Peer tutoring accomplishes two critical tasks that contribute to feelings of classroom belonging. First, it empowers students by formalizing their roles as knowledge creators. Second, it builds stronger connections between students as they tackle difficult concepts together. Establishing a peer mentor/tutor system explicitly demonstrates trust in students’ mastery of material and their ability to explain…

Elevate is a free tool that helps teachers work together to improve their students’ classroom experiences. The linked page lists free resources for leading Elevate communities of practice—everything from building will with teachers to community of practice meeting protocols.