Circle Time

A few weeks ago, as we were discussing the good and bad of our first trimester together, my students requested that we have a time to share our grievances with each other regularly rather than letting them build up until the end of each 12 week period. Since I thought this was a very useful, thoughtful suggestion, I agreed and we scheduled a meeting for each Tuesday.

Today was our first meeting. I set some basic ground rules:
1. You can share a "thank you", a "complaint", or a "comment"
2. "Complaints" and negative "comments" may NOT include a specific name. "Thank yous', however, can be to a specific person.
3. "Comments" must pertain to the whole class and have some relevance to our interactions together.

With the rules in place, I started drawing names. Each student had a chance to share something or pass. Although about half of them chose not to say anything, the ones who did came up with some great stuff. For example:

"Thank you to M and S for being on my side and being great friends."
"Thank you to B and L for finding a nice way to tell me I was being annoying."
"Happy birthday, T!"
"I think it is good when people find a way to talk about what is bothering them rather than just fighting. My friends and I did that and now everything is better."
"I don't like it when there are people talking while I am trying to learn."
"I am having trouble with some boys from another class. They kick me and make fun of me at lunch." (The group gave him suggestions on how to take care of this - tell them to stop, ask a noon duty to help, tell the teacher or the principal.)
"Good job, everyone, on our showing writing talent show."
"Thank you to the whole class for being such good friends."

This is exactly the kind of thing that the people in charge are eliminating from our classroom. Instead of sitting in a big circle on the front lawn, sharing our feelings, we should have been inside studying European explorers or multiplying fractions. Seeing how great everyone felt having been heard and recognized, I wouldn't give this up for anything. I just wish that I could get the "No Child Left Behind" people to realize that this is the real area in which we need to be watching the cracks and patrolling the borders. Adults can catch up on math skills over time. It is much harder for them to learn how to be good people.