This Sharing Circle topic comes from the elementary resource book, Caring and Capable Kids. It lets your students explore the differences between being asked or told to do something and choosing to do it just because it needs to be done. The topic also helps your students see the importance of taking personal responsibility for getting things done. Finally, students get to actually experience the positive feelings and other rewards for both taking initiative and accepting responsibility. The topic for this Sharing Circle is, A Time I Helped Without Being Asked…
Here’s Your Monday Morning Sharing Circle.
Enjoy!
A Time I Helped Without
Being Asked
Objectives:
The students will:
— describe the difference between choosing to do something and being told to do it.
— state the importance of assuming responsibility for things that need to be done.
Introduce the Topic:
Today we’re going to talk about taking the initiative — about accepting responsibility without being told to by an adult. Our topic is, “A Time I Helped Without Being Asked.”
Think of a time when you saw something that needed to be done and took it upon yourself to do it. No one had to tell you or ask you or even hint to you that it needed doing. Maybe you walked into the kitchen one evening and saw a sink full of dirty dishes and, instead of just ignoring the mess, you cleaned it up. Or maybe you saw someone drop and spill or break something and you got down and helped pick up the pieces. Perhaps a neighbor was searching up and down the street for a missing pet and you joined in. Or you might have stayed to help a teacher straighten up a classroom after school. You can probably think of lots of times when you decided on your own to take responsibility. Tell us about one of those times. The topic is, “A Time I Helped Without Being Asked.”
Discussion Questions:
1. How did you feel when you helped without being asked?
2. How would your feelings have been different if you had been asked, or even ordered, to do the same thing?
3. What does it mean to be a responsible person?
4. Why is it important for each of us to take responsibility for things that need to be done?
Do you want more information?
• Leading a Sharing Circle • Sharing Circle Rules
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Here’s How It’s Done
Gather everyone into a circle.
Explain the rules for sharing, and get agreement from everyone that they will follow the rules.
Sharing Circle Rules:
• Everyone gets a turn to share, including the leader.
• You can skip your turn if you wish.
• Listen to the person who is sharing.
• There are no interruptions, probing, put-downs, or gossip.
• Share the time equally.
After everyone has shared, who wants to share, ask the discussion questions.
Get more in-depth information here.
Just click HERE to open a fully reproducible PDF of this Sharing Circle activity…
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Thanks so much for reading!
Susanna
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