"All
School Meeting!" someone calls, as the students and teachers arrive in
the gym.
The Facilitator, one of the oldest students, looks
over the agenda.
"Does anyone have something to add to this before
the meeting begins?"
It's a Friday morning at Newark Center for Creative
Learning (NCCL), a parent-cooperative school for children through age 14.
The weekly meeting of 90 students and 10 teachers
is about to begin, and with it an integral part of the education program.
Earlier in the week, members of the four, multiage home rooms had listed announcements,
concerns and comments which they wanted open for discussion. Now, last minute
requests are added to the agenda.
With reminders from the Peace keepers, the noisy
crowd begins to quiet down.
Since its beginning 27 years ago, NCCL's primary
goal has been to inspire and encourage students to take responsibility for
themselves and their education. An essential part of that education is for
students to develop the ability to recognize and solve their own problems.
The All School Meeting is an example of how such awareness is developed.
The Facilitator begins with the first item, concerns
about one of the wagons which is broken.
"Does anyone have something to say about the
wagon?," Hands go up around the room and a child is called on.The wagon
is broken and I don't think anybody should use it because it could be
dangerous."
'The nails are coming out of the seat so you really
shouldn't use it," another child adds. "Are we going to get it fixed?"
Discussion continues. All ideas from students and teachers are treated with
equal respect and consideration. Finally it is agreed upon to see if the wagon
is worth fixing or not and then to buy a new one if necessary.
A few students are not listening and have begun to
talk with each other. After ignoring it for a while, the nearest Peace keeper
hesitantly walks over to them. These are her close friends and she feels a
bit awkward asking them to be quiet.
Struggling with the responsibility of such a role
is a significant teacher. The Peace keeper has a tricky job. She has to carry
out a role agreed upon by the community and also must deal with the feelings
of having authority over her peers. Allowing students to experience and wrestle
with such situations while supporting and guiding them is a common occurrence
at NCCL.
"Are there any announcements?" the Facilitator
asks. Several students and teachers raise their hands.
"The missing hamster has been found and is back
in his cage."
Cheers go up around the room. A teacher is called
on.
"I still want to have a jazz Band so, anyone
interested, meet me for a short meeting in the gym at lunch time." Are
we going to go through the lost and found today? There's a lot of stuff."
Everyone thinks it's a good idea. As the items are held up, a young student
scampers off the lap of his older friend to claim one purple and white
sneaker. He barely gets settled back when his vest appears out of the bin.
When he finally returns the friend makes room on his lap while gently joking.
The easy mingling of all ages is important for the
social growth. As one student said, "It makes me a better person being
with the younger kids. I've learned to appreciate children younger than me."
Throughout each day, students of all ages share the
school space together. They learn how to express their own needs while respecting
the needs and feelings of others who are often very different.
Involvement in the day to day governing of the school
helps the students gain perspective on the reason for a rule and how to find
a consensus on an important issue.
Learning how to constructively work for the benefit
of the school community is solid training as these students move on to become
creative and productive members of larger communities.
"It's getting late," the Facilitator says.
"The drama class wanted to present its skits but there isn't going to
be enough time." Several people express disappointment. "I'm sorry.
We just ran out of time. Next week we'll do them first."
As the meeting ends, a new student says, "When
I look around at the All School Meeting it seems like one big family. There
are young kids sitting on the laps of older kids and there's even a dog laying
in the middle of the floor. It feels really good."
by Marilynn Magnani
