Body
Objective
Agree on a code of behaviour and understand the differences between formal and informal language.
Activity: Contracting (20 min)
Teacher's note: Watch the 'Contracting' training video.
Step 1: Define contracting
Explain:
A contract is a set of rules and behaviour that learners and
teachers agree to observe. Contracting is a process whereby
teachers openly discuss with learners how they want everyone
in the class to treat one another. It is an agreement on how
everyone will treat one another.
Step 2: Learners reflect
Prepare learners to develop a class contract. Ask them to reflect in their journals through a personal recount of their experiences of being learners in a class with others. Pose the following questions for them to answer:
Identify a time when you have felt comfortable sharing your ideas and questions in a class. What happened in those moments to help you feel comfortable?
Identify a time when you wanted to share your ideas, but you did not feel comfortable to do so. Why not? What were you feeling at the time?
Learners discuss in pairs what they have written, and how they think they could help to create a classroom where there is respect, trust and understanding. They must consider how these qualities would make for a more productive learning environment.
Step 4:
A contract is written in formal language. Up till now, the learners have been using informal conversation when they’ve worked in their pairs.
Download the 'Formal vs informal' language handout.
Step 5:
Ask learners to discuss in small groups, and come up with five values that they want to include in the class contract. Next, the learners should collate the ideas from their conversation into a formal contract of values and guidelines.
The contract should contain:
- Names (contractors, witnesses).
- Terms and conditions (the content of the contract: the values and behaviours the learners have come up with).
- Signatures (of all parties involved).
- Date and place (when and where the contract was signed).