Lesson Plan

Circle Guidelines

Establish clear, respectful circle guidelines for 10th grade community circles to promote active listening, speaking authentically, and mutual respect during discussions.

Setting shared norms builds trust and safety, allowing students to engage honestly and responsibly, strengthening relationships and decision-making skills in small-group sessions.

Audience

Time

Approach

Materials

Prep

Preparation

10 minutes

Step 1

Set Up the Circle

5 minutes

Step 2

Introduce Guidelines

5 minutes

Step 3

Model and Practice

10 minutes

Step 4

Establish Group Norms

10 minutes

Slide Deck

Discussion Prompts

Welcome students and introduce the purpose of today’s discussion prompts: to deepen trust and practice responsible decision-making. Remind them of the [Circle Guidelines](#circle-guidelines) and encourage open, respectful sharing.

Prompt 1: Building Trust

Prompt 1 focuses on personal experiences with trust. Invite 2–3 volunteers to share, then open to the group. Emphasize active listening.

Prompt 2: Responsible Decisions

Prompt 2 explores responsible decision-making. Encourage students to reflect on choices that had consequences—positive or negative.

Prompt 3: Respect & Listening

Prompt 3 highlights respect and listening. Ensure students refer back to “Listen with intent” and “Respect all contributions.”

Prompt 4: Applying Insights

Prompt 4 moves students toward applying insights. Facilitate a brief brainstorm of strategies they can implement in future circles or daily life.

Next Steps & Reflection

Conclude by thanking everyone for sharing. Remind students to jot reflections on the [Takeaway Thoughts Reflection Sheet](#takeaway-thoughts-cool-down).

Lesson Plan

Circle Guidelines

Audience

Time

Approach

Materials

Prep

Preparation

Step 1

Set Up the Circle

Step 2

Introduce Guidelines

Step 3

Model and Practice

Step 4

Establish Group Norms

Slide Deck

Discussion Prompts

Prompt 1: Building Trust

Prompt 2: Responsible Decisions

Prompt 3: Respect & Listening

Prompt 4: Applying Insights

Next Steps & Reflection

Discussion

Rubric

Cool Down

Community Circles

Sarah