Circles
Circle Practices
"The Circle is a highly structured intentional space designed to promote connection, understanding and dialogue in a group. The Circle is a powerful tool for that basic community function of working out how we are going to be together, which includes building relationships, establishing norms, and working differences. The Circle fulfills that basic community function: it holds a healthy balance between individual needs and
group needs" (Boyes-Watson, C. & Pranis, K. (2015). Circle forward: Building a restorative school community. Ann Arbor, MI, Living Justice Press.)
Check In: Check Up: Check Out Circles
Want to find out how your students are doing? Want to find out what your students are thinking? Check In, Check Up, or Check Out circles are a great tool for determining where your students are at emotionally and academically. These quick circles mainly should be conducted at the beginning of the class and be used as the bell ringer to set the tone of the class. They also can be used as an exit ticket to end the class as well.
Plan Template
* Warning Language is Used.
Shame and Connection
According to Dr. Brene Brown (2008), "We are wired for connection. It's in our biology. As infants, our need for connection is about survival. As we grow older, connection means thriving-emotionally, physically, spiritually and intellectually. Connection is critical because we all have the basic need to feel accepted and to believe that we belong and are valued for who we are.
Shame unravels our connection to others. In fact, I often refer to shame as the fear of disconnection- the fear of being perceived as flawed and unworthy of acceptance or belonging. Shame keeps us from telling our own stories and prevents us from listening to others tell their stories" (p. xxiv-xxv).
Brown, B. (2009). I thought it was just me (but it isn't): Making the journey from "what will people think?" to "I am enough", Penguin Random House, New York , N.Y.