PASTORAL CARE POLICYOUR LADY OF THE ROSARY CATHEDRAL SCHOOL

WAITARA

May 2012

Rationale:

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I have come that you may have life and have it to the full. (John 10:10)

Pastoral Care is central to the ethos and identity of a Catholic school. It is based on a deep respectfor the dignity and uniqueness of the individual person as we are all made in the image of God(Genesis 1:27). The Catholic school by providing a strong sense of wellbeing, belonging andsecurity, that affirms students in their dignity and worth, assists students to achieve their fullpotential as a human person, physically, socially, intellectually, emotionally and spiritually.

(Guidelines for Pastoral Care in Catholic Schools 2003, CEC, p6)

Pastoral Care at Our Lady of the Rosary is based upon shared Catholic values through which familiesand teachers work together to provide a positive supportive environment characterized by trust,cooperation and respect. We acknowledge the right for all Our Lady of the Rosary community

members to feel safe.

Pastoral care…………has as its focus the life of Jesus Christ.

I have come that you may have life and have it to the full.(John 10:10)

The Catholic worldview perceives Jesus as God’s Son, who saved us through his life, death and resurrection, and through whom we enter into the life of God.

Pastoral Care in the Church and hence in a Catholic school draws its expression and strength from the life of Jesus Christ. In Jesus we see God's paramount expression of love, compassion, reconciliation and justice. In Jesus we experience God as a caring shepherd who is faithful to the flock, who knows them intimately, who frees and saves.

Jesus demonstrates by his own life what we have been created to be — fully human, fully alive and able to participate in the life and love of God. It is this vision of human life which the Catholic school communities of the Diocese of Broken Bay seek to embrace and emulate in their approaches to pastoral care.

… is concerned with the dignity and integral growth of the person.

God created humankind in God's image. (Genesis 1:27)

The Catholic worldview perceives each human being as a unique person created in the image of God, having an inalienable dignity that is always to be respected.

We are made in God's image and at the core of all the Church's pastoral action is a deep respect for the innate dignity and uniqueness of individual persons.

As an agent in the mission and ministry of the Church, the Catholic school aims to offer to all a vision and experience of learning that is an exercise of love (cf, The Catholic School on the Threshold of the Third Millennium, n15). In a community that provides a strong sense of wellbeing, belonging and security, students are given every opportunity to be affirmed in their dignity and worth, confirmed in their personhood, and assisted to grow to the fullness of their potential. Likewise, the dignity of parents and their noble place as prime educators of their children is respected and affirmed.

… is a responsibility entrusted to all members of the faith community.

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All members may be concerned for one another. If one member suffers, all members suffer: if one member is honoured, all members share this joy. You then are the body of Christ.

(1 Corinthians 12:25-27)

The Catholic worldview perceives an imperative to proclaim to others the love we receive from Jesus, by loving them as Jesus loves us

In the Catholic school community responsibility is entrusted to all members — students, parents, staff, clergy, administrators — to contribute to one another's growth and journey towards wholeness.

It endeavours to provide to all the experience of high quality interpersonal relationships of care and support. Thus each member is both a provider and recipient of Pastoral Care.

… is a force for healing, reconciliation and liberation.

I shall look for the lost one, bring back the stray, bandage the wounded and makethe weak strong. I shall be a true shepherd to them.

(Ezekiel 34:16)

The Catholic worldview perceives the action of the Spirit in the world, inviting and empowering all people to respond to the divine love.

The Scriptures present God's work of redemption fully realised in Jesus, and it is in and through Jesus that we learn to be a welcoming, forgiving and reconciling people.

A Catholic school community immersed in the Gospel of Jesus and filled with his Spirit is committed to the values of compassion, tolerance, forgiveness and reconciliation. Pastoral Care supports and provides a context for the growth and expression of these values in all aspects of the school's life.

… is an expression of and commitment to justice.

He has sent me to bring good news to the poor, to proclaimliberty to captives and to the blind new sight, and set the downtrodden free.

(Luke 4: 18)

The Catholic worldview perceives an obligation to work to create social conditions in which the unique dignity of each person is respected and all human rights protected.

The pursuit of justice for individuals and communities has long being a core focus of the mission and ministry of the Church. Pastoral Care in our Catholic schools endeavours to uphold and sustain policies and practices that foster the values of mutual respect, responsibility and service within the community. A commitment to democratic processes, co-operation and concern for the common good are principles that students are progressively encouraged to emulate in their relationships with others.

