Strengthening a sense of community: An Along school story in Oklahoma City

Charmaine Johnson’s favorite day of the school week is Wednesday.

“I love ‘Wellness Wednesday’ because it always puts me in a good mood,” said Johnson, the Principal at John Rex Middle School in Oklahoma City. “It helps me get through the week.”

Wednesdays are when Johnson and her teachers leverage the power of Along, a teacher-student connection builder, to form meaningful relationships with their 5th-8th grade students. Every Wednesday, teachers choose and send out thoughtful questions through Along for students to respond to. What helps build the two-way connection is that they often send their own responses to these questions as well.

This creates a genuine dialogue that Johnson said offers a glimpse into a student’s world, whether through the reveal of a hidden struggle or simply a spark to a lighthearted connection topic.

“We’re finding out things about students that they won’t tell us face-to-face,” Johnson said. “It’s helping us connect with our kids and helping them feel seen.”

Johnson, in her second year as Principal at John Rex, strongly believes that connections are the cornerstone of student success, both academically and personally. She also knows how much her teachers value those relationships with their students and how it helps them become stronger educators.

“I tell my teachers that Along is a tool that helps you to do what you want to do,” said Johnson, who first tried out Along at her previous school in Oklahoma and couldn’t wait to expand its use at John Rex. “Along can be done in an efficient way without it being a time burden for teachers.”

Getting into a routine

Johnson said consistent use of Along is the biggest key to its success. Once teachers integrate Along into their weekly workflow, it becomes a natural and valuable part of their practice.

“It’s so important to help get them into a routine with Along and keep it as part of their routine throughout the year,” Johnson said.

Johnson herself uses Along and connects with the same eight students each week. Her selections are diverse and intentional, ranging from students who are more quiet to those who are more extroverted.

She understands that every student has a story, and Along provides a unique avenue to uncover those narratives.

“I chose kids for a variety of reasons,” she said. “Not all kids fit in a box. Along helps you get to know them in different ways.”

For example, Johnson has a student this year who, in response to a simple question about his name, shared the rich background of his family’s history. These seemingly small moments of revelation contribute to a larger understanding of each student, allowing teachers to see them as individuals with unique backgrounds and experiences.

“It gives me more of a bigger picture of who the kid is based on their responses,” Johnson said. “And I always respond, too. I never send a question that I also don’t answer. Then we’ll have a little back-and-forth.”

By getting to know them on a personal level through their Along responses, Johnson said she can approach potentially difficult conversations with empathy and understanding.

Sense of community

The school’s widespread use of Along has also strengthened the sense of community at John Rex. Johnson said the school’s fifth-graders have become particularly enthusiastic about Along, using it to build camaraderie and teamwork. They follow up their Wellness Wednesday Along reflections with engaging activities, such as building paper helicopters together.

“They were trying to see who could get them to stay in the air the longest and it was so fun to hear the giggles and all the laughs,” Johnson said. “They were really connecting with one another and high-fiving and that’s what we want to see here. We want to see them loving and supporting one another.”

Johnson looks forward to seeing how much more John Rex will evolve through the consistent use of Along and is motivated to keep empowering students to find their voice.

“This is a tool to help us connect, and to learn more about each other,” Johnson said. “It helps kids understand that we see you and we care about you. Because kids need that. They need it every day.”