Creating Connectivity through Proactive Circles “It doesn’t matter whether you have 20-30 kids in a class. It doesn’t matter whether the teacher has a graduate degree. What matters is the environment that a student enters when he walks through the classroom door.” Robert Blum, MD, PhD All humans are hardwired to connect. Just as we need food, shelter, and clothing, human beings also need strong and meaningful relationships to thrive. Strengthening relationships between individuals, whether adult-adult, adult-student, or student-student is an integral part to the success of a positive climate. By creating social connection within our community, we can decrease teacher absenteeism, increase student connectedness, improve classroom management, increase engagement with staff and students, decrease suspensions…we BUILD RELATIONSHIPS So, How do we strengthen relationships? One way is to allow proactive circles to be part of your daily routine- not just in the classroom but also in staff meetings and parent meetings. Circles create equality and equity and provide safety and trust and can restore broken relationships as well. In this highly energetic workshop, participants will learn about different types of circles, why it’s important that individuals understand their “why” of doing circle practice, how to build norms, and strategies they can use immediately to engage in positive relationship building.
