Welcome to 15 Minute Circle Times. I am so happy that you have discovered this site and hope that my team of teachers and I can share ideas that will help you as you plan for this wonderful and sometimes "challenging" part of your day.
My name is Shirlene Law and I have been teaching preschool for 28 years! (Yep, that sounds like a very long time). The good news is that it means that I have planned and taught thousands of circle times!
I am a faculty member at Utah State University in the department of Human Development and Family Studies. I have spent the past 18 years mentoring students as they complete their coursework and practicums in our NAEYC accredited early childhood program.
Through these experiences, I have discovered that circle time can be one of the most challenging times of the day for me and for a majority of the other teachers I teach and talk with. The biggest questions that arise are: "How do I get the children to want to come to circle time?" and "How do I get and keep their attention when they do?"
In an effort to answer these questions and help teachers feel more successful, I have come up with a circle time process that is simple to follow and works effectively, while keeping in mind that "nothing is perfect." The ideas I am sharing are tied to a variety of topics that we teach in the classroom. The goals of the pictures included with each topic are to show you how it "really" looks in the classroom.
In future posts, I will share much more information about what you can do before, during and even after circle time to build your classroom community. For now, I hope you will enjoy seeing circle time in action. I hope you can find some new ideas that will reenergize your teaching and most of all, I hope you feel free to ask any questions of us. This is a work in progress and our focus is on helping you and your children enjoy learning together...especially at circle time!