Community Meetings in Lower Elementary

In Lower Elementary, students value the weekly Community Meeting as a predictable and safe way to practice respectful communication with their peers.  The process of voicing a concern begins when a student articulates a problem by documenting the issue in a composition notebook we refer to as “the agenda.”  The students know that items added to “the agenda” will be read at the next Community Meeting.  Part of the rationale behind having the students write down their concerns for community discussion at a later time is that it allows for a “cooling off” period and time for the students to resolve their issues on their own.

We begin our Community Meetings with compliments and acknowledgements, with each student having the opportunity to contribute.  After that, items on the agenda are read aloud and discussed.  The person who originally voiced a concern in “the agenda” chooses how to approach the problem.  The student may ask the class to share their feelings, to discuss the problem without providing solutions, to provide problem-solving suggestions, or they may indicate that the problem has already been resolved. 

Community Meetings are designed to help the students learn to solve problems peacefully and with contributions from peers.  Learning to use their voices and knowing that they are influential in their community helps them see their strengths, empowering them to communicate their viewpoint in social situations.