Building Consensus

Time:  45 minutes

Objective:  Create inclusion for every person within the learning community by creating and agreeing upon positive behavior expectations.

Instruction:  
1. All students sit facing newsprint and teacher in front of group
2. Discuss the importance of contributing to our group and how we go about doing ÒbusinessÓ when we meet each week.
3. Everyone will have the opportunity to contribute to a list of positive agreements (Òthis is how we do things around hereÓ)
4. Our goal is to create a positive environment, one where everyone feels included and their opinion valued.
5. Someone writes on the newsprint as group members share their behavior expectations.
6. Ask for volunteers, if none, then go around the group and ask.  When someone chooses not to contribute, let him/her know we will come back to you before we move onto the discussion.
7. Once everyone has had an opportunity to contribute then review the list and get clarification on each expectation.
8. Ask each member if they have questions about the expectation and if they need further clarification or modifications.
9. Once the entire list has been reviewed each member is asked to verbally commit to the agreement, if they cannot verbally commit then further discussion follows to make the expectation Òlivable.Ó
10. Once all clarifications and modifications have been done, then the leader/facilitator/teacher takes the list and condenses it so it is readable for the final phase.
11. Final Phase:  Review all expectations one more time, ask for questions or comments
12. Conduct a discussion on contracts and how they work.  This should generate discussion about contracts and how they affect your life.
13. Once this discussion is complete, they are asked to sign the newsprint.