"Community Circle" represents Part 1 in our ongoing series of articles on Student-Centered classrooms. Learn how to put facilitate learning in a community of responsible and engaged students.

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"I wondered, what would happen if I gave my students extra freedoms and important responsibilities? I sensed that the children would rise to my high expectations. And they have."

When I attended elementary school, "student-centered" would have been the last words you would use to descibe my classroom experience. Teachers were the little rulers of the classroom kingdom, with all directions and permissions coming straight from the top down to us. We weren't trusted with extra responsibilties, nor were we expected to be able to handle any independent decision making.

At the time, I didn't see anything wrong with this set-up because I didn't know anything different. But, when it came time to set up my own elementary classroom, I knew I wanted to do things a bit differently. I wondered, what would happen if I gave my students small freedoms and important responsibilities? I sensed that the children would rise to my high expectations. And they have.

In the ongoing series on Student-Centered Classrooms, we will explore the little and big ways that you communicate to your students, "I trust you to do what's right. I expect you to do your best." After all, the best way to teach children to be responsible, trustworthy, and capable is to give them a chance to assume responsibilities in a safe and protected environment.

One way that I build a student-centered learning community in my classroom is through a concept called Community Circle. This idea is a variation on classroom meetings that I am adapting from the popular book called Tribes.

Originally, I planned to hold Community Circle every other week. But, at the first meeting, I mentioned this plan to my students and they begged me to hold it every week. I trust them to use the time wisely and, in one of my first moves toward a truly student centered classroom, I let them make the decision to have Community Circle every Friday.

In my classroom, Community Circle lasts around 15-20 minutes. I hold the meeting right before lunchtime on Fridays. The kids and I sit in a circle on the ground and we stick to some very certain rules, which are:

1. Appreciation of Others (i.e. no put-downs)
2. Listen Attentively
3. Respect Everyone
4. Right to Pass (students can pass when it's their turn)

Additionally, we have a special gesture to keep things under control. When I raise my hand, everyone else raises their hand and stops talking. This gesture is different from the attention signal I use during the rest of the day.

At each Community Circle, we have a different prompt or format for sharing. Often, we go around the circle and finish sentences, such as:

• "One thing I like about our classroom is...."
• "I'm grateful that...."
• "One good thing that happened to me recently is...."
• "I wish...."
• "I'm bigger than a ______. I'm smaller than a ________."
• "I hope that...."

Another idea is Interview Circle where one student sits in the middle and the other students ask him/her three autobiographical questions. For instance, they ask about brothers and sister, pets, likes and dislikes, etc. The interviewee can choose to pass on any of the questions. I model how it works by going first. The kids enjoy calling on their classmates and learning about each other.

If there was a problem in the classroom that needed to be addressed, Community Circle would be an appropriate place to bring it up.

Fifteen minutes per week is a small investment to make in order to strengthen the bonds between you and your students. Students sense that their opinions, dreams, and insights are valued and treated with respect. It also gives them a chance to practice their listening, speaking, and interpersonal skills.

Try it in your classroom. See how it works for you!

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