How can I make it easier to create a circle in my classroom?
Q: I know it sounds daft, but it’s such a hassle to try to create a circle in my classroom. Is there any way I can make this easier?
A: Don't worry, I hear this plaintive crymany times! Some schools overcome this by timetabling the classes in an easier room, e.g. the library orthe hall. But if this is not possible or desirable it is best to have Circle Time immediately after a break so that some pre-chosen responsible children can organise the circle for you while the room vacant. It has to be done almost like an army campaign. You need do a site plan with the children, detailing where all the tables will go in order to ensure that you get as round a circle as possible. It is a good idea to chalk numbers on the underside of the tables. (You’ve idea how many wavy 'circles' I meet in schools throughout the country - which causes huge problems, as some children then can't see each other. If they lose eye contact they tend to lose the flow of discussion and are tempted to whisper to a neighbour.)
I do know that if teachers are not organised and ready in their planning for Circle Time, they suffer the real temptation of deferring it to another time or putting it offaltogether. Circle Time can only become a positive powerful force if it is time tabled on a fixed regular weekly basis for a set period. My own three children have taken part in Circle Times and occasionally they came home and complained, ‘Miss (or Sir) was too busy this week.’ The immediate message to children was that Circle Time is not really important. More significantly, as Circle Time is the forum for the children's views, cancelling it conveys to them that their ideas are not important. So, if for any reason you have to postpone or cancel it, it is important to
give the children the respect of explaining why. Some teachers even chalk a note of apology on the board.
Most teachers timetable Circle Time for thirty to forty minutes. If, for example, you have set up your circle after the mid-morning break until lunchtime, that is, a period of an hour, you need to decide what your ritual will be to signify the end of Circle Time. For the remaining period until lunch, you could use the circle for paired reading, religious education, or any topic that needs whole-class teaching. Make sure that you have pre-arranged for other responsible children to put the classroom back in its usual setting, during the lunch break.
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