About the Book

Written by a teacher for teachers, this practical book offers teachers everything they need to know about what class meetings are, how to get started, and how to adapt the approach to their changing classrooms.

Class meetings have many different names—group time, gathering time, community circle, morning meeting—and take just as many forms. The focus in this book is on using this part of the classroom day for resolving conflicts, co-constructing problem-solving strategies, and making the classroom a safe, positive environment so that children in preschools, kindergartens, and the primary grades can channel their energy into constructive interactions and learning.

Class meetings have four major components:

• Opening
• Acknowledgments
• Problem solving
• Closing

The experiences children have in class meetings can help them use problem-solving strategies outside the meetings, enabling them to depend less on adult intervention and use positive language with each other—important stepping stones on the path to healthy self-esteem and respect for others.