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Community Norms & Guidelines

Supporting connection across NESA Communities of Practice.

NESA’s Communities of Practice provide trusted spaces for educators and leaders to engage in meaningful dialogue and collaborative learning. These Norms & Guidelines are intended to support shared understanding, smooth facilitation, and constructive participation.

Seven Norms of Collaboration

To develop shared meaning and promote constructive collaboration, NESA asks that participants follow the Seven Norms of Collaboration put forward by Garmston and Wellman:

Pausing

Pausing before responding or asking a question allows time for thinking and enhances dialogue, discussion, and decision-making.

Paraphrasing

Using a paraphrase starter that feels natural to you – such as “So…”, “As you’re saying…”, or “You’re thinking…” – followed by a concise paraphrase helps group members hear and understand one another more clearly.

Posing Questions

Questions help explore and clarify thinking. Use open-ended questions to explore perceptions, assumptions, and interpretations (e.g., “What might be some conjectures you’re exploring?”), and focusing questions to gain specificity (e.g., “Which students, specifically?” or “What might be an example of that?”). Inquire into others’ ideas before advocating one’s own.

Putting Ideas on the Table

Ideas are the heart of meaningful dialogue and discussion. Label the intention of your comments. For example: “Here’s one idea…”, “One thought I have is…”, or “Another consideration might be…”.

Providing Data 

Sharing qualitative and quantitative data in various forms supports the development of shared understanding. Data have no meaning beyond that which we make of them; shared meaning develops from collaboratively exploring, analyzing, and interpreting data.

Paying Attention to Self and Others

Meaningful dialogue and discussion are facilitated when participants are conscious of their self and of others: what they are saying, how it is said, as well as how others are responding. This includes paying attention to learning styles when planning, facilitating, and participating in group meetings and conversations.

Presuming Positive Intentions

Assuming that others’ intentions are positive promotes and facilitates meaningful dialogue and discussion, and prevents unintentional put-downs. Using positive intentions in speech is one manifestation of this norm.

Participation Guidelines for Live Zoom Sessions

To join your group’s sessions, please use the personalized link included in the confirmation email you received after registering with Zoom. 

  • For full functionality, join using the latest Zoom desktop or mobile app — not your web browser.
  • Your video will be off by default. You may turn it on at any time if you wish to be visible.
  • Your microphone will also be muted upon entry. Please stay muted until called on by the facilitator. After speaking, kindly re-mute yourself.
  • To indicate you'd like to speak, use the “Raise Hand” feature in Zoom or raise your physical hand if your video is on (depending on facilitator preference). One person will be invited to speak at a time.
  • To minimize disruptions, please silence notifications while speaking.
  • Use the Zoom chat to share questions, insights, or relevant links.
  • If you need to leave early, you may exit using the “Leave Meeting” button. There is no need to notify the facilitators.