A school community needs to respond with increasing sensitivity to the social and cultural diversity of its members. It is in and through Pastoral Care than much can be done to promote respect and to support such things as diverse family structures, different ways of giving expression to Christian faith, and awareness of cross-cultural issues. School policies and practices must be respectful of the dignity, rights and fundamental freedoms of individual students and must provide learning opportunities for individual students which are responsive to their unique needs for growth and fulfillment.

As the Lighthouse sheds light on the darkened ocean, so does the light of Christ shed light on the heart and minds of people. From the witness of Catholic educators emanates the light of the gospel message, faith, community and Christian service.3

Statement of Interpretation of the Broken BayEducational Ministry Pin

Human PersonPastoral care is based on respect and dignity of the human person. Pastoral care grounds the school’s Mission Statement in the quality of daily relationships. The ways in which people interact with each other in the daily life of the school significantly affects each person’s sense of well-being, identity and self-worth.

Everyone in the school community has a responsibility to foster quality interpersonal relationships amongst teachers, students, parents, support staff, priests and parish communities.All members of staff have a significant role to play in modelling the importance of building and maintaining relationships grounded in mutual respect, dignity, fairness, reconciliation, restoration, compassion and justice.

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Mercy Values Compassion Respect Hospitality Service Integrity

They have a responsibility to ensure that their response to gender, cultural background and family circumstances supports student learning outcomes. All staff need to be known as caring, compassionate adults who take a genuine interest in the lives of their students and who set appropriate boundaries within those teacher-student relationships.For these reasons student-teacher interviews, parent-teacher interviews and school counsellor services provide opportunities to nurture individual growth.

TEACHING AND LEARNINGThe primary expression of pastoral care in a school is through the dynamics of teaching/ learning and in the congruence between the statement of purpose and values of the school and the total curriculum. The school curriculum, therefore, shall be comprehensive and inclusive based on the principles of quality learning for all characterised by the use of quality teaching strategies and responsive to the individual learning needs of students. It needs to be responsive to students with special needs and should aim to redress educational disadvantage brought about by such factors as socio-economic status, gender, ethnic origin and race.

Students are to be given opportunities to become reflective, self-directed learners capable of negotiating the curriculum around meaningful, relevant tasks. Fair and just assessment procedures will be utilised.Pastoral care programs grounded in the Catholic worldview address the developmental needs of students such as:- relationships- drug education- child protection- peer support- grief and loss- sexuality- self esteem- values education

Such programs are intended to help students to value themselves and experience their own well-being whilst enabling them to contribute to building the school community. All dimensions of teaching and learning shall promote students’ ongoing formation in self discipline and personal responsibility with schools establishing, developing and managing environments in which students learn to respect rights and fulfill responsibilities. The rights of teachers to teach and students to learn in a safe and supportive school environment are valued and protected.

SCHOOL ORGANISATION AND CULTUREPastoral care in practice takes place every day. A human person centred approach focuses the school towards the realisation of the potential of each person and at the same time nurtures the experience of belonging to the school community. School structures, therefore, ensure that each student has access to a smaller group where the student is known personally. Furthermore, structures and administrative practices are intended to promote the positive interaction between staff and students.

The climate and experience of pastoral care can be significantly enhanced through various dimensions of school organisation such as: support for students in transition, leadership and peer support programs, effective responses to critical incidents and the development of aesthetically pleasing school environments.

COMMUNITYThe school community values hospitality, inclusion and empathy. A vital sense of community in the school offers a safe and supportive environment in which learning can occur and in which staff feel valued, empowered and affirmed. The school community particularly supports students at risk.

The community dimension of pastoral care supports the development of parent, parish and diocesan partnerships. Based on relationships of trust and cooperation, schools will have an orientation that empowers families, strengthens relationships between home, school and parish. Schools need to be respectful of diverse cultural and family structures, and supportive of families in crisis.page 5 Pastoral Care PolicyLicensed under NEALS Diocese of Broken Bay5

A commitment to establishing effective networks of care is an integral feature of pastoral care. It is important that schools ensure that all support services within and beyond the school community are identified and that strong links are established with all the agencies and groups with related or complementary functions.

The Diocesan Schools Board is committed to a proactive approach to all aspects of pastoral care and will:• provide information about procedures and support materials• provide information and training as appropriate• support and monitor implementation of this policy• provide ongoing reports as to implementation of policies and procedures relevant tochild protection to the Diocesan Schools Board.

Principles that guide this policy: These principles guide the way we work for the wellbeing of our community. They enable us to work flexibly with each other to develop and enhance positive relationships.

