Learning Goals

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to …

  • create a learning space that helps students “feel comfortable emotionally, psychologically” and physically and demonstrate “care and concern for the safety of others”
  • become better acquainted with their peers so that they can take creative risks in a safe environment
  • develop social skills such as skills in conflict resolution, self-control and collaboration by introducing the listening and speaking behaviours required for participation in community circle
Materials
  • duct tape to mark gathering space as required
  • object to indicate who is speaking during a community circle (optional)
  • class set of chairs
  • Appendix #2 Sample Signals and Cues
  • Appendix #3 Checklist to Track Engagement and Collaboration
  • Appendix #4 Thumb Feedback Legend
Terminology

Minds On

Teacher Tips

If space is limited:

  • Cluster desks into groups or move the desks to the perimeter/one side of the room to create a big enough space for community circle 
  • Try to book the library for your drama period or work outside if you can
  • Have small groups rehearse in the hall just outside of your class. Stand in the doorway so you can monitor students both inside/outside the room 
  • When sharing/performing, have students sit in their desks and use the largest open space in the room for groups to share their work
  • Have a space in the room with a mat and some props/costume pieces and noise cancelling headphones for ASD students to play independently/have a place to self regulate if they are unable to engage with the whole class task

If you have your own drama room:

  • Consider removing all chairs and have students assemble in a circle when they come in the room
  • Consider having the lights turned off with soft or having gentle music playing when students enter the space       

Whole Group > Defining the Space (15 min)

  • Inform your students that in drama class, they will be devising, rehearsing and presenting ideas to each other as part of our work. They will also begin and end each class with a community circle.
  • Teacher Prompt: How might we need to change the physical arrangement of our space in order to allow for this to happen safely?
  • Record students’ suggestions so that they can be viewed easily in the learning space.
  • As a collective define the following:
    • potential area(s) to meet in a circle
    • potential area(s) to devise and rehearse
    • potential area(s) to share/perform  
  • Decide upon the physical arrangements that will work best for your space and that can be accomplished in a safe and efficient way.

Whole Class > Try it out!

  • Once you have come up with the physical arrangements for rehearsing and for sharing/performing in your space:
    • have the students practice going to and from the designated spaces
    • make adjustments as necessary in terms of safety and ease of movement
    • call out anytime students are not following expectations as soon as you see it (make them go back and do it again, safely and without disruption until they can transition effectively)
    • determine a verbal signal or cue that you will use when transitioning to and from these places. See Appendix #2 Sample Signals and Cues.

Teacher Tip: Reflect on the effectiveness of the verbal signals or cues you chose. Is there a better choice that might be more clear?

*Safety tip: If this requires the moving of furniture, ensure that students are only moving desks and chairs. You’ll need an adult to move around heavier pieces of furniture.

Action

Whole Group > Community Circle

Invite students to sit in a circle on the floor.

Discuss the purpose of the circle. Sample responses might be:

  • to be accountable and present for one another by facing each other/not having option to separate
  • to reinforce the notion that we are interconnected-one person impacts the functioning of the whole
  • to reinforce that each member of the group has something to contribute

Outline the protocol for circle sharing and discuss the expectations. Sample expectation might include:

  • One person speaks at a time
  • Others actively listen (eye contact not required but encouraged, commitment not to interrupt or carry on side conversation with someone else)
  • Sharing is voluntary and could happen either:
    • spontaneously once the invitation to speak has been opened
    • could be formalized by the request to hold an agreed upon object that indicates whose turn it is to speak (e.g., a stuffed animal, a stick). Decide as a group which format you would like to use.
  • Sharing uses I statements and respectful language. It speaks to an issue, an idea or a behaviour not to a person’s character or identity.

Teacher Tip: You will need to negotiate what you mean by respectful language and refine it as you work and make it part of your classroom norms.

Whole Group > Discussion

Tell students that for the next few lessons, you will be working together to explore the idea of what it means to feel welcomed in a space. Teacher prompt: In your own words, what does it mean to “make someone feel welcomed”?

Remind students of the format that you have decided upon for sharing (spontaneously speaking when there is a silence OR putting their hand up to indicate they want the agreed upon speaking object to be passed to them). Once students have shared their ideas, take a moment to summarize common responses that you heard and examples of alternative ways to think about the term that were mentioned as a way to bring closure to the task.

Whole Group > Name Game 

Stand in a circle. Have each student make a gesture to go with their name. The first student will say their name and do their gesture. Every student in the circle repeats the gesture until all of the names have been introduced. 

Extension: Call out random names and see if students remember the corresponding actions.

Variation: Looking for other name games? Try these from the CODE website:  

Consolidation

Whole Group > Discussion 

In a circle, use the protocols of community circle sharing to review:

Community circle protocols

  • What protocols were decided on as a group? (Start by naming the protocols e.g., sitting on the ground vs chairs, either using an object to track who is speaking or going without, how to address the right to pass, the use of I statements, maintaining active listening behaviour)
  • How well were they followed? 
  • What small changes might be made so that they can be more successful?

Transition signals

  • Did everyone hear/see them? 
  • How easy/hard were the transitions to execute? 
  • What obstacles may be eliminated to make for smooth transitions?

Arrangement of the physical space

  • What changes might be made to the physical space to make it even more effective?

Ask students to share something they learned about one of their classmates based on today’s games. Reinforce the speaking and listening protocols as you work.

Their participation

Tell the students that they will be using their thumbs to rate their participation. 

  • Thumbs up = I participated to the best of my ability Thumbs sideways = I usually participated to the best of my ability
  • Thumbs down = I did not do my best

Have the student close their eyes, pose the following questions and ask students to respond using their thumb rate:

  • When the teacher gave one of her signal words today, I always followed instructions
  • During the discussion about feeling welcomed, I tried to come up with my own idea
  • During the discussion, I waited my turn and listened while others spoke
  • During the name game I tried hard to pay attention as each person did their gesture
  • During the name game I did not do anything with my voice or body to take the attention away from the person whose turn it was
  • During the chair game, I played fairly

Potential Follow up:

Ask students if they have any other ideas for ways that they could get to know each other better. Record these suggestions and store them so that you can refer back to them/add to them as the unit progresses (E.g., digital file or chart paper).

Select one and follow up on the suggestion either during class time or as a warm up for your next drama period.

Teaching Tip: Using Right to Pass

Be wary of too much use of the right to pass at the start of the year. While you want to provide shy or anxious students a tool to be able to manage their reluctance to share or difficulties coming up with an idea on the spot, you also want to communicate that when they come to class, they are going to take part. 

  • Tell students at the start of the sharing that you will come back to them after everyone has gone when they pass the first time around the circle
  • Allow students to ask the group for help coming up with a response. They can use a phrase like-”I’d like a helping hand” to signal that another member of the circle can help them form a response by providing a guiding question or an example of a response that might fit the circumstance for them to use.
  • For students who struggle with abstract thinking: provide them with a list of two or three options for a choice of something that might fit the situation and have them select from the provided options. E.g., How did you feel about using the digital countdown? Could you see it? Could you not see it? Did you forget to look?
Assessment for Learning (AfL)

Use Appendix #3 Checklist to Track Engagement and Collaboration.

Assessment as Learning (AaL)

Students use Appendix #4 Thumb Feedback Legend.