Circles

1 Jul

Circles are a new thing that I have realised are old things. As old as me, and much, much, much older than me.

As a teacher, I love learning. I first met my friend Sophie through our affiliation with the Your Life Live It family. When Sophie created a future memory of a Moon Circle, I always said that if she created it online, I would join from the other side of the world. It sounded fascinating. She did and I did, and I have loved learning about this whole new world of the moon and her cycles through the stars and constellations. I have also loved the friendships that have grown with the women who have been a part of that circle. Friendships based on trust, openness, vulnerability and dreams.

So, when Sophie said that she was going to create a course to teach others about the ancient art and practice of holding women’s circles, and offered her first places to her Moon Circle, the reply was an instinctive and instant yes. If I could bring to my world of education, where relationships are everything, all that I have found through our Moon Circle, what an amazing thing that would be. Where the early childhood curriculum in New Zealand is underpinned by the principle of Relationships, alongside the principles of Empowerment, Family and Community and Holistic Development, supported by the strands of Wellbeing, Belonging, Contribution, Communication and Exploration, circles will fly. Teachers, parents, children… they are a perfect fit.

Having completed this training now, it is everything I hoped and thought it would be. I realise that so much of who I am and what I do sits with these ancient ways of being and doing. I hadn’t realised how ancient my instincts were. And now, they are refined.

· The principle of how we sit, so that no one is head and no one is tail;

· The principles of invitation and inclusivity;

· The principle of listening and being listened to;

· The principle of witnessing and being witnessed;

· The principle of everyone having something precious to bring;

· The principle of holding the space with safety…

These are principles that I can intentionally bring so that the emergent is safe to appear. I love that this was what the course brought to me. New old things.

And they matter because this is where we all learn well and best, and where we grow to be everything we were created to be, unashamedly ourselves, the potential inside us released for the world to see, the words of the Playcentre Mōteatea come to life: whaia tō mana motuhake; always pursue your absolute uniqueness and stand proud in it

What will I do first? I have an idea that it will be Professional Learning Networks for teachers. Sharing Circles. But that is only the start.

Elaine Thompson