1. Pastoral care is a responsibility shared by all members of the OLOR community. Effective education of children is a partnership between school staff and parents. Positive interactions and relationships between parents, community members, staff and students are important to the well- being of all. At OLOR we acknowledge that our parents are the first and most important educators of their children. Together we nurture Catholic values and social responsibility.

2. Positive caring relationships are developed through our three school rules of Respect Self and Others, Respect Learning and Respect the Environment which are maintained by the supporting skills we teach. 6

3. Behaviour has a positive focus, describing what we want for our children- positive behaviour- and how we support its development.

Our Mission Statement says, 'the gift of God's love for us is central to our relationships,' and positive behaviour is based on quality relationships. As we live out our mission to nurture our children into a community of disciples of Jesus, we are concerned with the dignity and integral growth of each child. As members of a hope filled community, we are here to help our children succeed. We have high expectations of every child and we believe that every child can succeed.

4. We teach for self-discipline and emotional and social development We have a whole school approach to positive behaivours for learning (PBL). Our focus is on the development of social and emotional learning. At Our Lady of the Rosary, positive behaviour learning is the developmental path for acquiring skills and competencies. Learning positive social skills and competencies takes place within the broader context of collaborative learning across the curriculum.

5. Cooperative Learning Cooperative learning is about working together to accomplish shared goals. For cooperative learning to work well there need to be five key elements:

1. Positive interdependence2. Face-to-face interaction3. Individual accountability and personal responsibility to achieve the group's goals 4. Specific interpersonal and small-group skills (which are taught)

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Strategies that promote the well-being of all at OLOR:

Our Shared Values From K-6, at OLOR, we have shared values which provide teachers and children with the language to discuss behaviour in a consistent way. Our mercy values of Compassion, Respect, Hospitality, Service and Integrity are reflected in our school rules:

Respect Self and Others Respect Learning Respect the Environment

Our commitment to these values therefore means that at OLOR every child has the right to be safe and to feel safe: physically, psychologically and emotionally.

Developing Social and Emotional Wellbeing Social literacy is highlighted within all areas of the curriculum. Care, respect, cooperation and diversity are promoted by pro-active strategies for emotional and social development. The strategies at OLOR include:

- Cooperative Learning structures e.g. 'Think/Pair/Share' - Community Circle - Developmental Play (in Kinder) - Class Meetings - Model of Student Leadership including cross-age buddies - Dads in School eg. Men in the Morning - Rock and Water Program - Lunch time social groups

Promoting Staff Well-being Well-being of all staff is an important component of OLOR's Pastoral Care Policy. When the needs of staff are effectively met, the needs of students are met more effectively.

We have a commitment to promote an emotionally and physically safe environment. This supportive setting encourages staff well-being and resilience.

Supporting staff with specific students who are experiencing difficulties As a staff we have shared responsibility to support one another and develop positive programs for managing children who are experiencing specific learning, emotional and behavioural difficulties/disorders. Interagency meetings enable the school staff and parents to develop programs to support these children.

Professional Learning The development of quality behaviour is a responsibility we all share. To support our whole school approach, we are committed to ongoing professional learning and staff training. All staff will have to opportunity to be inserviced in Positive Behaviour for Learning.

Celebrating Success At OLOR we celebrate success by showing true appreciation of the children's and staff members' achievements and endeavours. Celebrations happen in a variety of ways: individually, class and whole school. We express appreciation that is:

Timely Relevant Unconditional and Enthusiastic.

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As part of the Diocese of Broken Bay, OLOR is bound by the guidelines for major disciplinary sanctions for the Diocese. A copy is available on request.

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Related Policies

Commonwealth: Commonwealth Safe Schools' Framework

Diocesan: Pastoral Care Policy for Diocesan Systemic Schools Student Discipline Policy for Diocesan Systemic Schools Anti-Bullying Policy for Diocesan Systemic Schools Anti-Harassment Policy for Diocesan Systemic Schools Complaints Handling Policy & Procedures for Diocesan Systemic Schools Drug Education & Management Policy for the Diocesan School System Manual Handling & Lifting/Transferring of Students Policy in Diocesan Systemic Schools First Aid Policy for Diocesan Systemic Schools Medication Policy for Diocesan Systemic Schools Occupational Health & Safety Policy for Diocesan Systemic Schools Creating Safe & Supportive School Environments -Child Protection Policy for Diocesan Systemic Schools Privacy Policy for Diocesan Systemic Schools Acceptable Use Policy for Internet/Intranet and Network Services in the Diocesan School System

Related OLOR Policies and Statements Occupational Health and Safety Policy for Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Primary School Medication Policy for Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Primary School Occupational Health and Safety Purchasing Policy for Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Primary School First Aid Policy for Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Primary School Staff Handbook Parent Handbook

Review This policy will be reviewed in 2013.

