Class+Meeting

Class MeetingSubmitted by: Chris Opitz Grade: 5-6 Lesson: Class Meetings Standard: 1A Student demonstrates awareness of their emotions.

There are many published resources out there discussing the purpose of class meetings and different possible formats. Here are the procedures we follow.

Procedure: 1. We first read the “Class Meeting Rules” together. The students developed this short rubric at the beginning of the year. At first they had a huge list of rules, but through conversation and debate, they narrowed it down to these: (also a jpeg attachment) a. Everyone should be seen b. Project your voice c. Raise hands to speak d. Wait your turn to speak e. Allow and pick a variety of people to speak 2. Students begin the meeting by reading Random Acts of Kindness – see 6A. This is an opportunity for students to notice the small things that other students are doing that help make our classroom a positive place to be. 3. If it is a meeting that will follow a student agenda item, we consult the chart where students write possible agenda items. 4. The student who wrote the next agenda item introduces the topic and explains their thinking. If it’s a teacher agenda item addressing a success or concern, then we explain our thinking before opening the discussion. 5. If it’s a topic for class discussion, then the meeting is open to all students and the discussion begins. 6. The goal is to allow students a voice to express their opinions and ideas regarding the topic. We want to provide the opportunity for students to have some ownership in their education. Occasionally, the students come to an agreement on the topic, while other times they agree that there is too much to discuss right then. In this case, students try to agree on “next steps” and who will be responsible for what. 7. Closure

Successes & Concerns

One change that I have made to the process recently was to add a “successes and concerns” grade level meeting. Once every couple of weeks when I am working with a single grade level (5 or 6), I will gather the students in a circle in front of our class for a very brief check in before beginning class. We call it Successes and Concerns. The purpose is to make sure kids have an opportunity to share what’s on their mind. This is not a discussion. It’s simply a chance to be heard. It is a way for me to take a quick reading of any students I might need to check in with later.

Procedure: 1. Gather all students up front in a circle 2. Round robin format – students share a success in their life or pass 3. Round robin format – students share a concern in their life or pass 4. Give directions for the beginning of class and back to our work