Back to School: Creating Community and Connection

As a classroom science teacher, the beginning of the school year was always a special time for me. I would excitedly plan the curriculum, envision the learning students would experience, and then put up a few posters around the room to make the classroom feel inviting. At the top of my back-to-school “to-do” list was the curriculum, not building relationships.

Entering my fifth year of teaching, mainly middle school life science, I was about to embark on a new challenge – teaching 10th-grade Biology. During the teacher workshop week, a session on using circles to build classroom community caught my attention. It was primarily for elementary teachers, but I was open to trying something new. I was inspired to change how I started the school year with my new students.

In the session, I learned about using circles to build community. The session inspired me to think, “I can try something different to start the new school year. I am willing to change. What did I have to lose?” 

On the first day of the experiment, I had the students arrange their chairs in a large circle. I emphasized the significance of circles in building a community, where everyone has the opportunity to be seen, heard, and understood. I posed a simple question, and we passed around a stuffed animal to indicate who had the floor to speak. Then, we played some games. It was a fun, relaxed, and most importantly, it was a different way to start the school year. 

I continued to hold a circle throughout the first week of school, introducing a few biology concepts along the way. The students saw it as a way to get out of work, and I saw it as a way to connect.

We moved from a daily circle to a weekly circle and from me leading the circle to students leading the circle. The classroom time spent holding a circle allowed us to get to know each other. When problems came up during the school year, as they always do, we took the time to know one another. I could resolve conflicts and issues with students more easily through a short conversation instead of involving the administration.

At the beginning of my circle experiment, it was challenging for me to avoid jumping right into the curriculum. I had a difficult time overcoming the constant chatter in my head about summer learning loss and how we had to get through so much material to prepare students for college or life after high school. I had to work hard not to give in to the ongoing expectations of what a Biology classroom “should” look like.

My hope for the year was to grow a relationship with the students, help them see how biology fits into their lives, and remind them that we are all in this together. The community circle helped me meet all those goals and so much more!

I was doing trauma-informed work before it was even known as trauma-informed work. The community circle is just one way to help youth feel like they belong and support them in feeling seen, heard, and understood for who they are.

Community circles are a great way to start the school year with staff. They can help staff feel seen, heard, and understood, fostering a sense of belonging and creating the supported relationships needed to grow a resilient organization. These circles can also provide a platform for staff to share their experiences and concerns, promoting a culture of open communication and mutual support. 

Staff need to experience the circle before integrating it into their class community. If you are interested in starting the school year with your staff holding a community circle, I suggest the “Circle Forward” manual by Carolyn Boyes-Watson and Kay Pranis. This comprehensive guide provides a step-by-step introduction to the circle process, including its principles, practices, and potential challenges, and offers multiple ways to use it with staff and youth.

Circles are for more than just elementary classrooms. Circles create connections and communities with staff, families, and older youth. Please take a chance and consider implementing something that will make a connection at the beginning of your school year. I guarantee you won’t regret it.

Growing the Strength of Children and Youth!

Three weeks ago, I attended a conference sponsored by the Alternative Education Resource Organization (AERO) in Minneapolis, MN. I was both a presenter and a participant at the conference.

When I give a breakout session, I want to ensure that the participants walk away with at least one skill, tool, or strategy they can use with children or youth. Today, I am sharing an activity from my conference session with you.

So often, the systems surrounding us try to fit everyone into a one-size-fits-all model. This deficit-based model looks at people and identifies what they need to improve or be “fixed” within themselves. It leaves children thinking they are not enough, don’t fit in, or can’t be themselves. Children can carry limiting beliefs, like these, into adulthood.

Imagine if children and youth were actually supported in identifying their strengths, exploring their talents, and developing their skills over the years. As the adults surrounding children and youth, we play a crucial and integral role in this process. It’s our responsibility to guide them in this journey. Adults first need to see their strengths. Once adults have explored their strengths, they can better support children and youth in their journey of exploration. Adult mentors who can identify strengths feel valued and integral to the development of the children and youth in their classrooms and programs. They are building positive relationships!

As facilitators, you have the power to acknowledge your strengths and support children and youth in recognizing their own. Here is an activity that you can use to help you recognize your strengths and then support children and youth in recognizing their strengths.

  1. Find a partner with whom you want to learn more about.
  2. You will tell a story in which you felt proud, accomplished, or good about what you did or what happened. Your partner will practice active listening—listening for strength qualities and asking questions. Let your partner know when you both have a story in mind and then you can start.
  3. In your group, select Person A and Person B. Person A; you will have two minutes to tell your story. Person B, you will be listening for strength qualities through what the person did in the story.
  4. Have one person set the timer on his phone for 2 minutes, and Person A can start telling the story.
  5. Person B, tell person A what strengths you heard them say. For ideas of the strengths that showed up in the story, refer to the VIA character strengths word cloud.
  6. Reverse roles and Person B tells a story while Person A practices listening to the story.
  7. Then, take a few minutes to reflect on your story and strengths.

This is a very powerful activity when used in a Circle with youth or adults. It can help create a sense of belonging and acceptance within the group, making everyone feel included and seen as part of a supportive community. This activity has the potential to transform the dynamics of your group, fostering a sense of unity and support. 

You can also use this activity with younger children by having them tell a story of when they were proud or accomplished a challenging task. Then, reflect to them the strengths that you heard in the story.

This is just one of the many tools, strategies and activities that I share with school leaders, educators and youth program directors in my workshop, “Growing the Strengths of Youth: Cultivating Trauma-Informed Resiliency Practices.” Find out more about my live online workshops HERE. I would love to share with you more ways to grow the strength of children and youth in your school or program.