This policy complies with the National Safe Schools Framework Guiding Principals.

References Catholic Education Commission. (2003). Guidelines for Pastoral Care in Catholic Schools. New South Wales. pg. 6 Hromek, R. (2004) Planting the Peace Virus. Anthony Rowe Ltd, United Kingdom. pg 6. Marshall, M. (2002). Discipline without Stress, Punishments or Rewards. Piper Press, California. McGrath, H and Noble, T. (2006). Bullying Solutions. Evidence- based approaches to bullying in Australian schools. Pearson Education Australia, Frenchs Forest. Rigby, K. (2001) Stop the Bullying. A Handbook for Schools. The Australian Council for Educational Research Ltd. Victoria. P6

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Support Documents

1. A Safe School ( Anti-Bullying) Statement

2. An Overview of Bullying Prevention and Management

3. A Safe School Action Plan

5. Parent Permission Form for Release of Information

6. Parent Permission For Individual Assessment

7. Sample Individual Behaviour Plans

8. Family Information Referral Form

9. Referral Form for Counselling/Behaviour

10. Class Meeting Outline

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Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic School, Waitara Pastoral Care Policy

A Safe School (Anti-Bullying) Statement and Policy

At OLOR we believe that all members of the community have a right to a learning and work environment free from intimidation, humiliation and hurt. We all share a responsibility to create a culture of caring which does not tolerate bullying. These protocols provide clear and agreed procedures and strategies to respond to any bullying behaviours which might occur and to protect and support all parties involved.

What is Bullying? (McGrath & Noble, 2006)

Bullying IS Bullying IS NOT

• Deliberate and repeated in a broad • A disagreement between students range of contexts (refusing to work where both have the same power with them, sit near them etc) • When students decide not to be

• Deliberate (neither incidental nor friends with someone anymore in a accidental) attacks which cause social situation. distress at the time and the threat of • Single-episode or random acts of future attacks meanness, intimidation or violence

• Directed towards a specific person or group (These behaviours are also not

• A repeated pattern of harassment acceptable at OLOR) • An imbalance and misuse of power

between the recipient and those bullying

• Unreasonable and unjustified • Direct and/or indirect and takes on

the forms of verbal, gestural, physical and relational abuse

Bullying behaviours can be classified in the following way:

Direct Indirect Verbal Abuse • Verbal insults • Persuading another person to criticise or

• Unfair criticism and blaming insult someone • Name calling • Spreading malicious rumours • Sarcasm • Anonymous phone calls, sms, emails or • Put-downs instant messages (cyber bullying)

Gestural Abuse • Threatening or obscene gestures • Deliberate turning away or averting one's gaze to ignore

Physical Abuse • Striking • Getting another person to assault someone • Throwing things • Using a weapon • Removing and hiding belongings • Playing nasty practical jokes

Relational • Forming coalitions against • Persuading people to exclude someone Bullying someone

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Our Responsibilities

Ultimately, strategies to minimise and prevent bullying will only be effective when placed within the context of a culture in which respect for others is consistently taught and demonstrated across all facets of school life. Our Catholic values, which represent the antithesis of bullying, must be continually affirmed in words and actions. The following are the responsibilities of all in the OLOR community to prevent bullying:

Responsibilities of Staff o 'Moral education' in the context of religious

education, liturgies and assemblies where the value of the individual is affirmed and the importance of qualities such as compassion, kindness, reconciliation, tolerance, respect and justice are encouraged.

o Provide opportunities for the children to observe, learn and apply the Connecting Habits.

o Teach the basic needs and how the behaviour relates to the Raising Responsibility System.

o Teach values 'across the curriculum' teaching (eg looking at the problem of prejudice within the context of a picture book/novel, or Inquiry Unit).

o Clear statements from staff about the nature and unacceptability of bullying.

o Use class meetings to discuss issues related to the children and formulate agreements. This open communication allows for an agreed class view of the issue (eg bullying) and ways/strategies that can be applied by the children. This 'ownership' of the issue promotes a commitment by all to follow the agreements.

o Teach aspects of the PDHPE curriculum specifically related to bullying.

