What do we do when children raise tricky issues during Circle Time?
Q: I would like some advice as to how you deal with a particular
situation.
A child has raised a personal issue during circle time relating to how they are
being mis-treated at home. I am unsure as to what steps I should now take. As a
student teacher I have raised the issue with the class teacher, but I would
like to improve my own knowledge in this area. Please can you help?
Jenny: I am really glad that you are concerned
about children’s emotional safety. It is a key issue and we have, within the
Quality Circle Time model, listening systems set up to try and protect
children.
We advocate three listening systems. Quality Circle Time itself is a group
listening system. It is set up to build team spirit, self-esteem and children’s
social and emotional competencies. When it is whole class Circle Time it is
about teaching an emotional curriculum. It is not about providing a forum for
children where children can speak about problems at home. The ground rules are
that ‘no child may mention anyone’s name in a negative way’. In other words
they cannot mention parents’ names, other teachers’ names etc. They have a
script, “Somebody has been calling me nasty names … some people are ganging up
on me”. We are teaching children to stick with the issue and not become
personal.
However,
this takes away their right to tell you something important. For instance, some
children could be sitting there like butter wouldn’t melt in their mouth – but
outside the circle they are calling some child’s mother horrible names. The
child you mention, the one who was mistreated at home, also needed to know that
he could tell somebody. But class circle time is not the place to do it – as it
spreads the bad news and tarnishes people’s reputations. This is why, from the
outset, we set up three listening systems. Circle time on its own is not safe
as it becomes the only place children can disclose personal issues.
We also set up in schools a one-to-one listening system called, “Bubble Time in
Primary Schools” and ‘Chat-time in Secondary Schools’. Each child has their own
peg, or post-it note, and they can sign up on a big gold bubble if they want
some special listening time.
Some children don’t like eye contact and don’t have the words to express their
feelings. So we have a third non-verbal system called, “Think Books”. Here
children can scribble down their feelings or draw them, they get posted into a
special confidential post-box, responded to by an adult, and then posted back
to the child.
I can't do justice to these three important systems in a quick answer. They are
described more fully in our book, “Quality Circle Time in the Primary School”.
I do hope this helps. If a child does not know when they will be listened to
then they will use the circle to tell you personal things. This makes it unsafe
for everyone. If there are two other listening systems to flag circle time you
will have a very good safe classroom. I am very glad that you are concerned
about these issues – good luck with your future teaching career.
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