The Power of the Circle in Creating a Spiritually Supportive School Culture

• In Event: Spirituality in Education: Becoming an Awakened School

Abstract

The Ritual of the Circle
The purpose of this session is to discuss how “the circle,” a practice of gathering a group of people who live, work, worship, or learn together into a configuration of a circle on a regular basis with a particular ritual and purpose, supports spirituality. The word ritual for some people may connote religiosity, but in this case it merely means an intentional routine or customary practice that is not dictated by a doctrine or dogma, but a secular practice that is designed by the people who practice the circle tradition. This session will share from our grounded theory research about the impact of the circle in nurturing spirituality (Charmaz, 2008). Through observations and interviews, we have conceptualized a description of ways to design and practice a circle ritual.

The Purpose of the Circle in Education
Whether working with children in a classroom or with adults, such as parents, faculty, or a board, the three main purposes of the circle are as an opening and/or closing circle, a decision-making circle, and as a circle to repair harm. As an opening ritual, the circle brings people together into a sacred community of trust and support. When seated in a circle, each person is equal with one another, and each person can see one another’s eyes and can have a heart-to-heart connection. Beginning the day with a circle is particularly soothing for children or people who may be experiencing trauma, or who may be of a minoritized identity (Bailey, 2015). As a decision-making tool, the circle gives each person an equal voice, lending toward decisions that work for everyone and that everyone is motivated to uphold. An example of a decision-making circle for children is a class meeting (Nelson, et al, 2015). For adults, a circle structure may be a self-organizing governance or consent decision-making process, such as sociocracy, with the intention of developing socially just systems (Owen and Buck, 2020).
As a restorative process, the circle honors each person as being interconnected, and gives each person a role and responsibility in repairing harm (Boyes-Watson and Pranis, 2015).

The Background and Symbolism of The Circle
The scholarly significance of this work is to show how Indigenous practices can be incorporated into schools in ways which honor their origins and support spiritual development. Circle-gathering is considered an ancient indigenous practice, as humans have been gathering in circles since the beginning of time, whether around a fire or in ceremony (Pranis, 2015). Common circle practices often include indigenous traditions, such as passing a talking stick. The circle is based on ecological, sustainable principles found in nature, often considered to be an indigenous worldview, rather than linear, hierarchical structure more typical of a dominant, mechanized, Western Worldview (Four Arrows, 2020). This session will discuss how the structure of the circle can influence the culture, and therefore, the beliefs, values, and behaviors of a school community to echo indigenous values, with the intention of becoming more heart-centered, creative, and inclusive.

Author

• Renee Owen, Southern Oregon University