Circle of Control

The circle of control is an activity that I have done with most of my classes, grades 9-12, though it could easily be adapted for middle school students. There are many variations available online, however I set mine up using the format below. I begin by having the students brainstorm 3-5 things that promote academic success, and 3-5 things that prevents academic success. While the students share out I record everything on the board, if something is repeated I place a check next to the line item to help when prioritising. After we have two complete lists I then draw the circle of control on the board and we discuss where to place each item. For example, student effort is within student control, limited school resources is outside of student control. Any items that are somewhat within students control go in the center where the two circles over lap. This discussion is invaluable in establishing perspective, fostering accountability, and encouraging proactive behaviors. The last step is to prioritise the items in each circle, for example student effort/motivation must come before belonging to an after school activity because while being part of the school community supports learning a student who is not motivated will not sign up for an after school program. While prioritising we discuss what steps could be taken to achieve the more difficult items within our control. Below I have included an example,  this example was created for a PD to be shared with fellow educators, therefore the language is not kid-friendly and the content includes items that may not be included when doing this activity with the class however the set up is the same.