This afternoon, I was able to join one of our classes for a class meeting. Class meetings are excellent systems to help teachers and students work collaboratively to create positive classroom cultures and to solve problems.

Today I joined the grade 6 English class, division E02. Due to a few school wide issues, I was not able to get the classroom right at 1:00 pm. The class meeting was already in progress when I arrived, and the class was participating in a whole group  activity. I found a chair, joined the circle, and tried to understand the game. Eventually I understood it, but it ended right about then.

Once the first activity was complete, I was invited to talk to the class. I generally prefer not to talk too long (no chuckles). The reason for my invitation meant I was going to need to talk more at the beginning, before allowing time for students to share. Class meetings are better when students are able to do the majority of the talking. Less teacher talk is preferred. This was not the case today. Some students had come to me earlier in the week asking for help with an ongoing issue. They were fed up, and wanted help. Their teacher invited me to their class meeting. I joined in, shared my thoughts on the problems, and invited the students to be part of a positive solution.

One features of class meetings that I feel is very important is to be mindful when sharing with others what was discussed in the meeting. I won’t share here what the concerns from E02 were, but I will share that we had a positive meeting, and I was pleased with how everyone was able to participate. I do encourage students to share at home.

Towards the end of the class meeting, all participants, including myself, were asked to share publicly what she or he will be willing to do to make things better. There were a variety of commitments, and together, they will all help to make a positive learning environment for everyone.

At this time of year, I think it is a great idea for classes to review what students and staff can do to maintain or improve a positive culture in all classes. In my career, I have participated in class meetings at all grade levels, and with practice, classes can become great support systems for students who may struggle at some point during a school day or week.

There are a variety of ways to structure class meetings. I like to have students seated in a circle, where everyone can see each other. I like students to take turns sharing, and not interrupt one another. For more information, I found a Pinterest page on class meetings. (This may be the first time I’ve referred a page on Pinterest.)

I also like to make use of the four agreements in class meetings from the Tribes program. I would be interested in seeing a teacher structure class meetings around the First Peoples Principles of Learning. I think these principles would be an excellent place to start conversations with students about creating a great learning environment for everyone.

Not all the classes at Cleveland make use of class meetings. This blog is not trying to make that happen. Class meetings are a simple and effective way to support a positive classroom culture. If there are teachers out there reading this, I highly recommend class meetings.

Take care

P.S. The picture above has nothing to do with class meetings. I just wanted to share what some Kindergarten students were doing yesterday. 🙂