Language: Español
Why sociocracy in the classroom or student council?
In the classroom, sociocracy can increase empathy, improve classroom culture, decrease disruptive behavior, increase trust, and increase perspective-taking abilities of students.
Using sociocracy, students can decide:
- Shared classroom agreements.
- Topics for group projects.
- School club governance.
- Student council representative elections.
- How to make improvements to the class or the school.
Try out the resources below to aid in your implementation.
Consent Decision-Making
What is consent decision-making? In this video, a group of children decides what to get for dinner via consent.
“The positive outcomes for both teachers and students include:
More understanding for each other.
Fewer conflicts.
A felt sense of safety and trust.
Less teacher burnout potential.
Student motivation in lessons and projects because they helped to decide about them.
Sociocracy offers you a way to step out of old habits which you are sure that they weren’t helpful but you didn’t know yet how to change them.”
Ellen Even
Staff, Integrale Tagesschule Winterthur
Four tools from sociocracy you can start using today
Rounds
Taking turns in a circle to speak ensures that everyone’s voices are heard. Try it out today with a question for your class, such as, “How do you want to be treated in our class?”
Consent Decision-Making
Consent decision-making is a process to include everyone in decisions so that everyone can live with the outcome. Try consent decisions with group projects, or questions for the whole class such as where to go on a field trip.
Role Selections
Select class representatives to student council or students for leadership roles within the classroom using the sociocratic selection process.
Credit for PDF- Lisa Praeg.
Group Proposal-Forming
Come up with creative solutions to problems together by using this easy three-step process. Understand, explore, then decide about an issue.
Credit for PDF- Wondering School.
Sociocratic Tools in Action: Video
Consent, Rounds, and Proposal-forming
This youth-led and produced video shows an example of a student-run sociocratic student council meeting with consent and objections at Grace2Learn in Capetown, South Africa.
Curriculum for Ages 5-12
Let’s Decide Together! By Hope Wilder
Let’s Decide Together is an accessible workbook for anyone interested in practicing sociocracy with children ages 5-12. Adults can use it to make more values-aligned, egalitarian, and inclusive decisions together with children in the home, at school, clubs, neighborhood groups, or in any group where adults and children are empowered to decide together.
$20 paperback, $8 ebook
Download our free booklet
“Sociocracy with Kids”
What are the first, easiest steps to improve making decisions with children? This booklet will introduce you to:
- What to decide about
- Rounds
- Consent decision-making with kids
- Tips for easy and fun meetings with kids
Sign up to our mailing list and download this free booklet!
In addition, another booklet for adults called Sociocracy – a brief introduction is available as a free download for those who are signed up for our mailing list.
Read-aloud books for ages 5-12 teaching concepts in sociocracy
The Talking Stick by Julie Niblett
This book about a Native American boy who confronts bullying can be used to teach talking in rounds, while acknowledging the indigenous roots of using a talking stick. Ages 8-12.
The Peace Stick by Nidhi Misra
Two siblings argue, and their father teaches them about using a talking stick to resolve disagreements. Used for teaching rounds to younger children. Ages 5-8.
Thanks for the feedback…I think…
A boy struggles to accept compliments and criticism. This book can be used to teach feedback and practice feedback rounds. Ages 5-10.
Consent! Picture book
A package is delivered. What will we do with the contents without fighting?
This picture book in 3 languages (Dutch, English, German) takes you on a journey to discover how to decide with consent: every voice is heard and no one has any objections.
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Heart To Heart: Three Systems for Staying Connected
This manual for teachers and parents provides systems to stay open-hearted with children. The principles of Nonviolent Communication inform the three systems. There are plenty of examples of different kinds of discord and ways to guide young children through them.
Ages 5-10.
Games for practicing consent decision-making (5-12)
Shadows in the Forest
This is an asymmetrical game where one person is a forager trying to capture shadowlings that are under the control of everyone else. The group must make decisions about where to hide without the forager finding out. Played in the dark! Ages 8 & up.
Outfoxed!
Play as detective chickens trying to uncover clues about which fox stole the cake before they get away. Ages 5-8..
Curriculum and templates for ages 13-18
One Week Sociocracy Introduction
This one week plan makes introducing sociocracy in the classroom easy and fun. Includes icebreakers and participatory activities, perfect for the beginning of the school year.
14 Session Civics Sociocracy Curriculum
This comprehensive high school curriculum includes readings, videos, and worksheets to help understand sociocracy in context with other governance models.
Games for practicing consent decision-making (13-18)
Quandary online game
In Quandary, you represent a council on a faraway planet. You must make decisions that affect a whole village, taking in facts and opinions from the villagers. Doesn’t involve consent decision-making, but is good practice for listening to multiple perspectives and coming up with a proposal.
House of Danger
A cooperative choose-your-own-adventure story game. Use consent decision making at key points to see the story evolve.
War with the Evil Power Master
A cooperative choose-your-own-adventure story game. Use consent decision-making at key points to see the story evolve.
Links
Resource Page for School Administrators
Sociocracy with Youth Organizations
Wondering School – sociocracy in school training and resources
School Circles Film – documentary about sociocracy in schools
