Class Meetings: Building Leadership, Problem-Solving and Decision-Making Skills in the Respectful Classroom

Luke Lawson is a teacher and administrator in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

This informative and concise guide describes how to organize class
meetings for children in Grades 3 to 8. The author argues that class
meetings, if conducted properly and in a formal manner, will help
children acquire a variety of skills, including listening, responding,
public speaking, leadership, organizational, thinking, and problem
solving.

The first four chapters provide a step-by-step guide to organizing
effective class meetings. The final two chapters focus on creating a
respectful classroom environment and celebrating success.

Two quibbles. First, given the dynamics of their real-world classrooms,
many teachers may find running these meetings a rather uphill process.
Second, the value of using the class meeting as a forum for problem
solving and conflict resolution is debatable. Two individuals may find
it difficult to confront each other in front of 20 peers. Further,
educators and teachers who focus on collaborative ways to solve problems
may lose sight of the importance of individual initiative and individual
responsibility. That said, many teachers will find Class Meetings
informative and insightful.