Mini+Society

IV Individual Development and Identity V Individuals, Groups, and Institutions VI Power, Authority, and Governance X Civic Ideals and Practices In discussing the type of education democratic citizens should experience, John Dewey (p. 87) wrote: "A democracy is more than a form of government; it is primarily a mode of associated living, of conjoint communicated experience." One way to bring the tenets of democracy into the classroom is to create a microcosm of our larger society in which students deliberate about the concerns adult citizens deal with on a daily basis. Everyone has rights and responsibilities that are discussed, agreed on, and clearly articulated. Students can determine necessary services to help the classroom run smoothly, apply for positions that provide those services, and then work to meet the needs of their community. They can establish private businesses to produce products needed in order to help their community flourish. In this mini-society, students begin to see the interdependence inherent in every community and can examine how societies function. If monetary profit is a goal, students and teacher can create real classroom businesses, providing goods and services to classmates and the school at large. If the learning goal is to better understand how societies function, how individuals are interdependent, the role of power and authority, or the role of citizens, then a simulated society may better serve the purpose. PROCEDURAL RECOMMENDATIONS • To create a simulated society in the classroom, begin by brainstorming with students all of the different tasks that must be carried out to keep the classroom running smoothly. These can be as immediate and concrete as returning graded papers or watering classroom plants. They can also be more distant, such as providing water, lights, and ventilation in the classroom. • Discuss the responsibilities of teacher and students. Prompt students to offer ideas about what each of them can contribute to the classroom sotiety. Also discuss power and governance in their classroom society: To what degree will each member have a voice in the decisions of the classroom? How much more weight will the teacher's voice carry? Depending on the depth of these discussions, the teacher may wish to have students set some classroom rules. (See Strategy 4, Rule Making.) • After students have brainstormed their list of tasks involved in keeping the classroom running smoothly, create jobs congruent with those tasks. This may take some creativity on the teacher part. For example, students cannot provide or manage classroom utility services, nor can they pay the utility bills for the school. However, a student could calculate the classroom's prorated share of the utility bills as well as each class member's prorated share. Each month individual students could receive the utility bill that they are responsible for paying. • Prepare necessary materials for the establishment and maintenance of a mini-society. This includes the monetary system ("KODs"-Kathy Obenchain dollars), job application forms, banking forms (deposit slips, withdrawal slips, ledgers), paychecks, student checks, payment forms/coupons/invoices, and so on. • Arrange to have at least one job available for each student, and be sure to allow for choice among jobs. Then post a list of available jobs, each with an accompanying job description. You might also list a salary; beginning salaries should be equal. Have students review the list of jobs and decide which they are most interested in and which will best suit their particular talents or present a new area they would like to explore. • Have students complete a form similar to a real job application. In addition to their name and age, students should list their education, special talents and skills, prior experience, and references. They should also list the jobs for which they are applying. Suggest that students list at least three options: in a class of 25, there is competition for some jobs. • Sor~_through applications, check references, and interview prospective "employees." These preeesses need not take a great deal of time. A telephone call or visit to a reference (students usually list parents or other teachers) can be very brief, as can an interview with an elementary-aged child. • After completing the interviews and job selection, arrange for training for the jobs that require specialized skills. Be advised that the set-up of a classroom society may take up to 1 hour each day for about 2 weeks. However, once the set-up is completed, student assistance in the classroom, as well as social studies and citizenship skills development, is ample compensation. Keep in mind that, in the mini-society, students do not neglect their roles as learners, nor do they focus only on performance of their own job. For example, the plant waterer's job is to care for classroom plants. That responsibility does not absolve the student from other common classroom responsibilities, nor does it absolve other students from being cautious when playing near the plants. • Encourage students to apply for new jobs approximately once each grading period. • If desired, arrange for students to earn a paycheck of simulated money. Schedule paydays once per week, and give raises to students who perform their classroom job well. • As students earn paychecks, introduce basic concepts in economics. Teachers might develop lessons in scarcity, opportunity cost, supply and demand, banking, saving, and interest computation. • If students are earning a salary, they will also incur expenses, such as desk and cubby rental and utilities. Of course, taxes will also be withheld. • Develop a system in which students may spend their earnings during periodic auctions of goods and services. Items auctioned might include homework passes, a lunch date with the teacher, books the teacher purchased with extra book club points, or other items the students value. Students might also want to contribute auction items. Neither teacher nor students should purchase auction items. • Keep in mind that, as described here, behavior management is not an explicit goal of a mini-society. Students who participate in setting rules and articulating rights and responsibilities have a better understanding of their behavioral responsibilities. However, a token economy that rewards students for appropriate behavior is very different from a mini-society, in which students earn rewards (classroom money) for performing a classroom job. We recommend that the two approaches not be combined because of their different goals. Possible jobs for the classroom mini-society include the following: 1. Paper passer-distributes any papers or forms needed 2. Greeter-greets all classroom guests and escorts them to and from the main office 3. Homework monitor-gathers assignments and directions for ·any absent student 4. Attendance taker-prepares and delivers attendance forms requiring teacher signature 5. Lunch monitor-following school procedure, collects lunch information for the school cafeteria 6. Safety monitor-attends to potential safety concerns in the classroom (books in the pathways of others, unsafe play behavior, teetering objects, ete.) 7. Recycler-reminds classmates about recycling and collects materials; delivers recyclable materials to collection station 8. Librarian-keeps track of books, games, or other materials on loan to students 9. Telephone attendant-answers the classroom telephone 10. Plant attendant-cares for any plants in the room 11. Zookeeper-cares for classroom pets lEa classroom economy is also included in the mini-society, additional jobs include the following: 1. Payroll clerk-writes the student paychecks each week 2. Bank teller-handles students' financial transactions; students may choose either to cash their paycheck for classroom money or to deposit most of their paycheck in the bank 3. Bank controller-maintains an accurate record of each student's account balance 4. Rent collector-collects "rent" on desks and chairs from students earning a salary 5. Utility clerk-calculates the prorated share of each student's utility usage; bills each student on a periodic basis 6. Tax collector-calculates and deducts withholding taxes from each student's paycheck If civics and government are also a function of the classroom mini-society, related jobs include the following: 1. Mayor-working with the teacher, assists with the management and coordination of classroom jobs 2. Classroom council members-are trained as peer mediators, resolve classroom conflicts REFERENCES AND RESOURCES Dewey, J. (1944). Democracy and education. New York: Free Press. (Original work published 1916). Indiana Department of Education. (1988). Teaching economics in the mini-economy. Indianapolis: Author. Indiana Department of Education. (1988). The mini-economy: Integrating economics into the elementary curriculum. Indianapolis: Author.