Thoughtful classroom Circle
| Thoughtful Classroom Tool (name and book title/page) | Community Circle |
| Teacher NameGrade/Subjects Taught | Mrs. Jen Hill 2nd grade teacher/Social Studies |
| Brief Tool DescriptionWhat is its purpose? Is it for a particular dimension of the Thoughtful Classroom framework? What do the teacher and students do during the strategy that make it valuable? | We were comparing home life, transportation, and communication for pioneer life and life today. I had just learned about the Community Circle and knew that it would fit in perfectly with our question of the day. We have done some type of community circle in our class, however normally my questions have to do with life in general and are not specifically curriculum related. |
| Example(s) of How to Use the Tool in the ClassroomDoes it lend itself best to a particular subjects? Have you used the strategy successfully with a particular topic? Is there a lesson you can describe that illustrates how to use it? | I wrote this question on the Smartboard: Would you rather live during the pioneer days or live in the present? I then went over the rules for Community Circle. The students were instructed that they couldn’t just say, “I want to live in the present.” I also wrote communication, transportation, and home life on the smartboard. The students had to touch on those three components in their answers. This made their responses more thought out. |
| Suggestions for AdaptationsCould it be easily adapted for a higher/lower grade? For a different subject area? For assessment? | I think Community Circle could easily be used at every level. |
| Other Suggestions/Comments |