Meet the grandmother of all the methods: Miss Circle

​Firstly, just close your eyes and imagine:

Once upon a time, fire led our ancestors into the circle. It made sense to put the fire in the centre and to gather around it. There it was the warmth of the fire, deep connection among the people and honest wish to speak and listen to one another carefully. These ancestors needed the circle for survival, to learn from each other, to solve the conflict, to plan and so much more.

How could we use this ancient form in nowadays schools?
We have always known that the circle is a natural way to gather for conversations. The Circle is an ancient form of meeting that has gathered humans in respectful conversations for thousands of years. In nowadays school circle can present democratic space where students (also teachers, parents, headmaster and others) can look each other in the eye, lean in and listen, and include all voices with a sense of equality. The practice of circle often leads to more creative options, wiser decisions, clearer action.

There really is such a huge potential in using circle:

• circle supports a leader in every chair
• Each person has a voice
• circle engage and excite
• create wisdom-based change
• enable real and sustaining learning.

What is Circle Good For? 
One of the beautiful things about circle is its adaptability to a variety of groups, issues, and time frames. In the circle students can learn about every single topic, they can solve the problems, talk about the relevant issues, make a reflection, evaluate and so much more. Circle can be used as a methodology of “checking in” and “checking out” or a way of making decisions together.

Circle offers practice in the following Social Capital skills including:

• Speaking in front of a group
• Speaking with and setting intention
• Taking turns
• Knowing when to stop talking and pass
• Listening with attention
• Talking from the heart
• Holding judgement
• Offering support to peers

Be creative with circle and be ready for the deep wisdom it can unearth! And remember this…circle is the grandmother of all the methods – to practice it, feels like coming back to our roots again.
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Our December session of Learner voice: engage students in participative and collaborative learning is officially 100% confirmed and we still have places available. Register now and get to experience December magic in Ljubljana.

Some other methods that will also be presented at the course are World Cafe, Open Space, and Appreciative Inquiry.
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Here are some of the testimonies from or participants that have already attended the course. Published on the SchoolEducationGateway page:

Author: Petra Založnik, BSc in Teacher Education and Sociology of Culture, is educator, evaluator and designer of innovative approaches to learning and teaching in the field of education, also our trainer in the course Learner voice: engage students in participative and collaborative learning