Topic: Respect

Topic: Respect

Learning Intention:

• We are learning how to use the circle process through a hand-on experience.
• We are learning about the actions or words that participants find respectful or disrespectful.
• We are learning respectful ways to interact with our peersbased on student responses.

Success Criteria:

• We know we are successful when participants can use the circle process with minimal reminders. Including: waiting his/her turn to talk, listening to the circle keeper, listening to the person with the talking pieces, andparticipating incircle prompts and activities.
• We know we are successful when students can identify respectful ways to interact with their peers in the group.
• We know we are successful when participants can share what they cando to create a respectful classroom.

Materials for Activity:

• Large post it paper/easel/chalkboard/whiteboard
• Markers/Chalk
• Pens/Pencils
• Check-In Check Out Rubric

Standard Circle Set-Up:

• Chairs in a circle (preferable without desk attached)
• Center Piece in center of circle
• 3-4 talking pieces laying around the center piece
• 2-4 Copies of Shared Agreements: Listen with Respect, Speak with Respect, Assume Good Intent, Confidentiality (see last page of lesson)

Group Procedure

Welcome

Greet students, get in circle. If needed, seat students strategically. Notice how the group is doing today (e.g. high or low energy, high or low motivation). Once everyone is seated, remind students of the shared agreements. Feel free to ask a student to volunteer to read them or read them yourself.

Icebreaker

Explain: Let’s start off with an activity called “The World Would Rock If.” Has anyone everyone played it?

The World Would Rock If (Similar to Musical Chairs)

Participants stand in front of the chair they were sitting in. Facilitator removes any empty/unused chairs PLUS one more (i.e. there should be one less chair than participants).

• One volunteer stands in the middle and states: “The world would rock if______.” He or she finishes the statement by saying something that is true about him/her.
• If it is true about anyone else in the circle, they must move to another space in the circle.
• The person who does not find a space in front of any empty chair must stand in the middle and say “The world would rock if______” and state something that is true about him or her.

*After you have done enough rounds(everyone has gotten a chance to be in the middle), praise participants for their efforts and instruct students to sit back in their seats. Then explain: This activity helps us learn more about one another which helps us to be in a good way with each other. Let’s begin our discussion for today with everyone sharing their name and one thing you learned about someone in circle. Who would like to start?*Try to choose the first person that volunteered. *If he/she begins speaking without a talking piece, remind him/her to choose one. *If he/she does not pass it to the left when done, remind him/her to do so. *Remember who started so you know who will be the last person to speak.

Topic Choices

Share the survey results for “Topic Choices.” If your numbers do not indicate a clear choice, use the circle process to narrow it down to the top 3.

Topic of the Week

Explain: Today we will be talking about respect by defining actions we find respectful or disrespectful, discussing respectful ways to interact with each other, and sharing what we are personally willing to do to create respectful classroom.

Inspiring Word

Explain: Now let’s read our inspiring quote for today. Does anyone want to volunteer to read it?

“The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company…a church…a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past…we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have; and that is our attitude…I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it.” -Charles Swindoll

Lesson and Activity to Practice

*This is the only lesson that combines the lesson and activity to practice because the main purpose of this lesson is for students to practice using the circle process and build community by learning about one another.

Explain: Charles Swindoll believes that life is 10% of what happens to us and 90% of how we react to it. Let’s pass the talking piece around and everyone share your name, if you agree or disagree with him, and why. Who would like to start?*Try to choose the first person that volunteered. *Instruct the person that starts to choose a talking piece and after he/she has shared, pass the talking piece to the left. *Remember who started so you know who will be the last person to speak.

Explain: Some would say that attitude has an impact on respect.Respect is such a broad word and means different things for different people. So let’s discuss what respect means for each of us. Circle Keeper should write participants’ responses in a place where everyone can see them --such as a chalk board or hand held easel *It’s okay to stand while writing student responses. *Circle Keeper: include your response when the talking piece comes to your seat. Then return to your seat after writing everyone’s response.

• Using the circle process, have students alternate as they complete the following statement: “I feel respected when…, I feel disrespected when…” For example, the first student would say “I feel respected when some says thank you” and the second student would say “I feel disrespected when someone yells at me” Students would continue to alternate using the circle process.

• Review what you have written with the group. Mention any similarities/differences that you notice

• Explain: This information helps us learn how to relate to and support one another. Ask: Based on what you have heard, what is one thing you can do in this group to show respect?

• Explain: We’ve learned specific things we can do to show respect towards one another. Now let’s take what we’ve learned and discuss how we can use that information in the classroom. As a leader in this school, what is one thing you can do to show respect in the classroom? Who would like to start?

Check-In Check-Out Rubric

Pass out new weekly CICO rubric. Have students make a new SAIG driven goal for the upcoming week. (SAIG driven goal idea: What is one thing you are personally willing to do within the next week to create a respectful classroom?). Be prepared to come back next week and share how it went. Have students complete and turn in upon completion. Make sure all areas are completed.

Closing

*Praise students for their effort. Instruct students to: Bring something of value (such as a picture, keepsake, etc.) to include in our next circle. Then state:In closing, share one thing you are personally willing to do to create a respectful classroom.

Student Agenda

Topic: Respect

Welcome

Icebreaker

“The World Would Rock If.”

Share your name and one thing you learned about someone in circle.

Topic Choices

The topics chosen are…

Topic of the Week

Respect

Inspiring Word

“The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company…a church…a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past…we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have; and that is our attitude…I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it.”

-Charles Swindoll

Lesson and Activity to Practice

Do you agree or disagree with Charles Swindoll, and why?

“I feel respected when…, I feel disrespected when

Based on what you have heard, what is one thing you can do in this group to show respect?

As a leader in this school, what is one thing you can do to show respect in the classroom?

Check-In Check-Out Rubric

Make a new goal for the upcoming week. (Idea: What is one thing you are personally willing to do within the next week to create a respectful classroom?). Be prepared to come back next week and share how it went.

Closing

*Bring something of value (such as a picture, keepsake, etc.) to include in our next circle.

Share one thing you are personally willing to do to create a respectful classroom.

Listen With Respect

Speak With Respect

Assume Good Intent

Confidentiality