Community Circle is one of the best parts of the day. This is a time to share, reflect and prepare us for the rest of our day (our district appointed schedule has 3rd grade doing reading, writing and social studies/science in the afternoon. It is a LOT of content to cover in the second half of the day!) This is a fabulous time to practice our monthly character trait, build community and pump up speaking and listening skills. Community Circle
Community Circle
1. Greeting
2. Announcements
3. Sharing
4. Breathing
5. Release to seats
We start in a seated circle on a meeting rug. I modeled leading the meeting for the first few weeks of school. Since then a student will lead the meeting for a week at a time. She/he will start the meeting with a call and response.
Leader: “Good afternoon scholars!” Class: “Good afternoon, (leader’s name)!”
Next, the leader shares any class announcements. I write the announcements on a small white board for the leader to share. This cuts back on teacher talk and is more powerful if coming from a student.
Then, we do a sharing activity that the leader chooses for that day. It might be a question (what is one thing you did this weekend?), roses and thorns (one good thing and one tough thing from your day), analogy share (“today, I feel like the color because . ), goal setting and their favorite, feeling synonyms. I go this idea from Madeline Noonan’s Morning Meeting video on Teacher Channel. She is awesome!
Community Circle
1. Greeting
2. Announcements
3. Sharing
4. Breathing
5. Release to seats
We start in a seated circle on a meeting rug. I modeled leading the meeting for the first few weeks of school. Since then a student will lead the meeting for a week at a time. She/he will start the meeting with a call and response.
Leader: “Good afternoon scholars!” Class: “Good afternoon, (leader’s name)!”
Next, the leader shares any class announcements. I write the announcements on a small white board for the leader to share. This cuts back on teacher talk and is more powerful if coming from a student.
Then, we do a sharing activity that the leader chooses for that day. It might be a question (what is one thing you did this weekend?), roses and thorns (one good thing and one tough thing from your day), analogy share (“today, I feel like the color because . ), goal setting and their favorite, feeling synonyms. I go this idea from Madeline Noonan’s Morning Meeting video on Teacher Channel. She is awesome!
Students say how they are feeling with a juicier word than happy or sad. This is a great way for students to expand their vocabulary and play with language. Here is our synonyms board.
Lastly, we end with a breathing exercise. Students sit up straight and close their eyes. We breathe in through the nose and out through the mouth (smell the flowers and blow out the candles).
Community Circle is a great way for my class to build caring and trust in one another. How do you build a sense of community in your students?
Community Circle is a great way for my class to build caring and trust in one another. How do you build a sense of community in your students?
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