The word shows the keywords in the original student list, which helps them learn. We believe it is important to have an essential agreement based on creating an environment conducive to learning and not on rules and regulations. Search for Google images for “class rules” and “class chords” (or “essential chords,” as they are called in the PYP) and see if anything surprises you… The class insisted that everything was essential and that nothing could be lost with this agreement! Our teaching and learning team has an “essential agreement” inspired by this clip: in a PYP school, every class, every team, even the whole school, has an essential agreement that sets the tone for collaboration and teamwork. Otherwise, how could we know what the common standards and expectations are? There are endless opportunities to develop such agreements, and since the start of a new school year in Australia, all our teams and classes have been working on theirs. I really like that the focus is not on the rules, but on an essential agreement that reflects collective values and behaviours about how the class wants to have its learning environment. Today, Jocelyn and I developed our class agreement. We started asking the children to think carefully and then write down what helps them learn and what hinders their learning. Later, we brought back a list of all the things they had written, and as a group, the students highlighted those they considered to be an essential class agreement that would maximize learning for all. This will be compiled, another time, to make sure everyone agrees and then we will have our class meal agreement! At first I was a little confused, but I had to smile. When I said it was not the rules, but essential agreements, I realized that they were the same for him. I am so impressed with the way you have pushed your students to think beyond the rules.
Faced with the good lead, the students have the deepest ideas. Reading the essential chord was such a pleasure, children have a very unique way of expressing the world in their own way.