At Colegio Personalizado Renfort, it is essential to comply with the various regulations established by the Ministry of Education of Colombia, as they ensure proper functioning and quality education. Among these regulations, the 2013 School Coexistence Law (Law 1620) stands out, as it establishes an integral attention route to promote the protection and well-being of children and adolescents according to their cultural and social contexts. Within this framework, Renfort faces a key commitment: how can we ensure the well-being of our Educational Community (Mycelium), and what strategies do we implement to achieve it?

How does Renfort guarantee the holistic well-being of its students?

It is important to recognize that part of the work within a school involves guiding individuals in formation who require constant orientation, emotional support, and the development of social, academic, and personal skills. At Renfort, through our ESCOLE Pedagogy, the culture of care and well-being is a core principle aimed at supporting the growth of the entire Mycelium.

Our institution seeks to strengthen coexistence and the holistic development of each of our seeds (students) through various strategies that align with the integral attention route, which includes the following four steps:

      • Promotion: Encourage and guide actions that foster the development of citizenship competencies.
      • Prevention: Act proactively on issues that may affect healthy coexistence in the school environment or negatively impact human rights (HR).
      • Attention: Provide timely assistance to educational community members in situations that disrupt proper school coexistence or respect for HR.
      • Monitoring: Create mechanisms to verify the effectiveness of actions implemented in response to situations impacting the school environment.

     

(School Coexistence Law, 2013)

What are Team Meetings, and how do they contribute to Renfort’s approach?

Given that Renfort is a Disruptive School that seeks innovative ways to teach and promote socio-emotional skills among seeds, Team Meetings are a key strategy. These are structured dialogue tools that integrate seeds and growers (teachers) into an environment where everyone has a voice and vote to address situations that violate the norms established in our MaCuBiM (Manifesto de la Cultura del Cuidado y Bienestar en el Micelio), which is equivalent to a Code of Conduct in other schools.

While Team Meetings are part of the process described above—providing attention and monitoring at the right time—they are also promoted as the first resource for conflict resolution. Thus, they aim to both prevent and address disputes through group dialogue.

What is the goal of Team Meetings?

The main objective is for seeds to develop effective alternatives for resolving their conflicts, fostering the recognition of their own and others’ emotions, and promoting leadership actions that enable a transformation toward responsible citizenship. This strategy also seeks to prevent the escalation of conflicts while strengthening social skills, communication, and empathy. Additionally, seeds are expected to understand the importance of reconciliation and reparations as fundamental aspects of their role within the Mycelium.

How do Team Meetings work at Renfort?

Now that we understand the purpose behind this strategy, the question arises: How can Team Meetings be conducted effectively? It’s a simple process, but proper facilitation is key to achieving good results.

The foundation of these meetings is respect and assertive communication, ensuring they are safe spaces for all participants, guided by growers as facilitators. Once the conflict to be resolved is identified, the Team Meeting can be organized as follows:

Before the Meeting:

      • Each classroom should have a notebook to track the processes and outcomes of each Team Meeting.
      • The discussions and agreements generated in each meeting must be reported directly to the school’s coexistence team.
      • If agreements are not fulfilled or there is no improvement in the conflict, alternative solutions must be sought.

 

Step-by-Step Process:

  1. The Team Leader (TL) will notify the MaCuBiM Team (School Coexistence Team) about the need for a Team Meeting. The team will then arrange a space for the meeting.
  2. The TL gathers the involved parties. If all seeds belong to the same class, the meeting will occur in their classroom. For inter-class conflicts, all involved seeds and their TLs will meet in the designated space.
  3. Seeds and TLs gather in a circle to ensure everyone can see and hear one another.
  4. A “talking stick” is introduced (any familiar object that feels comfortable for the group). Only the person holding the stick may speak, ensuring each seed has an opportunity to share their perspective.
  5. A logbook is used to document the meeting’s proceedings and agreements.
  6. The topic of the meeting is presented.
  7. Each participant is given the talking stick to share their version of events, within a set time.
  8. The TL poses three key questions to the group:
    1. How can we resolve this conflict and prevent it from recurring?
    2. What natural consequences should the involved parties face?
    3. What logical consequences should the involved parties face?
  9. Seeds answer thoughtfully, making logical, non-judgmental decisions.
  10. Agreements are signed in the logbook, and the TL assigns a reparation action.
  11. A follow-up Team Meeting is scheduled to monitor progress.

If agreements are not fulfilled or conflicts persist, alternative solutions will be pursued.

When should a Team Meeting be held?

The school must always ensure compliance with the seeds’ rights and responsibilities by following due process. This involves reviewing the potential violation in the MaCuBiM (Code of Conduct) to analyze consequences.

Team Meetings are the first step for addressing minor coexistence issues involving three or more parties. For more serious cases, alternative measures should be implemented. However, regular Team Meetings are recommended for continuous monitoring and tracking progress in conflict resolution.

Bibliography: MEN, 2013, “Decreto 1620, ley de convivencia escolar” ESCOLE, 2024, MANIFIESTO DE LA CULTURA DEL CUIDADO Y EL BIENESTAR EN EL MICELIO

Written by: Steven Franco Charry, Grower at Renfort

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