Stay Steady: Classroom Community/Community Circle
Jenny quickly spoke out. “What will we do at lunch, because there are only eight spots at each table and we eight fill those spots?” I had been sharing with the class that a new friend was joining our class the next day. Although we had said goodbye to two friends early in the school year, this was the first time that our community was growing. I wanted to be sure my students were ready to welcome a new friend and to answer questions they might have. We reviewed how it might feel to join a new class. We remembered characters from books we had read and talked about. We shared greetings that we could say and how it would be important to introduce our new friend to the various specials teachers.
I was struck by Jenny’s question and her level of thinking through this new situation. I didn’t know that my small group of girls had a routine of convening together at a table in the lunchroom. “Hmm,” I replied. “Well, what do you think? Does anyone have an idea so that everyone feels included?” Immediately the class started buzzing with ideas to solve this problem. We decided that on the first day, two girls would sit at another table together and that would leave six girls plus our new friend at a table. Everyone seemed satisfied with this plan, so I wrapped up another day of community circle and we moved to our word study lesson.
What Is Community Circle?
Community circle is a simple yet complex and powerful tool we can use in our classroom to create a community of belonging and inclusivity. In simplest terms it is a human circle, so that we can all see each other, made up of my students and me. Usually we sit, but not always. Community circle is an opportunity to gather and talk, a place of safety and conversation.
Types of Community Circles
In my classroom I use community circles for several purposes:
Closing
When I picked up my students from lunch the next day, sure enough, two girls were seated at a separate table. Everyone cleared their spots and met me in line for a happy walk back to class. If we hadn’t had time to meet and talk in a community circle, I’m not sure that lunch would have run as smoothly. Time to talk, ask questions, and share thinking in a circle format helps all voices be heard. In this case it gave our class the opportunity to welcome a new friend into an inclusive community.
