Class Meetings Facilitated By Students
Allowing students to facilitate classroom meetings are another component of the continuous improvement classroom.
Class meetings get students involved in constructive decision-making in their classrooms and schools. They build a climate of trust and respect between teacher and students, as well as among students and help students take ownership and responsibility for their classroom- which is the ultimate goal of the classroom meeting.
It has been found that students often develop a better sense of responsibility when given a chance to make meaningful contributions in their own classroom. When students believe they are contributing to the school environment in a significant way, they feel a more positive attachment to school and are motivated to learn. It is also evident that students who are allowed to problem solve and make some of their own decisions are likely to buy in to the solutions agreed upon by the class during the meeting.
Teachers have found many benefits to utilizing classroom meetings. Class meetings provide students with opportunities to assume responsibility and help students take ownership for their actions by involving them in the process of understanding and questioning rules, guidelines, limits, and consequences. Students are able to reason and reflect on their actions, think about the consequences of their behavior, and comprehend the impact they have on others. It is when students believe their ideas are respected and valued that they will be productive participants and will truly take ownership and responsibility for their learning.
During the class meeting, the teacher holds "veto" power and should use it sparingly. It is critical that students are allowed to learn from their mistakes. They should be allowed to try out their ideas, even if you're convinced they won't work, as long as no obvious harm could result. School is life... therefore, students should be as ivolved as possible in the decision making and problem solving in the classroom.
Learn more about the class meeting concept at the following web sites:
- View a few Power Point presentations on class meetings (1 & 2)
- http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/profdev/profdev012.shtml
- http://www.sd83.bc.ca/classmtg/classindex.html
- http://www.nea.org/classmanagement/ifc020919.html
- http://www.marvinmarshall.com/articles/promotinglearning/article_meetings.htm
What have been your experiences with class meetings? Do you believe class meetings can be an effective way to help students take ownership and responsibility for their learning? What are the negative aspects of class meetings?
