Closing the Circle

Circles of Connection

Close your eyes and turn in a circle. Stop randomly and open them. Can you find something round or spherical? How many circles can you find? In fact, you probably can't find anywhere without circles. The images of circularity are ubiquitous in our lives.

Think about this unique concept. A circle is something that has no sides, no beginning and no end. It’s infinite. And it’s everywhere.

We have noticed circularity in

the Rainbow Room...

We have a daily circle meeting, sometimes twice a day, where we come together as a group to share thoughts, ideas, and our work. The children are careful about where they sit; it is a big decision. They quickly notice if our circle is broken or discontinuous. It only feels right when a circle is formed with our positioning. We try to fill in the gaps, connect the group together as one unit, a circle. It is important to everyone.

 

We’ve introduced the coffee grinders, a satisfying kinesthetic and sensory activity involving the cranking of a handle round and round to grind beans into grounds. 

 

Gears provide another vision of circularity- if the teeth of two gears are interlocked, one gear can move its partner; they’re linked and interdependent.

Despite the lack of sides, circles can be created from other shapes that have straight lines and angles: an array of triangle magna tiles can form a circle (almost nearly), something without beginning or end.

And the act of turning a screwdriver counterclockwise can remove the tiniest of screws holding crucial parts of a camera together so we can now see the mysterious inner workings.

 

Familiarity with an individual is
comforting and paves the
way for deep connection.

But I’m also noticing a different type of circularity in the Rainbow Room- the circle of connections between children. That's what a relationship is, the reciprocal back and forth connection that an individual has with another individual. The relationship forms a circle, a forged link between two individuals not possible in solitary.

Some connections develop over a
common interest in materials.

Although the drive to connnect with others is innate, the skills necessary to form these connections are often not. Instead, these skills are learned in early life from infancy through early childhood, and fine-tuned or tweaked over our lifetimes. To be understood, to make oneself clear, takes practice. And vice versa, to really connect with someone takes an ability to perceive them, to understand them.

To enter into a connection with someone
for the first time may require persistent
efforts to understand and be understood.

Imagine those first few days with your newborn child. Staring into their eyes while they gaze back. Remember the connection you felt? You closed a circle of connection with your child, and it was complete. A bonded relationship developed.

Joy is found in each other.

As young children venture into the world, often through a preschool experience, the desire to connect with other people is strong. This need is a basic human instinct, born out of the need for protection; there is strength in number. Despite the differences in temperament, whether someone is outgoing and assertive, or reserved and careful, the drive to make a human connection is present.



Connections are strengthened over
the pursuit of a common goal.

Connections can develop from
delightful and unexpected situations.

Our role as teachers and parents is to observe and consider the individual child's way of experiencing the classroom (or other setting). What kind of connections will be meaningful to this child? How can we empower them to be understood? What skills need to be developed so a child is open for information? How can we support in closing the circles of engagement? What is necessary for the connection to be sustained?

Even when disequililbrium occurs in a
connection, the circle can be re-established
and is often stronger as a result.

I've been thinking a lot about this notion, that circularity (or reciprocity) is the crucial component of relationships. As I've observed the Rainbow Room children closely over the course of our school year, I've noticed that relationships are diverse. It reminds me of the orbit of planets and moons: some individuals orbit each other closely, while others only overlap occasionally. But we're all part of the same universe, each of us a unique and separate entity linked together through our relationships.



Some connections are maintained
over an extended period of time, throughout
the entire space of the classroom.
 

(Stay tuned for future discussions about how circles of connection are specifically supported in the classoom).