USING CIRCLES TO IMPROVE LEARNING

The following is adapted from the work of Maurice Elias and L. Breune in "Social Decision Making/Problem Solving".


Whether one calls it a Sharing Circle, Morning Meeting, Sharing Time, Advisory Group, Circle Time or any of a number of related titles, the reality is that students welcome the chance to come together informally to address issues of social and emotional concern. Students benefit from a "buffer" between personally and interpersonally challenging parts of their day, and applying themselves to serious academic work. Especially challenging parts of their day include their prepariation for and trip to school, lunch and recess, and dismissal. For this reason, schools find it useful to have circle times and related gatherings to start the school day, after lunch/recess, and at the end of the day. Such activities recognize and help to implement three essential principles of social-emotional and character development (from "Lessons of Life", HOPE Foundation, http://www.hopefoundation.org/):

1) Caring Relationships form the Foundation of All Lasting Learning:  Gatherings bring everyone together and make a statement that while agendas are important, relationships come first. They also set a climate in which learning is most likely to be internalized.

2) Emotions Affect How and What We Learn:  Academic work can't proceed when students' emotions are churned up, when they are anxious, fearful, or angry. The group focus during start of the day gatherings is on providing an opportunity for some expression of concern, or at least using a ritual beginning to give students a chance to get their own emotions regulated a bit. By doing so, they are better prepared for the academic tasks ahead of them. After lunch or recess or at the end of the day, addressing students' emotions makes it more likely that students will recall and follow through on the day's learning.

3) Goal Setting and Problem Solving Provide Direction and Energy to Learning:  Gatherings provide a chance to reaffirm common goals, set personal goals, problem solve issues of general concern, or transition into the social-emotional and character development activity about to be undertaken. Gatherings also reinforce goals by providing opportunites for testimonials about progress on projects, attempts to use new skills, reflections on what has been learned, or to get feedback on aspects of what has been taught during the day that have been particularly challenging.