Thousands of schools throughout the United States, Canada, Australia and other countries have become Tribes Learning Communities, safe and caring environments in which students can thrive. After years of “fix-it” programs focused on reducing student violence, conflict, drug and alcohol 
use, absenteeism, poor achievement, etc., educators and parents now agree, creating a positive school or classroom environment is the most effective way to improve behavior and learning. The Tribes TLC® process is the way to do it.
Students achieve because they:
- feel included and appreciated by peers and teachers
- are respected for their different abilities, cultures, gender, interests and dreams
- are actively involved in their own learning
- have positive expectations from others that they will succeed.
The clear purpose of the Tribes process is to assure the healthy development of every child so that each one has the knowledge, skills and resiliency to be successful in a rapidly changing world.
How It Works
Tribes is a step-by-step process to achieve specific learning goals. Four agreements are honored:
- attentive listening
- appreciation/no put downs
- mutual respect, and
- the right to pass
Students learn a set of collaborative skills so they can work well together in long-term groups (tribes). The focus is on how to:
- help each other work on tasks
- set goals and solve problems
- monitor and assess progress
- celebrate achievements.
The learning of academic material and self-responsible behavior is assured because teachers utilize methods based upon brain-compatible learning, multiple intelligences, cooperative learning and social development research. The teachers and administrators in a Tribes school or district also work together in supportive groups. They too enjoy the participatory democratic process and creative collegiality.
Learn More About Tribes TLC
Click the link below to download a comprehensive introductory packet about Tribes Learning Communities. This 48 page Adobe Acrobat (pdf) document contains professional development opportunities, articles, endorsements, book descriptions and more.
Tribes Learning Communities - An Introduction (1.4 MiB, 21,328 hits)
Download Article: Why the Name Tribes
Why_the_name_Tribes.pdf (156.0 KiB, 6,990 hits)
