollins-Sims as we discuss how to cultivate a culture of belonging in your classroom. Using the elements of PBIS, Dr. Hollins-Sims helps us break down how students thrive at school when they feel they belong. For starters, the ABCs of student wellbeing, Agency, Belonging and Connectedness, have a tremendous influence on whether students feel like they are part of your school. When educators focus on cultivating each of these components in their classroom climate through greetings, exercises and class culture, students thrive! We also visit how your own SWIS data results can tell a story of class belonging.

Nikole Y. Hollins-Sims, Ed.D., is an internationally recognized speaker, author and facilitator. She currently serves as a research associate for Educational and Community Supports (ECS) as a research unit within the University of Oregon’s College of Education. Nikole has formerly served as a technical assistance coordinator for the Midwest PBIS Network and is a former Special Assistant to the Secretary of Education at the Pennsylvania Department of Education.

For more information about the resources shared in this episode, check out the following links:

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Megan Cave

About

Megan Cave

Megan Cave is a member of the PBISApps Marketing and Communication team. She is the writer behind the user manuals, scripted video tutorials, and news articles for PBISApps. She also writes a monthly article for Teach by Design and contributes to its accompanying Expert Instruction podcast episode. Megan has completed four half marathons – three of which happened unintentionally – and in all likelihood, will run another in the future.

About

Danielle Triplett

Danielle Triplett, M.Ed., is a Senior Research Assistant and member of the PBISApps training team. Danielle is a passionate educator and researcher dedicated to serving her community and advocating for the best interests of children and adolescents. Her areas of research and academic pursuits focus on improving educational equity, alternatives to exclusionary discipline, using data for decision-making, multi-tiered systems of support for behavior and mental health, and educational coaching. Prior to joining the University of Oregon, Danielle served as a district PBIS coach and a middle school language arts teacher. Outside the office, you can find her snowboarding, baking chocolate chip cookies, and daydreaming about interior design.