UNIT 3: Overview
Behaviour Management - Active Citizenship, School and parent Engagement
OverviewActive citizenship means participating in activities to contribute to our community at all levels: personal, interpersonal, community, national, regional and global. Active citizenship requires you to have respect for others, support the rights of others, and to be responsible for yourself and others.
Being an active citizen does not mean that we all think alike, look alike, or do the same things. Our differences make us stronger. Our aim is for learners to feel comfortable with who they are as unique individuals and to be able to share their ideas and beliefs, including their cultural and family backgrounds, with others. We also want them to feel welcome and be interested in learning about differences in others.
It is important to recognise that learners come to school with their own view of the world, and so do teachers. Sometimes we have strong emotions about things, and everyone responds differently to life at school. Setting up clear boundaries and opportunities where learners can share their views in a safe environment allows us to model good behaviours as teachers. This also encourages learners to have the confidence to raise their concerns, recognising the responsibility they have for their own self-care and learning.
Reflect on when you were at school. Were there opportunities where you felt able to express your views? How did this feel? Reflect on whether you think it is important for learners to feel safe and free to express their views, hopes, dreams and fears in your class. What difference might it make to them, if they are able to do this, as they grow up? Circle Meetings can provide a way of modelling how to express your ideas and opinions effectively and they give you and your learners opportunities to promote active citizenship. In the next section we will explain how Circle Meetings work...