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1. Teacher sets the scene. This may mean setting some ground rules such as:
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One person talks at a time.
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Everyone looks at the person talking.
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(Choose one) We will go around the circle. If you don’t want to talk, pass. Passing is fine.
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or
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We won’t go in order. When you want to speak and no one else is in the middle of a sentence, speak.
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2. Teacher (or eventually student leader) provides a handle.
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3. Teacher shares first (optional) to establish risk level and provide model.
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4. Alert the group a couple of minutes before ending circle, so that people holding back will speak up.
THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO SUCH THING AS A WRONG ANSWER, AND I MEAN IT.
People are expressing feelings. You must be accepting and nonevaluative. The circle is supposed to be a safe place. Do everything you can to make kids feel safe in it. Encourage listening. Listen to kids, nod, smile, look at them, lean forward, show caring. Only say things that help people feel heard and accepted or say nothing.
The kinds of things that might be fine to say are:
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Would you like to tell us more about that?
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How did that make you feel?
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You felt that very deeply, didn’t you?
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I’ve experienced that too.
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You mean . . .
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Thank you, Ed.
For more information, see H. Bessell and V. Palomares,
Methods in
Human Development
, Human Development Institute, El Cajon, California, 1970.
