047: Time to Revisit Co-create Commitments for Optimal Learning

As educators, we know that when there is an extended break from the classroom, it is wise to spend time the first day back re-acclimating to our class routines, norms, and each other. It is also helpful as this may be when new students enter your classroom while others may move out. 

If you’ve already co-created commitments for optimal learning, ask students to refocus on the norms and expectations and reflect on the following questions:

• What commitments are working well for the class and should be kept?
• Which commitments are not working so well and need to be adjusted?
• What commitments should be considered for addition?

If you have never established co-created norms and expectations before, here are a few steps you can take to do so. Each step also provides an opportunity to practice developing SEL skills.

• Students will participate in a Think, Ink, Pair, Share.
• Ask them to individually reflect on and write down their thoughts on the questions below. By asking them to write down their thoughts, they are more likely, to be honest, and address their own needs rather than defer to a peer's comments.
• What do you need in a learning environment to be at your best? 
• What do you need from me as your teacher? From your peers?
• Partner students purposefully. Consider pairing students with a peer with whom they have not worked yet. Introduce the Empathetic Listening protocol:
• Assign one student Partner A and the other Partner B.
• Give Partner A one minute to share their responses to the questions uninterrupted.
• Partner B has one minute to paraphrase what Partner A shared and what they may have felt.
• Partner A then has one minute to confirm, add, and/or correct.
• Finally, switch and allow Partner B to share using the same process.

(The empathetic protocol can also be adapted when partnering students to share responses to academic content!)

• Move the pairs to groups of four. 
• Ask each Partner A to share what Partner B stated during the Empathetic Listening Protocol. 
• Then ask Partner B to share.
• Request that each group identifies the similarities and uniquenesses among their responses.
• Bring the groups back to the full class group. Invite each group to share 1-2 similarities and write them on the board so everyone can see. 
• Ask each group shares, add the new responses to the list, and place checkmarks next to the ones reinforced by other groups.
• Once the lists have been exhausted, invite students to share uniquenesses that would bring social awareness to the classes about their peers' needs.
• As a class, ask students to "bucket" similar norms or expectations together so that the class ends up with 3-5 collective norms. (Scroll down to see examples from a high school calculus teacher who followed this process to co-create norms for collaboration at the beginning of the school year.)
• An initial fear of teachers is that their norms would not align with what the students devise. In my experience, and from those who share with me, this is rarely the case. Students' needs often resemble what we would like to see modeled in the classroom. If you find that a norm important to you is not shared, you - as the teacher - can introduce it to the co-created list.
• Another fear from secondary teachers is that different classes will have vastly different lists. Again, this is often not the case (see one example below); you can always decide to merge the similarities from all classes into one overarching co-created list. 
• It is important that once these terms are identified, students are provided time to share what each looks like and sounds like in the classroom - the more specific, the better. As Dr. Brene Brown states, "Clear is kind, and kind is clear." I've highlighted terms in blue that I'd dig into for more clarity (below).
• Post the co-created norms and expectations in the classroom so students can use them to self-assess and adjust. Know that these norms and expectations can be revisited and altered as you and the students feel necessary.

The time put in up front to listen to, and value student voice will pay off as the year unfolds; optimally, students will work to monitor each other and self-monitor and adjust. 

Block 2 Calculus - Norms of Collaboration

• Teamwork - We do equal work with equal accountability.
• Respectfulness - We are open-minded. We will come to an agreement, when possible. We will listen to one another and give/receive feedback. We understand that people work differently.
• Communication - We will voice our opinions and feelings. We will ask for help when we need it. We will listen to each other, encouraging equal opportunity to contribute.
• Focus - We will stay engaged and on task. We will actively listen to one another.
• Reliability - We will manage our time. We will trust our teammates. In group work, no one person will have all the control. 

Block 3 Statistics - Norms of Collaboration

• Communication - We will express our thoughts and opinions. We will listen to different points of view. We will value others. We will ask questions for clarification.
• Respectful - We acknowledge that all group members are equal. We will support each other. 
• Expectations - We will ensure we are aware of the expectations related to the completeness of the work. We will equally distribute the work. We will turn in our work on time. We will turn in quality work that reflects our ability. 
• Persistence - We will embrace struggle. We acknowledge that it is okay to be wrong sometimes. When we are wrong, we will demonstrate grace. We acknowledge that everyone works differently. 
• Focus - We will stay engaged and actively participate by limiting distractions. 
• Remember: Bad days will happen and it is okay!
   

Block 4 Geometry Norms of Collaboration

• Communication - We will share all ideas. We will speak and elaborate on our ideas. We will listen and be understanding of others.
• Be Respectful - We will respect others' ideas by listening to them. We will be nice, include others, and strive to be open-minded.
• Teamwork - We will put in our best effort and actually do the work. We will be dependable and demonstrate a good work ethic. 
• Resilience - We understand we might be wrong and that is okay as long as we learn from it. We will accept challenges, strive to do better, and work to overcome challenges.
• Focus - We will engage by staying on topic. We will concentrate and limit distractions for ourselves and others.