Circle Time (class meetings) and community Meeting (school wide gatherings provide unique opportunities to present lessons and to do activities which build community , reinforce school values, broaden the common parameters of learning, and deepen the children’s spiritual experiences at school. These times of gathering can play a central role in introducing curriculum themes., acknowledging students for their achievements and effort, and for setting the spiritual tone for the class and the school.
I believe that circle time(class meetings) should be a time when magic happens – the magic of togetherness, of learning, of sharing, of movement, of stories, of music, and of silence. Start each day with a little ritual, such as lighting a candle, bringing a vase of fresh flowers, or ringing chimes, bells, or a meditation bowl/. Encourage the children to sit “Indian style” with their legs crossed and to be still and silent for a few moments or longer. This can be done with eyes closed or with eyes open depending on you preference or the situation. During this time, the children can think peaceful thoughts, visit a special place in their minds, send “loving energy” to a friend , relative, or pet, or simply listen to the silence.
During the bulk of the day, the focus of the children’s activity is working with the materials and learning new skills in the different subject areas. Circle time can focus more directly on the emotional, social, and spiritual development the children. Singing a song with finger play or hand motions, such as Merrily Merrily Greet the Morn”, is a wonderful way for the children to begin their day. Other songs, can be used to introduce or reinforce academic themes. Stories such s the “The Squirrels an the Acorns” can be told and retold to illustrate certain values or virtues. The children love to act these stories out , and fancy props or costumes are required. Rhyming games with hand motions such as “Open Them Close Them” can introduce or reinforce important guidelines or concepts such as the difference between indoor and outdoor voices. Other movements activities, such as “Brain Gym” can get the children’s neural motors running.
I my mind, circle time should always include daily acknowledgments of achievements, effort, improvement, and special help on the part of members of the class community. The acknowledgments should not flow only in one direction – from teacher to student. Rather, they should crisscross the circle – to include acknowledgments from student to student and even from students to teachers.
Simple sharing can also be a very special part of circle time. invite the children share news about their pets, about someone they love, or about something they have learned or observed. It is helpful to choose one of these themes for each day and to stick with that theme for sharing. Teachers, of course, can also share things important to them during this time. It is also a perfect time for teachers to bring in special objects from nature, such as a bird’s nest, a beaver stick, or a chestnut with its prickly shell still on. It is especially powerful for the children when the teacher shares a personal passion or hobby such a painting, pottery, knitting, cooking, or photography – or when the teacher tells a personal story from their childhood or life experience.
Hand puppets are a fantastic tool at circle time, and you don’t have to be a puppeteer or an actor to use them successfully. All it takes is a little imagination and spontaneity -and the ability to alter you normal voice a bit. Introduce your “special friend” to the children and let your friend tell the children special news for the day or a special story. Then you can invite the children to ask your special friend some questions. Primary students will be completely taken in by the dramatic play, while elementary students (even older ones!) will gladly play along for the joy of it.
Community meetings (all school gatherings provide even more possibilities for activities which unite, enlighten, and uplift the whole school community. Ideally, community meetings should be held weekly, but if that is too much, then once month is a minimum,. Otherwise the energy and feel of the community is lost and becomes difficult for the children to remember the special routines and procedures necessary.
To make community meetings inclusive and warm, and to get full participation from all students, it is best to first establish a buddy system among the students. Match older students up with younger ones whose interest or temperaments might make them a good match. This takes a bit of discussion and planning at a faculty meeting. It is important not to match buddies too close in age. Buddies can be changed from time to time, but it is important to keep the buddies together for at least six or eight weeks to allow them to build a comfort level and rapport with each other. In addition buddy teams do not have to be limited to two children but can have three or even four students together. I would not recommend more than four for a buddy arrangement. Having the buddy system in place will encourage the older students to be much less self-conscious and much more participatory in the community meetings. Meanwhile the younger students will simply glow with the joy of being with their older buddies.
It is vitally important to invite parents to attend community meeting. Announce the theme or special activities of the community meeting in advance and make the parents feel welcome to attend. When they do come, invite them to sit with the children on the floor if they wish. And by all means, encourage them to participate.
Community meeting is a time when the whole school can join in song, in games or in creative movement activities. Each teaching team can take turns planning activities for the community meeting. After a few weeks, you will have built up a “repertoire” of favorite activities that can be repeated at future community meetings. Parents will tell other parents about how much fun it is and more parents will attend. Examples of popular group activities include simple partner/group dances, tai chi exercises, brain gymnastics, hand slapping games, and songs with hand gestures or body movements. Although community meeting does not provide the same intimate setting for sharing as circle time, students can be invited to share news of things going on in their classrooms or at home that week.
Community meeting is an excellent time for performances – individuals as well as groups. Individual students can be invited to play the violin or piano, to demonstrate a martial art, to recite a poem, or to display something they have built or created. Classes can perform group songs or dances or portions of dramatic performances they are working on. Community meetings serve a great “dress rehearsals” for performances that the children are preparing for a special occasion later that week or that evening. If your school has after school enrichment programs in dance, soccer, basketball, chess club, woodworking, etc., the students who participate in these can demonstrate something they have been working on. The teachers of these enrichment classes can also be invited to attend and or to present with their students.
Community meeting also provides an opportunity to invite special guests to speak or make presentations. It is easier than you might think to get representatives of local sports teams to come to your community meeting. Local city council members, crafts people, firemen, policemen, and artists all make excellent guests. Ask your parents to make suggestions for guest speakers they might know. In some cases, the parents themselves might make excellent speakers or presenter at community time. Always review the subject and duration of the presentation with your speaker ahead of time. and never assume that the presenter knows how to address a mixed age group that includes younger children. Some helpful hints to the presenter about level of vocabulary, interaction with the audience, and duration of presentation are usually welcomed and found to be very helpful.
At our school we close every community meeting with a period of silence. This might take some practice at first, but the children soon respond very positively to this activity, especially if they already do similar silence activities in their classrooms. Cues such as “Lets’ see if wee can be so quiet we can hear the crickets or the birds outside” can be helpful to begin the period of silence. And asking the children afterward to share what they heard during the silent time is a nice finishing touch.
In summary, circle time and community meetings can be the linchpins of the school day and week. They can harmonize the community and weave together the various stands of the curriculum. The provide an essential forum for introducing and reinforcing school values and guidelines. And they are opportunities for everyone to just “be” – not to have to “do”. With the right intention and a little effort circle times and community meetings can bring great joy and memorable experiences to all.
