Learning Community Guidelines - need reference

Learning regarding immigration can be sensitive territory for students and instructors of all backgrounds.  Time should be spent in this first session setting up some ground rules and guidelines for how students want their learning community to operate.  By this point they should have a taste for some of the things they will be exploring and should be able to work together to describe the kind of environment that would work best for them.  The following process is will help facilitate this:

1.    Ask students to think about and take notes on the following on their own:
•    How would you like to be spoken to by your peers?
•    What do good manners, respect and courtesy look and sound like?
•    How would you like to be acknowledged to speak?
•    What was the best discussion group you have been a part of? What happened there that made it so good?
•    What was the worst discussion group you have been a part of? What happened there that made it so bad?

2.    Have students get into small groups of three or four to share their answers.  The groups should take notes on common themes or features that appear among them.

3.    Still in small groups; for each good characteristic that should be present in the class, come up with three concrete things that a group can do to ensure they are there, be specific!

4.    Still in small groups; for each negative characteristic that should be avoided in the class, come up with three concrete things that a group can do to ensure they are diminished, be specific!

5.    Come back together as a large group and have each small group share what they came up with.

6.    Compile everyone’s findings into a simple and specific set of guidelines for the class.  This should be something everyone can agree to abide by, leave time for explanations, feedback and modifications.

7.    Keep this community charter in a conspicuous place throughout the learning sessions
 

Allow at least 45 minutes – 1 hour