pg 84
Circulate
Circulate
"1, 2, 3. Eyes on me! "
Circulate is the idea that as a teacher you should "circulate" or move around the room to keep students attention. Circulating the room includes more small strategies within it as well. When you move about the room you should (1) engage your students, (2) break the plane, (3) require full access, (4) move systematically and (5) hold the position of power (Lemov, 84-87) . These are all steps mentioned by author Doug Lemov as part of "Circulate". This circulation or moving about the classroom, is essential to the learning experience. Let's break down each section:
1.) Engage the students - When you walk around the room among the students you are able to have one on one time with them and you are able to engage in what they are working on. You should have conversations with students as you walk. These conversations can sometimes be about behavior which means that you should make a quick short one on one talk about the behavior you have seen and why it is unacceptable, or these conversations could be class discussions where you call on students to answer a question aloud as you walk around the room.
2.) Break the Plane - By circulating around the room you are "breaking" the invisible line between the student and the teacher which is where the student is on one side of the line at the desk and the teacher is always on the other side at the front of the room. This shows students that you own the room and that you can go wherever you please and you are not "stuck" to being in the front.
3.) Require Full Access - This requires that the room is organized so that you can fully access any place in the room that you may need to naturally. You should be able to stand beside students and engage with them naturally and it should not be a challenge to do so.
4.) Move Systematically - This strategy means that you make sure that the way you are moving around the room is helpful and that it is done with a purpose. You should walk by students who may need the attention due to behavior issues, students who may need your assistance, but are too afraid to ask, or this could just be students that you think need some positive reinforcement on whatever they are working on.
5.) Hold the Position of Power - This strategy simply means that you should face the class as much as possible even while you circulate. You should never turn your back to the entire class, even if you are helping another student. You should shift your eyes quickly to look at the class and always try to look over a child's shoulder as opposed to having a face to face conversation with them in the middle of class.
The strategy of circulating should work based on research that when teachers are engaged in the students learning, they are showing support which is a key factor in motivation. By going around the classroom and engaging with students you provide support to those who may be timid to ask if front of the class. When you provide support to these students you are increasing their motivation. If students are motivated they are more likely to achieve. If students feel like you are able to come to their level and break that boundary that you are always at the front of the room, it makes them feel like you are more available and accessible to them.
The video below shows a few examples of circulating the classroom. As you watch notice how the teachers stay over the shoulder of a student to remain in a position of power. They are also engaged with the students that they are teaching and the students seem to be engaged as well. They have all broken the invisible plane at the front of the room where the teachers usually stand.
Circulate is the idea that as a teacher you should "circulate" or move around the room to keep students attention. Circulating the room includes more small strategies within it as well. When you move about the room you should (1) engage your students, (2) break the plane, (3) require full access, (4) move systematically and (5) hold the position of power (Lemov, 84-87) . These are all steps mentioned by author Doug Lemov as part of "Circulate". This circulation or moving about the classroom, is essential to the learning experience. Let's break down each section:
1.) Engage the students - When you walk around the room among the students you are able to have one on one time with them and you are able to engage in what they are working on. You should have conversations with students as you walk. These conversations can sometimes be about behavior which means that you should make a quick short one on one talk about the behavior you have seen and why it is unacceptable, or these conversations could be class discussions where you call on students to answer a question aloud as you walk around the room.
2.) Break the Plane - By circulating around the room you are "breaking" the invisible line between the student and the teacher which is where the student is on one side of the line at the desk and the teacher is always on the other side at the front of the room. This shows students that you own the room and that you can go wherever you please and you are not "stuck" to being in the front.
3.) Require Full Access - This requires that the room is organized so that you can fully access any place in the room that you may need to naturally. You should be able to stand beside students and engage with them naturally and it should not be a challenge to do so.
4.) Move Systematically - This strategy means that you make sure that the way you are moving around the room is helpful and that it is done with a purpose. You should walk by students who may need the attention due to behavior issues, students who may need your assistance, but are too afraid to ask, or this could just be students that you think need some positive reinforcement on whatever they are working on.
5.) Hold the Position of Power - This strategy simply means that you should face the class as much as possible even while you circulate. You should never turn your back to the entire class, even if you are helping another student. You should shift your eyes quickly to look at the class and always try to look over a child's shoulder as opposed to having a face to face conversation with them in the middle of class.
The strategy of circulating should work based on research that when teachers are engaged in the students learning, they are showing support which is a key factor in motivation. By going around the classroom and engaging with students you provide support to those who may be timid to ask if front of the class. When you provide support to these students you are increasing their motivation. If students are motivated they are more likely to achieve. If students feel like you are able to come to their level and break that boundary that you are always at the front of the room, it makes them feel like you are more available and accessible to them.
The video below shows a few examples of circulating the classroom. As you watch notice how the teachers stay over the shoulder of a student to remain in a position of power. They are also engaged with the students that they are teaching and the students seem to be engaged as well. They have all broken the invisible plane at the front of the room where the teachers usually stand.