Wanting to incorporate community circles into your classroom? There are so many benefits to doing so:
- build classroom community - you will get to know your students, and your students will get to know each other. This is a great way to build connections and community in your classroom
- create routines - I run a SEL classroom- so do a community circle every day! But I have English and Math teacher friends who do them on one or two designated days a week. Be consistent with the day, and build familiar routines for your students
- teach your students social emotional skills - in the age of cell phones, so many students struggle with simply talking / listening to each other. No matter your content area, teaching students to listen to each other and take turns talking is a great skill. This will also help when your students do small group projects
So how should you incorporate them, and get students to buy in and participate?
- Create a routine for your community circles- I always ask the same questions, in the same order:
- a positive
- a struggle
- a fun question
- Set clear expectations- and do this with your students. Ask them, what do you expect when people are talking to you? How do we know that people are listening to us? How many people should talk at one time. Make a visual poster, and refer to it as needed.
- Do them either at the very start, or very end of class- I like to start class with them-- this helps set the feel for the day, students can share if they are having a hard day, and no one is going to get cut off with a bell ring. If a student shares something I need to follow up with them on, I have time to do it during class. That said, it can work at the end of the class as well, if that is what works for your classroom- just be aware of the time.
- Don't force student to participate. If a student does not want to say something, thank them and move on. Not all students are going to want/ feel comfortable participating. That is okay. Usually, with them, students will buy in and participate more. But never make a student share, or shame them for not sharing.
- Share yourself- share. share. share! My students may not know about my love life, or personal things... But they know about my dogs. They know if slammed my hand in my car door. They know if I spilled my coffee all over myself, or if I couldn't sleep the night before. I let them get to know me, and it helps my students see me as a real person.
Most importantly: just go for it. Set them up with structure, kindness and know that it takes time to get students comfortable with sharing. But the time is well worth it: you will get to know your students and they will get to know you. They will get to practice social emotional skills in a safe environment. Your classroom community will grow.
