In Sean Covey’s book, 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens, he asserts that we must “First seek to understand and then to be understood”. One of the most challenging skills to teach students is the ability to put themselves in the shoes of another person(s) and share their feelings about a situation.
Community Circle
Recommended for all grades
This activity emphasizes the community aspect of the classroom. To start, the teacher must choose an item to be a “talking piece”. Have students sit in a circle at the center of the classroom with desks pushed to the side and join the circle as a member of the community. Begin by establishing the norms of the activity, the most important one being that only the individual with the talking piece may speak, while everyone else should be listening attentively and respectfully. First do a check-in with the class by having students pass around the talking piece to express how they are feeling or what’s on their mind. Then introduce a question or topic for everyone in the circle to take turns responding to. The topic can be a current event or issue, an image or object prompt, or a topic that might be interesting or at least relatable. The key here is to introduce the topic in a way that lends well to students sharing their thoughts and feelings. |
This activity is most effective when built into the routine of the class, such as being an activity that ends the week every Friday. Through Community Circles, the teacher fosters a safe and inclusive environment where students can learn different perspectives and accept different feelings or reactions through active listening. Teachers can also establish a “right to pass” norm for students who may not feel comfortable discussing particular topics, which is also an important feeling for others to learn to accept.