Why are Group Initiatives Important?
They provide the best venue for teamwork!
Group Initiatives serve many purposes.
They provide a venue for teamwork. They allow students to work with others and get to know their peers. Group initiatives also leave behind a physical testament to growth. The hallways, classrooms and other shared spaces in the school environment will slowly come to be decorated in the symbols of community. From the chairs they sit in to the words of inspiration that grace the walls, let the students leave their mark. When students start to believe that they cannot find common ground or work together, these projects will remind them that they have done it before and can do it again.
One of our favorites is what we call the Chair Model. The Chair is a metaphor. It is a visual representation of powerful ideas. Those ideas are balance and strong foundations. The Student of Life sits in a chair, positioned for success in all arenas. Four legs hold up this chair. Remove one, and, you guessed it…Each leg is as important as the other. They support each other, just as all of life’s arenas do. The standard you hold yourself to in the classroom affects and interacts with the standard you hold yourself to at work. The relationships you have with your family affect the relationships you have with friends.
Discuss with the students how undermining the foundation under one leg will undermine the foundation of the others.
The 4 Legs : School/Academics, Family, Friends/Social Life, Physical Culture
The legs of this Chair are an effective metaphor, but they are not the only ones. Have the students get into groups of 4–8 and discuss four other legs that represent the foundation of a healthy, thriving and inclusive community. They could be respect and kindness or diversity and fun. The important part is that the students are able to work together, embrace each other’s ideas and agree upon a final product. Of course, as with any project, take charge of making the groups. Split up the cliques and pair up those who don’t spend enough time together. Students then build, paint and decorate their chairs with the words and concepts that they agreed upon. When completed, the groups present the chairs, with explanations for each foundational concept. Display the chairs where students will encounter them and their meaning on a regular basis.
