TRIBES is a process that promotes learning through a strong sense of community. TRIBES focuses on the classroom agreements, cooperative group work, and student ownership in the classroom. The students are the driving force in the classroom with the teacher as a facilitator.

Our Five TRIBES Agreements:

1. Mutal Respect: showing others that you value their opions and feelings
2. Active Listening: to listen with your eyes, ears, and heart so that the other person knows you want to hear what is being said
3. No Put Downs: to treat others kindly and avoid hurtful words and behaviors
4. Right to Pass: the right to choose to what extent you feel comfortable participating and/or sharing during group activities
5. Personal Best: to always do everything to the best of your ability and put forth the most effort possible (including QUALITY work)

How will the TRIBES process begin in kindergarten?

At least one day (more if needed) will be alloted to understanding the meaning behind each of the TRIBES agreements. Lessons will be designed with each agreement in mind and the children will refelct on what each agreement means to them. Through reflection, children retain much more information and understanding of a topic. We will also be building a sense of community through what is known as inclusion activities and Community Circle.

Inclusion activities foster a sense of value and belonging to the group. For example, the children may be Milling to Music. Milling to Music is walking around while music is being played. When the music stops, you talk to the person in front of you about the topic the teacher has assigned. At the beginning of the year, the children may discuss a favorite, color, movie, or activity. This will generally occur 2-3 times during a session allowing for each child to meet several new friends. Many of the inclusion activities are also energizers because they raise the "energy" of the children. There is a happy hum in classroom.

Community Circle is where most of the reflection and whole group learning will occur. Community Circle is truly just that. Our class will come together in a specific area of the classroom and form a circle. During this circle time, many things can occur:

• We refelct on how a lesson went (children's understanding of the material or how to perform the task).
• We share things that are going on in our life.
• We solve problems that arise within our classroom.
• We hear stories being read and have our daily lessons.

Community Circle can be used for a variety of reasons. The above ideas only give the most common topics discussed in our Community Circle. Community Circle is a time for us to build that strong sense of community that allows for a classroom that is self regulated by the children and the children feel a sense of safety.

On a side note... Community Circle also allows for all the children and the teacher to have the same access to what is occurring during that special time. Not one person is the focus of the entire group and everyone as an equal oppurtunity to see and be seen, and hear and be heard.

If you would like more information on TRIBES, check out the book: Reaching All by Creating Tribes Learning Communities by Jeanne Gibbs.