Teachers have found that, as a result of this program, they see more spontaneous helping behavior and less teasing among students, and this contributes to a schoolwide atmosphere of trust. We Want Our Class To Be , class meetings provide a forum for students and teachers to reflect, discuss issues, plan, and make decisions that affect the classroom climate. The teacher's role in these meetings is to create an environment in which students can see that their learning, their opinions, and their concerns are taken seriously. The students' role is to participate as valuable and valued contributors to the classroom community. Class meetings are used for everything from planning for a science unit to preparing for a substitute, from setting class goals to solving common social problems, all contributing to a cohesive classroom community.
Scenes show two bilingual classrooms and seven different families participating at home.
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