Inclusive Classroom Environment

This Term we have begun a new segment in the morning where students participate in a discussion about a current events issue that is topical and is of a subjective nature. The idea behind this is to get students to think critically, evaluate information and formulate their own opinions. One of the things I have noticed this year is that there is the same core group of students that dominate discussions. I thought possibly that this could be due to students not feeling confident and comfortable sharing their ideas for fear of being laughed at or ridiculed.

In an attempt to boost student confidence and create an environment where students felt safe and secure, I decided to co-construct the expectations around having a discussion, particularly when another person's ideas conflict with  your own.

Here is what we came up with:

Participating in a Discussion

DOES	DON’TS
Stay calm Take a deep breath Ask questions Speak nicely Polite Respect others ideas Focus on the positive Join ideas Agree to disagree	Lose control Take personally Hold a grudge Ridicule someone’s ideas Backstab