o Teaching more positive ways of resolving conflict, such as working co-operatively within the classroom and playground, using I- messages.

o Staff and students as role models, particularly those in leadership roles such as peer support, school captains, house captains, SRC, Year 6 Team Leaders, Year 5 Buddies.

o Measures for vigilant classroom and playground supervision, especially of "high risk" areas.

o Provide safe and structured playground areas (Kids Space).

o Provide activities which develop a culture of caring for one another and acknowledging the worth and contribution of others and which help to develop compassion (Peer Support, SRC, Community days - fundraisers, etc).

o Provide appropriate counselling or other support services.

o Provision of support for parents through information seminars, support networks.

o Develop and implement SMART plans that help the child practise a replacement behaviour that will meet their needs effectively in socially responsible ways.

Responsibilities of Students o Help fellow students who have problems

related with bullying. o Look out for students who are having

problems with others. o Provide staff with information about ongoing

bully/victim problems. o Initially ignore the bullying and not show

that it is upsetting. Many bullies will stop if they do not elicit a response.

o Confront the bully and let him/her know that his/her behaviour is unwanted and unjustified through the use of I-Messages.

o Discuss the problem with friends and parents, who may be able to assist with strategies to deal with the problem.

o Notify their class teacher/or teacher on duty. o Apply the Connecting Habits when

interacting with others. o Assess behaviour using the Raising

Responsibility System. o Acknowledge the role they play in modelling

the Connecting Habits and the Raising Responsibility System for fellow students.

o Commit to the agreements made during class meetings.

Responsibilities of Parents o Encourage your child to talk if you

suspect they are being bullied at school or are bullying others.

o Make sure your child knows that being bullied is not their fault.

o Listen carefully and sympathetically. o Let your child know that bullying in

any form is never acceptable. Listen to your child and take their feelings and fears seriously.

o Don't call your child names, like "weak, sook, wuss". Don't tell them "not to worry, to forget it, to toughen up".

o Use the Connecting Habits with your child. If the bullying is verbal, help your child develop the skills to ignore it so that the student who bullies does not get the satisfaction of a reaction.

o Practise the way to walk past looking confident with head up and use quick (not insulting) responses.

o Explore alternative courses of action (acting more assertively, talking to a teacher etc).

o Avoid the urge to take everything into your own hands unless absolutely necessary, as this will make your child feel less in control.

o Help your child feel good about the other things in their life. Enhance their self-esteem.

o The recipient and witness/es of the bullying may need further support to develop strategies to overcome the situation. The class teacher will seek to involve the parents in the formulation of a SMART plan and its monitoring.

o Cooperate with the school in implementing the appropriate procedures for dealing with bullying.

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An Overview of Bullying Prevention and Management

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A Safe School- Action Plan

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AUTHORISATION TO USE PERSONAL INFORMATION

As a Catholic School we are committed to the wholistic integrated education of our children, spiritually, socially, academically, physically and emotionally and to building community as part of the Church’s wider mission in Catholic Education. In order to do this we need to gather personal information from you.

We are committed to being open about how we use your personal information.

We use the information that we collect from you for:I do not give permission

(a) The education of your child

(b) Use by the P&F to keep you informed on issues that may affect you or your child

(c) Building community, and communication between parents through the operationof the Class Parent Network. For example, the provision of a class list of names,addresses and phone numbers to parents of each class for the purpose of a classbirthday list.

(d) The operation of the school canteen through the use of names and phone numbers of

volunteers on the roster

(e) The operation of the School Band, for example, by distributing information on behalf of the Band master, and enabling communication between parents of band members.

Please note that (e) applies to members of the School Band only

(f) From time to time, your child’s photograph may be taken as part of a school activity and we may wish to use it to promote school initiatives or special events, for example, in Diocesan publications, or in Newspapers. Individual students will not be identified by name unless the consent of parents is specifically sought.

We will ask you to sign this authorisation only once and your authorisation will remain current unless you contact us and revoke it for any of the above purposes. You can revoke your authorisation by writing to the Principal, care of the school office, informing of your decision.

Please complete the authorisation below, by signing the form and returning to the school office.

If you choose for your own personal information not be be used for any of the purposes above, please tick the appropriate box above and sign the authorisation below.

AUTHORISATION

I/we give permission for our personal information to be used for the purposes outlined in (a) to (f).

NAME:……………………………………………………. Date:……………………………

Signature:…………………………………………………(Parent/Guardian)

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Class Meetings

We have a video of some major aspects of class meetings filmed at OLOR on the school server. Teachers are encouraged to view this brief snapshot as a refresher.

