Council
At Wonderland, one strategy for promoting academic, social, emotional, and organizational growth is Council. Council is a dialogical practice that encourages deep and honest communication among and between students and adults. We weave Council into all aspects of our curriculum and use it organizationally as a tool for co-visioning, community building, and making decisions in a group context. By sitting in circles in our classrooms, offices, or meetings, and passing a “talking piece” while speaking in response to a prompt from a facilitator, we hone our intentions to listen non-judgmentally and without reaction; to speak spontaneously and not plan while others are speaking; and to get to the heart of the matter so everyone has time with the talking piece. In this way, we work towards a more peaceful and empathic way of relating to others. Additionally, Council gives our students a child-centered approach to solving any conflicts they may have. They follow Wonderland’s Peace Talk Protocol (below). This simple, effective tool can be used at home too.