By challenging our ideas about whose classroom it is anyway, this classic set of books encourages a different approach. They look at the impact on classroom management, of all aspects of the learning environment including classroom displays.

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Product Description

‘The Co-operative Classroom’ Teacher’s Pack is a set of four books for promoting active citizenship and positive behaviour at Key Stages 1, 2 and 3. The first edition of this pack sold to over a quarter of British primary schools and this revised edition extends the original philosophy. The books are illustrated with photographs of children involved in many of the activities described.
The four books, entitled:
The Co-operative Classroom,
Starting and Developing Circletime,
Enhancing Self-Esteem
and Co-operative and Circletime Games,
provide a user-friendly resource that integrates practical classroom management with developing the skills and attitudes for responsible citizenship.

The pack describes a way of teaching that makes life more relaxed and enjoyable for you and your children. Spending
time on sharing ideas, interests and concerns helps children learn to care about each other. Involvement in the ‘plan, do, review’ aspects of the curriculum reduces disaffection and improves each child’s chances of experiencing social and educational success.

This process of moving from external to internal control defines a more ambitious behaviour policy and the books detail practical ways of achieving this, all based on the authors’ own experiences in a variety
of educational settings.

Developing social and emotional literacy and enhancing moral intelligence is a central aim. If we teach children to be passively obedient to an authority figure, without an intention to move beyond that to personal responsibility, we produce adults who see control as something outside of themselves. They will be vulnerable to coercion or persuasion from other powerful influences, especially if their behaviour is routinely shaped by external rewards.

Rudolph Hoss, Commandant of Auschwitz, was described as a model pupil, who recalled being taught the importance
of ‘obeying promptly the wishes and commands of my parents, teachers, and priests and indeed of all adults’

His adult behaviour is a chilling reminder of the dangers of encouraging unquestioning conformity, however
successful this appears for teachers wanting quiet classrooms. Systems do need to work for teachers, but not at the cost of children’s moral and social intelligence or it is our society that will pay the price.

Children need plenty of opportunity to discuss moral issues, develop a strong conscience and also empathy for other living beings. They will welcome the chance to do so. These are all key elements of citizenship - the full implementation of which could change the world.

Book One - ‘The Co-operative Classroom’ is divided into four sections that examine the nature of citizenship,
provide guidelines for integrated citizenship and behaviour policies and assist schools in reviewing all the influences
on behaviour. It is full of practical activities, has a framework for citizenship at key stages 1, 2/3 and planning and review sheets to photocopy. There are also case histories and descriptions of the (drug free) approach used to help children with particular behavioural and learning difficulties.

Book Two - ‘Starting and Developing Circletime’ describes a circletime model compatible with citizenship and offers detailed activities for such skills as;
listening supportively, making positive relationships, enhancing self-esteem and taking action on local and global issues. It was written by teachers who have used circletime with children from nursery to secondary age since the late 1970s and have been publishing resources since 1990.
The book promotes circletime as an opportunity for children to experience real citizenship: making genuine choices,
negotiating, planning and reviewing their decisions. The democratic structure of circletime and the potential it has
for full participation gives it an important role in the general curriculum, and an essential one in the citizenship
entitlement.

There are 32 pages of practical advice and activities designed to help make circletime a pleasure and a success.

Book Three -‘ Enhancing Self Esteem’ offers ideas for creating enhancing environments for everyone.

Enhancing self esteem in positive ways involves showing children that their opinions do matter, giving them real
choices and the chance to take decisions and share responsibility. Self esteem is important because it is the reference point for all behaviour. If we fail to give children opportunities for developing a healthy, pro-social self-image they will be vulnerable to boosting self-worth in socially damaging ways.

In a co-operative classroom there is a safety net that frees children to share their failures and uncomfortable feelings as well as celebrating the positive. It provides a
mini society in which children can develop the skills and attitudes of effective and active citizens and use them to
enhance the wider society. The book has ideas for whole school initiatives and ways of creating enhancing classrooms.

Book Four - ‘Co-operative and Circletime Games’ describes over 40 games during which children and adults come
together and stay together throughout, in a way that doesn’t encourage pleasure in the failure of others.
Each person remains involved and needed until the end. There are four categories; circle, parachute, active hall or playground games and trust games. Most are suitable for all ages, some are more suitable for young children and a few of the language-based games are more appropriate for children over nine. For each activity there is guidance on age group, equipment needed and space required. There are photos of children playing many of the games.

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2886409 in Books
• Published on: 2001-09-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 4
• Binding: Paperback
• 144 pages

From the Publisher
Those who will act responsibly over global issues will not have been educated to be passive or unquestioningly conformist.

From the Author
Building a ‘Co-operative Classroom’ means severe problems are less likely to need special interventions, taking time away from the rest of the class. Circletime, co-operation and self-esteem are important to all your children and make life a lot easier for you. Showing them how to take more responsibility for their learning and behaviour releases you from the strain of constant external control.

A ‘citizenship’ school provides a model of the values and attitudes that will inspire children to take effective action.

As H.G. Wells said,
‘Human history becomes more and more a race between education and catastrophe’.

Since we are leaving children the legacy of a threatened planet, we cannot add to this burden by failing to empower them.

From the Inside Flap
'The citizenship entitlement is an opportunity for a quiet revolution in the philosophical basis of the education system. Successful education for citizenship encompasses all that education should be, both for individuals and society.

Those who will act responsibly over global issues will not have been educated to be passive or unquestioningly conformist. They will have the skills and confidence to take effective action for change and the values and attitudes to make them care enough to do so'