When did we turn Circle Time into a Noun instead of a Verb?
I recently asked a group of young children to tell me about circle time. They immediately pointed to a space in their classroom and said "that is circle time."
Circle time is not meant to be a space in our classrooms.
Circle time is a verb.
Circle time is the intentional practice of creating community.
It is child-led
It can take place at any time of the day in any location.
Why talk about the weather in our temperature-controlled classrooms?
Go outside and experience the weather!
Feel the hot sticky air on your skin.
Stomp in the puddles as it rains.
Watch your breath as it turns into clouds.
Toddlers love to play the game "My Mommy." They will go back and forth saying this phrase. This is the perfect time for an intentional teacher to observe the interaction, ask questions, and share a story about families.
Children tend to work through a lot of friendship struggles from age 4-5. If an intentional teacher observes children navigating friendship dynamics on the playground, they can use that experience to create community.
Working together, they can create a small stage area, adding costumes and props, etc. This can be used to act out friendship scenarios and other dramatizations.
Take a minute to think about circle time in your classroom. Is it a noun, or is it a verb? How can you grow your teaching practices in this area?
