Key Elements of Class Meetings Note: This is an optional module. If teachers are comfortable with Class Meetings and seem to hold meetings where most of these features and facilitation techniques are apparent, then you might not choose to do this session. This session is done after a school has already received initial professional development on Class Meetings – early in the year. Materials Exclusion Class Meeting (2-6) (see PDF) Video of Exclusion Meeting Projector and speakers Time Needed: 35 minutes _______________________________________________________________________________ SLIDE: Key Elements of Class Meetings 1 minute Welcome everyone.

Session Goals Look at a class meeting in depth Reflect on and identify key elements of class meetings Identify what you might do next to improve your own class meetings SLIDE: Session Goals 1 minute Share that the purpose of this session is to help teachers go deeper with Class Meetings, discussing important features and facilitation strategies to help students do the thinking and talking and helping studentsbecome authentic problem-solvers and decision-makers. Read the slide aloud.

Class Meetings: Core of CSC First Eight Weeks Anytime Meetings End of the Year Meetings SLIDE: Class Meetings 1 minute Remind staff that Class Meetings are central to the work of building sense of community and connectedness in classrooms. Class meetings are the core of the CSC program. There are a number of reasons to have meetings —to solve problems, plan together, make decisions, or simply to check-in about something. Remind them that Class Meetings are split into Beginning-of-Year Lessons, Anytime Lessons, and End-of-Year Lessons. Let them know that the class meeting that we’ll be examining is from the Anytime Lessons but the features and facilitation techniques can be used throughout the year.

Read Exclusion Class Meeting Card How is the Class Meeting structured? What do you notice about the questions? SLIDE: Review Exclusion Class Meeting Card 10 minutes Have teachers review the Exclusion Class Meeting Card with a partner Ask them to discuss in partners: What structures do you see? What do you notice about the questions? Discuss briefly as a group. If it doesn’t come up, point out that the questions are written in an order that leads the class to make a decision or solve a problem and build on each other.

Watching the Video As you watch the video, please attend to the following: What are some key features of the meeting? What do you notice about the teacher’s facilitation techniques? SLIDE: View video in pairs 1 minute Explain that the video is of a class meeting on the topic of “exclusion.” Share the following: The video is 7:00 minutes long, and takes place in a grade two classroom in Concord, CA. In a previous class meeting students were checking in on playground rules and the issue of being left out of games was raised. The teacher decided to use the class meeting on exclusion to help students discuss the issue and brainstorm strategies. Let them know they may have watched this video in a past training but that you are showing it again so they can focus on the teacher actions now that they have experience with facilitating class meetings. Read the overhead. Ask the participants to partner as they watch the video, with one looking for key features and the other looking for facilitation techniques. Explain that after the video, participants will have a chance to discuss what they see so they might want to take notes as they watch. Show the video.

Video: Exclusion SLIDE: Class Meeting: Exclusion Video 7:00 minutes NOTE: The video will be available separately. At the conclusion of the video, go to the next slide to continue the session.

Video Debrief What were key features of the meeting? What do you notice about the teacher’s facilitation techniques? SLIDE: Video Debrief 5-8 minutes Read the two questions on the slide to the group. Have them turn to a partner to discuss. Then discuss the video as a whole group. Ask follow-up questions such as “What made you think that?” “What did she say?” “How this meeting is different than a class conversation?”

Key Features of Class Meetings Students in a circle Teacher in circle with students (preferably at same level) Review rules Used cooperative structures Students doing most of the talking Topics authentic Follow-up meetings held around important topics* *Not visible in this video but important SLIDE: Key Features of Class Meetings 2 minutes Review these features by stating, “here are some things you might have discussed.” Explain that these features help differentiate Class Meetings from other classroom conversations.

Facilitation Techniques Set purpose for meeting Used cooperative structures so all have a voice Asked open-ended and follow-up questions Used wait time Asked questions that encouraged participants to talk directly to each other Kept meeting moving by using partnering for all to be heard and hearing only a few after each question. SLIDE: Facilitation Techniques 2 minutes Review these techniques. Explain that these techniques help increase participation, responsibility, and respect, and build a supportive community. Remind them that suggestions for using these techniques are written into the sidebars of all of the CSC materials — and of course they can be used across the curriculum in other areas.

Reflection What features or facilitation techniques will you try to incorporate more into your Class Meetings? SLIDE: Reflection 5 minutes Ask questions. Have teachers turn to a partner to discuss. Ask a few teachers to share out.