Physical Environment Wherever possible the class sits in a tight knit circle, either sitting on the floor or on chairs. Teachers are at the same height as the students.

Structure of a class meeting 1) Define the issue/problem eg. "I think the issue is " 2) Personalise the issue/problem - eg. "WhenI felt" or "I have" 3) Challenge - eg. "I think we should" or "We could try" Other children give thumbs up or down to new ideas/suggestions 4) Reflection

Teacher's Role The teacher acts as facilitator, and does not make judgements about contributions. He/She is also a participant in the meeting and therefore can contribute their own ideas and feelings.

Rules for Class Meetings • We listen to, and respect, others in the meeting • We talk about actions not people • We take turns (talking sticks are helpful here) • We acknowledge others' positions • We only give a thumbs down if we can suggest an alternative

The following is some information from Dr Marvin Marshall. For the entire article, please visit the website - http://www.marvinmarshall.com/pdf/promoting_learning/classroom_meetings.pdf

Classroom meetings differ from usual class discussions in that, to some extent, the process is the point. As suggested, these meetings not only give ownership of the class to the students, they facilitate the development of skills. In addition, classroom meetings provide a venue to gain understanding of how other people think and feel—two necessary aspects of getting along with others. A prime reason why class meetings assist in the development of social skills is that they use procedures of civility. Put-downs, snide remarks, or untimely giggles are not appropriate or acceptable. Courtesies that are used include respect for the opinions of others whether or not you agree with them, acknowledging others' positions, listening attentively, making constructive rather than destructive contributions, taking turns, and not interrupting others when they are speaking. Although these procedures are reviewed at the beginning of each meeting, once they have become thoroughly internalized and are regularly observed, it is only necessary to mention them periodically or when there is an infringement.

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Class Meetings (cont'd)

Purposes and Objectives Some meetings have specific purposes such as instructional reflection, discussing pertinent items, articulating and applying the values that schools engender toward civility and character development, and solving problems.

Specific objectives for classroom meetings include the following:

• Improving communication skills of listening and speaking • Providing opportunities for insightful, creative, and critical thinking • Learning the process of respectful interaction and promoting teamwork • Increasing social intelligence such as empathy • Fostering social skills such as reducing shyness • Enhancing aspects of character education such as being trustworthy and fair • Reducing anonymity and promoting feelings of acceptance and being worthwhile • Building a trusting and caring relationship between teacher and student and among students themselves • Creating and maintaining an open, trusting atmosphere for risk-taking in learning • Creating a sense of community by increasing class cohesiveness • Providing a channel for relevancy where students talk about subjects which interest, affect, or concern them

Structure of a Class Meeting Most meetings should have three parts in addition to rehearsing the procedures at the beginning and, on some occasions, summarizing at the end. The first part is defining the topic to be sure that everyone understands the issue or topic so that everyone talks about the same thing. The second part, personalizing, gives participants the opportunity to relate the topic to their own knowledge and experiences. The third part has to do with challenging, which provides an opportunity for the teacher to stretch the students' minds by applying the ideas through hypothetical questions or situations. In problem-solving meetings, the third part, challenging, should be designed to facilitate a solution to the problem.

Closing the Meeting A final aspect of the leader's role is to use reflection to bring the discussion to a positive close. Sometimes it will be necessary to summarize the discussion, draw out the consensus, or clearly state the final agreed solution in a problem solving discussion. Examples are, "The main ideas expressed today are. . . ." "It seems that most people think. . . ." "Have we agreed that. . . ?" " think we will have to disagree because there are so many different ideas."

Following are additional reflective techniques:

• Keepers - "Name one thing you want to keep from the meeting." or "Restate something that was said that you thought was a good point—even if you didn't agree with it?" Have students share with a partner or share it in the circle. • Complete a sentence - Invite all to complete a sentence, e.g., "At the end of this meeting, I hope. . . ." • Silence - "Take a minute to think about today's meeting such as a new idea or something you will do differently as a result of our discussion. If you would like, take a moment to write it down." • Post Mortem - Share a few comments asking, "What did you like about today's meeting? "What made it a good discussion?" "What could or should we do differently next time?"

Evaluation After each class meeting, the teacher should evaluate or reflect on the meeting in order for skills (both of students and teacher) to be continually improved. Some considerations are: • Am I becoming more comfortable and skillful at questioning and leading/facilitating discussions? • Are the students expressing and supporting their own opinions?

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