Implementing the Module
2.3 Staff Development
Teaching and learning about fundamental rights and responsibilities within the school setting goes beyond implementing a program. If these activities are to become a part of our school life, staff members must take time both individually and as a group to reflect on their beliefs about this issue. They must examine their values together to see where commonalities exist. By doing this, they increase the likelihood that the school community will be a place where all persons receive the respect they deserve as human beings. When they share their ideas about this topic they take an important step toward building a school community that lives its beliefs.
The concept of rights and responsibilities goes far beyond a narrow review of student entitlements. While the title of the module highlights Students' Rights and Responsibilities, the emphasis on the entire community holds the key to successful implementation of the learning module.
What follows are some suggested activities a staff might choose in order to work through some of the questions they need to ask themselves prior to implementation . In actively listening to each other and honestly expressing their feelings and thoughts on the subject, they will be practicing the values they are trying to establish. This process will require people exerienced in helping groups reflect together. No doubt, most staffs and certainly all school districts have such persons available for facilitation.
Before they bring the learning activities into the classroom, it is important that staff members internalize the values inherent in the program. Equally important, teachers must have the requisite training and confidence to integrate the learning activities into the various subject areas of the curriculum and ongoing efforts must include the wider community. This will contribute to the success of the learning venture. How this is to be accomplished will vary from one school community to another. The sincere effort to seek input and share wisdom among teachers, parents, students and community members will introduce new challenges but the effort will result in authentic growth for everyone involved.
Staff Development Activities
A.) The "I Believe" Activity will help staff members to articulate their individual beliefs and feelings about rights and responsibilities in the school setting. Led by the facilitator, members of the staff first reflect privately on the leading phrases listed. (Phrases more suitable to an individual school's circumstances can be substituted where necessary.) Small groups then share their ideas and seek common ideas among the reflections offered. Finally, the staff articulates the ideas held in common by the substantial majority of it members.
The value of this exercise is twofold. It gives every member a chance to contribute ideas and to react to the views of their colleagues. This builds staff-wide "ownership" of the process. Individual reflection and group sharing of values helps everyone define the philosophical and theoretical basis for the implementation of the learning experiences in the classroom. Research is clear that this increases the likelihood of success in any communal venture and practice supported by theory has been shown to be more sustainable that either of these two components separately.
B.) "Brainstorming" is a technique which can generate a large number of ideas in a short time. "Ground rules" need to be established before commencing.
The free flow of ideas often results in creative ways of looking at a problem or situation. The lists of ideas that result from the brainstorming session can be used later to suggest or plan actions. The role of facilitator in this process is to ensure that the questions to be examined and the ground rules are clearly understood by the group. Culling the list of ideas and putting them in some kind of order for later whole group consideration can be done by a smaller team.
C.) "Force Field Analysis"is a variation on the Brainstorming technique and is useful for estimating the likelihood of progress and for identifying and prioritizing factors which are likely to be obstacles in reaching the desired goal. This variation tends to be more focused than a general brainstorming session. Once the group has agreed on the main helpful conditions (these to be celebrated and maintained) and potential hinderances (these to be removed or minimized, where possible), planning can begin. Sometimes it is possible that the Force Field Analysis Activity may result in a decision by the group to alter planning and action timelines until a significant obstacle can be dealt with. It is possible that the group may recognize that it cannot remove an impediment. This activity can be seen as a "Reality Check". The facilitator's role is to help the group clarify and put into order the chief factors both positive and negative which the group has recognized.
The activities outlined above can produce useful results for school staffs and communities. They can be adapted for use in the classroom when the learning module is being taught. These exercises can provide ideas while at the same time building cohesion and community among the people engaged in them.
I Believe Activity
a.) Individuals reflect on the questions and answer them spontaneously and honestly.
b.) In groups of three, participants share their statements and create a list which reflects the common beliefs of this small group.
c.) Groups of six are formed by combining the groups of three and the same process occurs, this time seeking wider consensus. Ideas which are acceptable to the whole group are listed. Each group creates a chart listing the group response to each question.
d.) The whole group hears a reporter from each group of six briefly outline the major patterns that group came up with.
e.) The facilitator creates a listing of the themes or ideas which are apparent across a number of groups.
f. ) If a formal "Statement" of beliefs is desired, then the facilitator can prioritize the issues or themes using a technique such as "Reverse Weight Priorization".
g.) If "true consensus" is needed, then every member of the large group must agree to "live with" all the items. (Note: This does not mean everyone agrees with everything totally, but is at least willing to try and support the agreed upon items.)
I Believe...
(Please complete the following statements .)
Because I am a human being, I deserve at least the following things:
People should treat others with respect because ...
Students as a group of people differ from adults in
important ways. Because of these differences, I believe children have some unique rights
such as ...
It is reasonable to expect that Students in our
school community must accept responsibility for ...
Brainstorming Activity
Choose from among the following and create your own:
Ways in which people can unintentionally hurt others
Statements which tend to belittle others
Statements which tend to build other people's positive sense of self.
Types of behaviour that happen in our school community which might make people feel "unsafe" or "unwelcome"
People in our school community routinely show respect for others by
Ways in which people tend to abuse their rights and privileges around here
Forms of oppression which members of our school community witness in the media
Hopeful signs that our world is becoming more humane.
Force Field Analysis |
|
| Conditions in our school community which are likely to promote the respect for Rights and acceptance of Responsibilities | Factors that may hinder or prevent the fostering of Rights and Responsibilities in our school community |