Developing Responsible Global Citizens

Set clear expectations for collaborative behaviour and emphasise the importance of teamwork and mutual respect. Establish guidelines for active listening (see Unit 7), sharing ideas, and valuing diverse perspectives (see Unit 6).

Create a class contract

The aim of this activity is for learners to create their own rules for the classroom, based on their needs and expectations of the course in mutual agreement with their peers and the teacher. It fosters a positive environment by promoting ownership, accountability, and respect. Students contribute to the contract, enhancing their social and emotional skills through collaboration. The contract sets clear guidelines for behaviour, supporting consistency and fairness in disciplinary measures. By involving students in rule making, it strengthens teacher-student relationships and promotes a sense of belonging. The contract also serves as a proactive tool for classroom management, preventing conflicts and disruptions. Overall, it creates a supportive learning community where students feel valued, safe, and empowered to succeed.

Procedure
1) As a group, brainstorm what makes a happy and productive classroom.
2) Individually, learners think of 6-8 rules they think are important.
3) In pairs, students compare their rules and justify their choices.
4) In the same pairs, students need to decide on the 8 most important rules from their joint ideas.
5) Put two pairs together and repeat steps 3 and 4.
6) Repeat these steps until the whole class is working together.
7) Write the final set of rules on the board, then ask students to edit the rules, working together, so that they are phrased positively (e.g. Arrive on time vs Don’t be late)
8) A final copy of the contract can then be copied into students’ notebooks and made into a poster for the walls. All the students as well as you, the teacher, sign the poster and agree to abide by the rules throughout the course.