class meetings pp

8/3/2019 Class Meetings PP

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Do all the good you can, by all

the means you can, in all the

ways you can, at all the times

you can, to all the people you

can, as long as ever you can.

John Wesley


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y

Class Meetings

Building Community in

the Classroom


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Class meetings usually serveone or more of the following

purposes: to plan and make

decisions, to check in, and

to solve problems or raise

awareness.


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Both academic and socialissues are appropriate topics

for consideration. Depending

on their purpose, class

meetings can be a regularly

scheduled part of the schoolday or week or can occur as

needed.


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Their versatility makes them a

valuable classroom

management tool-one that

helps students activelycontribute to their academic

and social learning.


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Why Have Class Meetings

Kids are involved in constructive decisionsmaking. It is a forum for students to voice and

directly effect how they want their class to be. It creates a climate of trust and respect

between kids and kids and teachers

It helps build self esteem by having kidsinvolved in decisions that affect their world.


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Kids develop a sense of responsibilityfor their actions

It enhances speaking, listening,leadership skills.

It is a forum for students to support

each other as each person takes chargeof their own learning.


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What is an Effective Class Meeting?

The teacher shares the control with

students by letting them help set the

agenda. The focus is always on school,not home.

Students do most of the talking and the

teacher acts as facilitator. The teacherteaches students to really listen to andrespect each others ideas.


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Students work together to improve thelearning environment, friendships and

cooperative group work through classplans.

Individual students with problems or

conflicts seek help and ongoing supportfrom their classmates.


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Eight Building Blocks for

Effective Class MeetingsForm a circle.

Practice compliments andappreciations.

Create an agenda.


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Develop communication skills.

Learn about separate realities.

Practice brainstorming and role playing.


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Recognize the reasons peopledo what they do.


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Questions when setting a topic

for a meeting. Is the topic open-ended, inviting

participation from all children?

Is there really room for different ideasand viewpoints?


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Do you really want student input? Have youmade a decision already?

Will the children be able to act on their ideasor suggestions?

Are you willing to support decisions made bythe children even though you feel they mightfail?


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Sample Topics

Relationships

What can I do when a person is bugging me?

What can I do when Im feeling left out? What can I do when someone hurts my feelings?

How can I help my friends do the right thing?

What can I do when my friend wont share me with

my other friends?


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Working in small groups

What would help us bring the best out of

everyone when we work in small groups? What could we do to help from the teacher

without getting too embarrassed?

What could we do when our group instworking very well together?


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Attitude toward school

What really works for me at school?

What can I do when school is not muchfun?

What can I do when Im becoming turned

off to school?


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Places and activities that are not routine

How can we make a field trip, guest

speaker, or assembly work foreveryone?


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Lunch and Free Time

How can we make lunch free-time

enjoyable for everyone How can we help our friends do the right

thing during lunch and free time?


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Diversity/teasing

How can we help everyone feel welcome

and respected? What can we do when we see or are

targets of teasing and harassment?


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Creating a Comfortable

Atmosphere Getting to know you activities.

Add-on Graffiti Boards

Artifacts

Class Data Base

Find Your Match

Forced Choice

I am Thinking of Someone

Partner Interviews

Photograph Display

Webbing


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Establishing Ground Rules

Listening and Getting a Turn to Speak

Avoiding Accusatory or ShamingDiscussions

Even Ground Rules Take Time


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Duration

Depends on age and experience ofstudents

Depends on topic(s) and purpose of themeeting

Primary concern is not too long or too

short Let students evaluate at end of meeting


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Discussion and Facilitation

StrategiesWhat the teacher models

Questioning and response strategies

Wait Time

Follow-up Questions


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How To Manage and Encourage Participation

Brainstorming

Small-Group DiscussionsPartner Chats

Partner Idea Lists

Collected IdeasIndividual Reflection and Writing


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Consensus buildingDefinitionsNarrowing Choices

Benefits and BurdensUnlivable OnlyLivable Only

One WhyThree StrawsApply Criteria


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Troubleshooting Nobody talking

Side conversations Shocking or funny or stupid statements

Someone too disruptive

Everybody talking


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We learn from our mistakes only

if we are not afraid to make

mistakes!

Rudolph Dreikurs


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Planning and Decision Making

Meetings

Ways we want our class to be

Class name

Back-to-school night/open house

Substitutes

Choosing to learn


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Check In Meetings

Is this the way we want to be?

What did we learn?

How did it go with the substitute?


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No problem is toodifficult once it is

recognized as acommon task!

Rudolph Driekurs


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Problem Solving Meetings


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Problem Solving Meetings

My friends wont let me play

Cliques

Problem Solving


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Things to Think About


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When is a problem suitable for a

class meeting? Is this an issue that can be

discussed in a climate of trust,

ensuring the safety of each child?Can the groups collective energy be

directed toward finding solutions to

problems, not consequences foractions?


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Does this issue affect all of the childrenor most of them.

If the issue involves specific students,do all parties involved agree to have the

problem taken to the class?


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Is this the best time to address the

problem?


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Developing a Class Plan or helping a

Student with a Problem

Identify the question.

Brainstorm many possiblesolutinos/strategies.

Discuss a few solutions/strategies.


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Choose a solution or a few strategiesand write a plan(1-2 meetings).

Use the plan during the next few weeks.

Check on and change the plan, ifnecessary, at the next few meetings.


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Ways to Begin Meetings

Explain meetings

Talk about students hopes for the

meeting Record student ideas

Have a partner chat

Engage students personal experiences

Introduce vocabulary or concepts


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Remind students of earlier meetingresults or topics

Read a related story


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Ways to End Meetings

Post a list and ask students to keepthinking about it

Synthesize what the ideas mean Preview the next meeting

Reflect on the meeting process,

results, learnings Ask for volunteers to create a document

about what you did


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Establish a timeline for completingactivities

Celebrate what you have accomplished Add final observations

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