Series David Olio: Case Study of a Teacher: Tribes: Agreements for Learning Together

Tribes: Agreements for Learning Together

Lesson Objective: Create a positive learning environment
All Grades / All Subjects / Culture
3 MIN

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Discussion and Supporting Materials

Thought starters

  1. How does this strategy affect class culture?
  2. What are the benefits of having this approach adapted across grade levels?
  3. How does Mr. Olio engage students socially, intellectually, and emotionally?

24 Comments

  • Private message to Cassandra Schreiber

This strategy affects class culture because it builds a mutual respect between the students and the teacher. It lays ground rules that the students are aware of and since it is taught since elementary school they are aware of what those rules should look like.Tribes brings about positive classroom culture and a positive attitude towards learning. The benefit of having this approach adapted across grade levels is that it is the expectation in every classroom that students give and recieve mutual respect from each other and their teacher. Adapting in every grade level provides consistency for students and starting from a young age builds that positive classroom culture. Mr. Olio engaged students socially by having them actively listen to their peers. He engaged them intelletually by allowing them to choose how they participated or did not participate. Lastly, he engaged them emotionally by displaying mutual respect with all students and having the students show appreication and not put-downs. 

Recommended (0)
  • Private message to Jeremiah Chase

This video caught my attention because I am really big on respect. Watching the video I think this is a really good system. What I thought was great was the teacher touching on engaging students socially, intellectually, and emotionally and then how to formulate following lessons from what he sees. 

Recommended (0)
  • Private message to Brooklyn Behmer

I really like how the four tribe agreements work in the classroom. I like how students have the ability to pass if they feel uncomfortable or frustrated with the situation. I feel this will definitely be helpful in the upper level classes. 


 

Recommended (0)
  • Private message to Adam Kelly

I understand creating norms and expectations to create a positive learning environment, and it's great that it is consistent within the school district, but why is it called "Tribes"?  It doesn't seem unique at the classroom level when compared to the "contracts" I've seen in other Teaching Channel videos.

Recommended (2)
  • Private message to Carrie Schor

It says it in the beginning of the video. It's based on a book - Tribes: A New Way of Learning & Being Together 

Recommended (0)
  • Private message to Charles Miller

I think this would help most schools!

Recommended (0)

Transcripts

  • Tribes: Agreements for Learning Together Transcript

    Teacher [classroom]: Let's see if we can do this quickly and transition desks into groups.

    Teacher

    Tribes: Agreements for Learning Together Transcript

    Teacher [classroom]: Let's see if we can do this quickly and transition desks into groups.

    Teacher [interview]: Tribes is an approach to a classroom learning environment. And it' looking at the student as a whole person.

    Teacher [classroom]: Yes, Austin.

    Teacher [interview]: There are four Tribes agreements. The first is attentive listening. You want to be able to listen attentively to one another. That's the first agreement. The second agreement is showing appreciations, not putting people down. So it's an environment of thinking about who's helped me to be a good learner and I want to be able to appreciate that. The third agreement is the right to pass and the right to participate. If a student gets into a space where they feel uncomfortable, they should just be able to say pass and then come back. Te fourth agreement is mutual respect. We want to respect all students for whomever they are when they come into the classroom and make space for them.

    [00:01:15.10]

    Teacher [interview]: Tribes really is a process in our district that begins in Elementary School. All students who walk into my classroom when I say this is a Tribes classroom - know exactly what I'm talking about. There's lots of studies about engaging students socially, engaging students intellectually, engaging students emotionally. All three of those levels need to be addressed when I am working with students, assessing their work, deigning them - as a result, our next lessons, and they need to be part of that process and Tribes is really both an attitude that one needs to have toward that and it offers some strategies in order to facilitate that.

    [00:02:05.11]

    Teacher [interview]: Tribes involves respect for all students. It involves students' ability to choose their best way to participate - it's their ability to both appreciate and be appreciated for their work and have mutual respect for all people.

    [00:02:34.19]

    END

School Details

South Windsor High School
161 Nevers Road
South Windsor CT 06074
Population: 1266

Data Provided By:

greatschools

Teachers

teachers
David Olio