4. Circle Time 2

1. Ways They Learn to Act
Responsibility goes both ways
  • Take responsibility
  • Nothing changes by itself, so although you may think that it’s everybody else’s fault, YOU need to do something to change it
  • Talk about it
  • Everyone needs to bring up issues
  • Write it down!
  • Make a class manifest where it is written down what you have talked about, along with the class rules. It may be that you must remember to say hello to everyone; that one must not slander or turn eyes. Print it out and hang it up in class.
  •  Decorate
  • It’s always nicer to be somewhere you feel comfortable. Put up posters on the wall, make a cozy corner, and agree on what kind of music you want to be played during breaks.
  • Fun Ideas
  •  It’s a good idea to do something together, which is not about school. Arrange a movie night, throw a party, or arrange to eat breakfast together on Saturdays. But remember not to exclude anybody!
Students will feel lonesome and especially when having problems/sorrow within their families and the tricky thing about personal changes in life or the difculties of becoming part of groups, is how to start such conversations.
 
 2. Issues That Can  be Brought Up
  • Relational issues between students
  • Mobile phone problems
  • Bad and tense atmosphere
  • Bullying
  • Low motivation
  • Personal issues that need to be addressed
  • Changes to the class rules
  • Football tournaments between classes, etc.
  • Evaluation with the class about parents’ involvement and social events such as trips, events, parent cooperation, etc.
  • How to commute safely
  • Conversations about how to have a healthy life (health, sexuality, family, and friends’ relations).
  • Information about education, vocational and labor market and talks about their own decisions they can take.
3. Fear
  • Tell about a time when you were afraid.
  • What else can make you afraid?
  • Who/what can help you when you are afraid?
  • Are you afraid of someone/something at school?
  • How can you see that a person is afraid?
  • How can you best receive help/give help?
4. Privations  (Basic Needs)
  • Have you tried to miss someone very much? - Tell us about it.
  • What happened?
  • How were you able to move on?
  • Is there anything or anyone that can help you when you feel like that?
Joy
  • Tell about a time when you were happy.
  • Try to describe how it felt in your head and your body.
  • Are there other/others who can make you happy?
  • Can your classmates at school make you happy - how?
  • How can you see that a person is happy?
Bullying / Teasing
  • Have you teased anyone?
  • Have you tried to be teased by someone?
  • What is it like to be teased?
  • What did you think when you were bullied?
  • Why do you think that someone teases others?
  • How can you help someone who is being teased?
  • Have you tried to tease one for fun - and the other did not think it was funny?
  • How was it? Did you become good friends again?
  • How can you be friends again with someone you’ve bullied or you have been teased by?
Grief
  • Can you see if a person is in sorrow? How?
  • What do you do if you in school discover that one of your classmates is sad?
  • If you feel sad, what would you expect from your classmates/teachers?
  •  Tell about a time when you were upset, and someone helped or comforted you.
It is always important to refect on your role as a teacher when working with
students’ feelings and problems. Therefore, these questions can be asked
to yourself afterward, to ensure that you too, are continually learning and
improving yourself – keeping empathetically open:
 
  • Did I show commitment, interest, and warmth?
  • Did I have situations of confict where I showed an OPEN mind?
  • Was I ready to change my own (unjustifed) perceptions/opinions?
  • Was I able to regulate myself when I was met with intense emotions?
  • Did I focus on good intentions rather than behavior?
  • Did I leave the student/class in a good way?