Classroom Assembly
A democratic model for self regulation of the group
What is it?
It is, essentially, an organisational structure of the students' school life in all its fullness. That
is, the public space for the weekly (bi weekly) meeting of the group, where students and
teachers, manage, together, everything that concerns the community. That is, learning,
events and social relationships issues that arise both from their collective construction and
from their life in common.
As such, that public space is what gives the ethical dimension and moral responsibility to the
students. It is what makes the group a community that has been ethically growing through
the social regulation of daily coexistence between them. Is “an ethical and civic training
through relationship”.
It is a crucial moment of community management. It discusses the contents of the life of the
group, in addition to highlighting the most significant accomplishments of the week. This also
offers students the opportunity to articulate interests and needs, as well as the continued
building of relationships. It is in this sense, a routine that acts as a mediator that feeds the
social regulation of the group but also gives them ownership of school life.
How is it implemented?
As in any other meeting this follows an order of business, which always includes two
fundamental points:
1. Reading and discussion of the minutes from last assembly;
2. Reading and discussion of the Community Diary.
It is chaired by two students, the Secretary and the President, positions can be distributed as
a rotation. However, when it comes to new groups of children, this management begins by
being modelled by the teachers with the help of two students, but only until the children do
the necessary learning to perform these roles.
Then, gradually, teachers transfer the power into the hands of the students.
In this sense, it is up to the President to guide the work in such a way that is carried out in a
disciplined manner. It is he/she who reads the Community Diary and leads the discussion
that takes place, managing the different views that arise from the various proposals, ideas or
conflicts.
Throughout this process, the Secretary has a supporting role to the President, helping him
whenever needed. As such, he then registers the names of the colleagues who ask to speak
and takes notes of all the decisions that were made in a premade template, writing down
which responsibilities are assigned to which kids . If necessary, he replaces the President.
As for the role of the teacher, he is just an element of the group, not having any privilege
over others. So whenever he wants to intervene in discussions has to follow agreed rules;
ask for the word and wait for his turn, having to respect the decisions made. Like everyone
else, he is subject to the law of the group.
However, during the debate of an occurrence, the teacher seeks only to present his point of
view when the discussion is coming to an end. The reason is that its symbolic power does
not influence the opinion of students.
However, he assumes, discreetly, an attitude of collaboration, support and guidance, either
at the time of the discussion intervening in situations that lack a clarification not achieved
only by the children, either from his attentive look at the moments of decision-making, in
order to ensure its viability, or that these do not go in the opposite direction to those taken by
the school and that are of possible application.
In this democratic public space there is no place for representations, all members of the
community are present, to jointly evaluate, program, monitor, support and regulate the
process of school life and manage the relationships that emerge from this network of mutual
aid to common understanding.
In this sense, on Fridays, when it comes to assembly time the President, the Secretary and
some volunteers transform the classroom/multi purpose space into a circular auditorium, to
offer to everyone the possibility of looking at each other face-to-face.
With the group gathered there, the President declares the Assembly is open. Proceeds
immediately, by reading and discussing the minutes drawn up at the previous meeting. That
allows assessing the compliance with the decisions then taken. It gives the opportunity to
remind students that there are commitments that no one can go without, as they were
agreed and accepted by all.
Finally, the President announces the reading and discussion of the Community Diary.
Concretely, it is a large sheet of paper, with dimensions close to a cardboard or a wall board.
It is a structured space, divided into three columns of writing, which collect the most relevant
experiences of the week. Essentially, students and teachers register there freely, everything
they consider urgent to bring to the Assembly. So two of them, “Likes” and “Dislikes”, collect
respectively the positive achievements that stood out and negative ones with greater
importance for the group. The other is “We propose”. It receives from the students
suggestions and school proposals. These feedbacks are significant informers and adjuncts
to the programming and evaluation of the school life.
Normally, the President does the reading, starting with “Likes”, then moving to “We propose”
and at the end the “Dislikes”.
With this sequence, it’s intended to raise the students' self-esteem. In this way, the positives
prepare the group to listen from others, what they didn't like about certain things
If a criticism has been read, the President always first gives the word to its author, so he may
explain it to others. Secondly, it is the turn of the criticised person to present his version of
the facts to the group.
However, if you assume you made a mistake, say how he could have done things differently
next time and apologise (if accepted), it is considered to be sorted out and we move on.
Otherwise, the Secretary accepts the willingness from fellows who want to present their point
of view on the problem.
Yes, it is natural for students to have different perspectives to interpret a situation, which
stems from different ways of seeing the world. However, this is essential for the socialisation
of students, as it is in the confrontation of ideas that they make the “learning for the
difference''. Furthermore, this presupposes a reconciliation of perspectives, which requires a
broad debate and fair negotiation, that leads students to withdraw from their proposals to
accept different ones, while recognising that sometimes they are better than theirs.
At the end, it is this game of argumentation that organises the inside of the children, helping
them to de-center themselves from their own interests to adhere to the interests of the
community.
In short, in this dialogical structure of cooperation, students transform, continuously, conflicts
of their daily school life in a way of self-regulation of coexistence, in permanent
(re)construction. This only happens, because in this democratic space there is a climate of
free expression for the students, which guarantees their active participation. They can
expose their ideas without judgments or any kind of penalty.