An activity I always enjoyed facilitating in my classrooms as a teacher was the “Thank You” Circle. As a principal, I also led these circles with teachers and staff at staff meetings. The activity comes to mind in this season of thanksgiving.

We often appreciate what others do for us, but in our busy lives we have few opportunities to recognize or experience the accumulated power of small kindnesses. This is what the Thank You Circle makes possible.

I see my fifth grade class gathering for Morning Meeting on the rug. It’s Friday morning and it’s been a week with a mix of preadolescent drama and solid academic accomplishments. I wonder what they’ve noticed and felt about each other as they’ve worked together over the week. Thanksgiving is coming.

“This morning, after our greeting, we’re going to have a Thank You Circle,” I say. Eyes dart around the Morning Meeting circle. “Let’s begin with a silent greeting,” I whisper. The children concentrate and silently mouth “Good Morning” to someone across the circle until all have been greeted. Sometimes it’s hard to hold back a giggle, and there are lots of smiles.

“Remember with our thank you’s,” I say, breaking the delicious silence, “that this is not a time for the great big ones, like “Thank you for being the best teacher in the world” (they all laugh), or thanks for being my best friend. Remember to be specific. And we know from other thank you circles that maybe not everyone will get a thank you today, but we do appreciate everyone for their contributions in this class, and everyone who wants to gets to participate in the Thank You circle.

“I’ll go first,” Amanda says. “Thank you, Jolina, for walking with me to the office this morning.”

“You’re welcome,” Amanda responds with a smile.

“Thanks, Jermain,” for helping me on the map project. You’re a good drawer,” states Michael.

And so it goes as small, specific thank you’s pile up in the center of our circle…in our collective short-term memory…and we recognize the strength of our community, and sometimes places where we need to grow as we notice those who have not spoken or been spoken to.

In an occasional staff meeting at school, the Thank You Circle is equally powerful. It feels perhaps even more awkward for grownups at first than for the children.

“Thanks, Martha, for that cup of coffee this morning. I needed it and it was such an unexpected surprise.”

“Ken, I really appreciated your taking the time with my Phillip this morning after he came to your room to take a break.”

A professional learning community can be so much more than data teams.