Not sure about what a closing circle is?

Picture this:

It’s about 5 minutes until dismissal.  You open the door to my classroom and it’s rather chaotic. I’m trying to make sure everyone has everything, cleaning the room, answering questions, filling out behavior charts, etc.  It’s loud.  Most kids are being silly and many are out of their seats.  If someone didn’t have a good day they might be in tears because they didn’t get a smiley face in their notebook.  Announcements come on over the loud speaker and we can barely hear them. I rush around trying to get everyone out the door in one piece.  After the last kid is out, I finally sit down at my desk, head spinning, and look around at the mess.  I feel defeated, stressed, and like the entire day was a wash.

 

Sound familiar?

Enter closing circle.  A few years ago I was trained in responsive classroom. (If you are unfamiliar with responsive classroom, it’s a social emotional approach to teaching and discipline). The responsive classroom website says, “A hectic dismissal can leave teachers feeling exhausted and unproductive, even if the majority of the day went smoothly. After using closing circles, many teachers report more positive energy and attitudes not only in their students, but in themselves as well. It’s a small investment of time that makes a big difference.”

 

It is essentially a way to create a positive classroom environment where students spent some time together wrapping up the school day and leaving the classroom encouraged and motivated!

 

I remember being like SIGN ME UP!  I had nothing to lose so I started it the very next day.  And y’all…it did something to the vibe of my class– kids ended the day happier.  I was calmer.  And the whole thing was meaningful.  I felt like I was more connected to my students, and I felt like the whole day was important- from the first 5 minutes until the last 5 minutes. It was a game changer for me, and since then it has really been a non- negotiable.

Soooo….what is it and how does it actually work?

 

**Side note (but super important note):  The main thing I changed before implementing a closing circle was that I no longer filled out daily behavior charts at the end of the day.  The whole red light, green light, yellow light/ level 321/ smiley face, straight face, sad face, etc…I JUST STOPPED.  Lots more about this on a different post, but it saved my sanity and set students up for a positive end of the day experience.

 

The logistics:

 

1. When do you have the meeting?

It’s like a morning meeting, except in the afternoon.  It is the very last thing that the students do before heading home.  Students are already packed up and ready to walk out of the door.  Kids come to the carpet with nothing but themselves, and sit in a circle criss cross applesauce.

 

2. How long does it last?

I would set aside between 5-10 minutes.  You can stretch it out if you have more time, or cut it short if you are running low.  The main thing is that you are doing it consistently.

 

3. Who participates?

EVERYONE! The entire point is that you are building classroom community, so it’s important that everyone in the class takes part.  The thing is, everyone will want to.  As the teacher, you can help build those connections by both facilitating and participating.

 

4. What is the routine?

As with any new routine, when first introducing the closing circle, it is important to use interactive modeling to teach and practice the procedures and expectations. You would model what you want the students to do, ask what they noticed, and then they would practice on their own.

For closing circle this might look like:

-complete your classroom afternoon job (dump trash, wipe off desk, erase board, etc)
-get homework folder and materials to take home/ pack them up at your desk
-come to the carpet with empty hands
-sit criss cross quietly until you hear the bell to signal the start of the meeting

The ‘packing up’ itself can become something that takes at most 3 or 4 minutes (and you can get started with the circle if there are a few stragglers). I promise students will hurry so that they can join in. I like to be done with closing circle before afternoon announcements come on so that we are sitting on the carpet with no distractions, and can focus on what is being said.  If need be, we will just pause what we are doing until they go off.

 

5. What does closing circle consist of ?

Since it is the very LAST thing we do before heading home, I created the acronym L.A.S.T, and created cards for each category.  Be sure to subscribe to my email list to score a free week! I put the cards on four separate rings and attach to them my white board for easy access.

L: Let’s Reflect (students reflect on their day with a simple open ended question that focuses on how things went that day, goals to set, changes they want to make, what they learned, etc).

A: Activity (This can look like a variety of things, and doesn’t have to be complicated. Dance parties are always a hit (I mean are you as obsessed with KidzBop as I am ?) Play charades, hangman, or I spy (a classic never goes out of style). Read a chapter of a book they are really into. Let the kids tell jokes. I mean I just googled “ice breakers for kids” and got 12,700,000 results. The ideas are out there. Once you throw just 3 or 4 into rotation you will quickly see the crowd favorites. Don’t stress too much- just get them moving and smiling.)

S: Share (This gives the students time to share something. I do it based on the day.  For example, #manmonday- tell about an important man in your life, #televisiontuesday-what is good tv show you’ve watched recently?, etc.) I love hearing answers to these!

T: Time to Celebrate! (My fave- kids celebrate themselves and their friends based on some type of accomplishment )

 

Oh–and don’t forget goodbyes! As a class, it can be fun to come up with a goodbye song or poem you recite everyday as signal closing circle is over. Pre-covid we always did a friendship squeeze (where you hold hands and squeeze the person’s hand next to you until it gets all the way around). There are also cute sayings like “gotta go, buffalo, or “be sweet, parakeet.”

As I’ve said before, kids want to know you care that they were at school, and that you are excited to see them tomorrow. When Johnny leaves, simply say “Bye Johnny, see you tomorrow buddy.” And when covid isn’t cramping everyone’s style, give Johnny a hug or high five. Also, make sure the kids are saying goodbye to each other (just like it is important they are greeting each other in the mornings). When Johnny leaves, let his friends say goodbye to him, give him a fist bump, whatever. Your class is a family. You always tell your family goodbye.

 

Remember that hectic dismissal story from the top?

That doesn’t have to be you anymore. 

 

And you definitely don’t have to use these cards to make a closing circle work! Whatever you do, the goal is to make your meetings consistent and positive!  It should be a special time that keeps students excited to join their friends for learning the following day.

But if you’re interested in what I do, get a closer look at the closing circle cards I use.  Also watch my instagram IGTV to see how I’ve done closing circle in person and virtually.  It is truly my favorite time of day!

You got this teachers!  Even if you only have 2 minutes at the end of the day, try it out.  Let me know how it goes!! What else do you like to do during your closing circle/afternoon wrap up that your kids enjoy?