AU TO N O MY I N AC T I O N : T R A I N I N G F O R H O N O R CO U N C I L S
to specific pointers about body language, eye contact, leading questions, etc. Equally important
is addressing “the moment,” that unexpected and awkward surprise when a council member looks
up or turns the corner and is suddenly eyeball to eyeball with a student who recently came before
the board. Some role-playing exercises can build confidence here, as well as discussion of strategies such as being proactive (joining the student’s table at lunch or sitting nearby in an assembly
and simply acting normally). The training retreat can prepare council members so they will not be
caught flat-footed. If the protocol for hearings includes a time for peer counseling, comportment
training is especially important.
Some of these activities are sedentary while others are active. Since the brain can only process
what the butt can endure, those who are planning the retreat schedule should make sure to alternate seat time with moving about. Kids will grasp important information more thoroughly if they
have plenty of breaks for Frisbee, snacks, and checking cell phones. Formal presentations should
probably always end with informal discussion or even small-group breakouts.
Alternatives to Formal Retreats
Given the frenetic nature of the school year, finding a block of time for a concentrated training
retreat is always challenging. Moreover, some schools may simply lack the financial resources to
underwrite such a major event. Consequently, instead of a dedicated weekend, schools will sometimes break up the work into a series of shorter training sessions, an hour here or an evening there.
Our point is that however the training proceeds, it simply must be done. l
The print resources mentioned:
David Streight, Breaking into the Heart of Character, 2nd ed. (Portland, OR: CSEE, 2014), information at www.csee.org/store/
BHC
John Roberts, A Handbook for Developing and Sustaining Honor Systems, 2nd ed. (Portland, OR: CSEE, 2014), information at
www.csee.org/store/honorhandbook
Dr. John Roberts is a CSEE consultant and workshop presenter, and the best-known figure in
the independent school world for the subject of academic integrity, honor codes, or honor
councils. John is the author of the second edition of CSEE’s Handbook for Developing and
Sustaining Honor Systems, and will lead CSEE’s conference on Honor Systems, February 6-8,
2015 at Campbell Hall in Los Angeles. He can be reached at [email protected].
CSEE Connections
Winter 2014
Page 7