Three Circles of Energy by

mairbull1 — 2024-06-17 17:53:02 UTC

used to go in full of enthusiasm but often I would slip into high energy = fast pace, this meant students mirrored me and it was then really hard to calm the room and get focus. It backfired on me!

2024-06-18 12:25:29 UTC

I have often felt that I bounce between Circle 3 and 2 (mostly 2)-I tend to read the non-verbal ques of the class quite often-to assess who is zoning out /who is enthusiastic about the topics etc-That helps. sometimes, I do include examples of work done by the students (the ones clearly zoning out) in the earlier exercise and use that as an example to illustrate the point (thereby re-engaging them to the class and the discussion).

2024-06-18 12:25:58 UTC

2024-06-18 12:25:59 UTC

I find it difficult if there are disruptive students in the room... if they are talking/whispering/obviously disengaged then I have a tendency to race through the content to get to the end as soon as possible!!!

2024-06-18 12:26:08 UTC

2024-06-18 12:26:10 UTC

Sometimes I have felt like a dancing bear. with uni students they're less boisterous and i don't need to manage 'behaviour' like i would in a highschool, but I do find students hard to read. I do use a lot of humour in my teaching to be entertaining and engaging, but I don't know if they're laughing with me or at me.

2024-06-18 12:26:16 UTC

I used to start my sessions with high enthusiasm, however I start reflecting on students' attention at the same time, if I see some of them not engaged, I feel upset and start to loose my confidence. I think I am mostly in circle 1, Now I am learning to be in circle 2

2024-06-18 12:26:37 UTC

Plasticine being squeezed. More like me squeezing myself into circle 2 from circle 1 than someone else squeezing me!

2024-06-18 12:26:44 UTC

Presenting in front of an audience always feels nerve-wracking, even when I know the subject matter really well. I'm in my 30s and I wish I could change this.

2024-06-18 12:26:59 UTC

Make a conscious effort to start every class in Circle One (low energy, but student focused, not teacher-centred), and try to end the class in high energy (am naturally a Circle 3 person)

55131670 — 2024-06-18 12:27:00 UTC

55107922 — 2024-06-18 12:27:07 UTC

Every time I teach it is a personal battle. I actually love it, and I enjoy engaging with students so much, but its still tough! I find students defintiely reflect my grounded and relaxed approach.

2024-06-18 12:27:11 UTC

I have journeyed through all three circles in my teaching; like a path - Circles 1 + 3 often lead to mayhem or lack of engagement so I use all three across the parts of the unit/sessions

2024-06-18 12:27:25 UTC

Trying to gauge the pitch right, and land the material. Feeling like you have one go to make connection in that session! Great when it comes off, hard to take the misses.

gabyharris1 — 2024-06-18 12:27:27 UTC

when i get nervous i tend to talk quicker which may make it harder for students to follow - this has happened in lectures and i need to try to remember to breathe/ slow down!

n6pdbtn9vg — 2024-06-18 12:27:42 UTC

I’m constantly between circle 2 and circle 3, more in circle 3 than I should be when we are covering something really tricky and I get the vibes that the students are not concentrating.

2024-06-18 12:27:42 UTC

Trying to go too fast at times jumping from circle 1 to 2 to 3 and back again. Having to learn to be more balanced in sessions depending on the activity and creating more spaces for students to think, process and reflect in different ways.

2024-06-18 12:27:47 UTC

Often have to deliver repeats of the same tutorials (sometimes on the same day) and can pass through all of the circles depending on the time of day (which seems to mirror the student energy and attendance levels too). Have a tendancy to stick to Circle One and can slip into very diadactic teacher-centred delivery when what I want to do is have a back and forth with students. The second tutorial of every run always seems to fall into the Circle Two mode though

2024-06-18 12:27:53 UTC

Mostly circle 2 but new students combined with new content in lecture theatres throws me into 1!

2024-06-18 12:28:01 UTC

If I'm feeling a bit stressed in an overly loud or boisterous session, I sometime want to hide and run away!

2024-06-18 12:28:18 UTC

I have fallen into both circle one and circle three on separate occasions and in different scenarios/contexts, and I often find that the outcome is the same (feeling lost, as depicted in the image above). In the classroom, when engagement levels from students are low, I tend to overcompensate with high energy levels and this can make me feel lost when the students engage but not necessarily in the way I would have liked and for the right purpose. On the other hand, as an introvert, I tend to fall into circle one when in meetings with colleagues and this can make me feel lost amongst the larger personalities. Circle two is the goal for me in both scenarios but I feel this may take some time

2024-06-18 12:28:18 UTC

Feel like an imposter...and that students can tell!

2024-06-18 12:28:46 UTC

I'm very new teaching, when I do teach I have to give myself a pep talk saying that I know the content and the body language and presenting techniques but I feel like I get anxious automatically. And especially, only one small thing needs to go wrong for me to overthink for the remainder of the session. But definitely do feel like I'm improving already with time.

2024-06-18 12:28:56 UTC

I used to be very concerned by what the room thought or felt and it took me a while to realise that I couldn't be dictated by other people's energy, and that my scaffolding could actually impact the space, the relationships, the learning approach. I now try to be curious and observant of how the energy in the room is feeling, and be flexible to this without absorbing this and letting it change my mood or methods

2024-06-18 12:34:11 UTC

Circle 2: I tend to mirror learners, read the learners expressions, behaviour and then try to engage, show understanding and emphasis with my background experience. And listen to them. As someone with dyslexia diagnosed in my 20s I understand way of learning and engaging.

2024-06-18 12:34:44 UTC

I switch between 1, 2 and 3 depending on own confidence of subject and level of engagement of students