Why the Circle is Connected to all our Work---- Maybe even Colleges?!?

[Mike]

The Reclaiming Youth Network was established to actualize the Circle of Courage.

It was begun by Larry Brendtro,Martin Brokenleg, and SteveVan Bockran as a model to be used in schools and other places that recognize that there mission is greater than simply the extension of children's ability in the cognitive domain.

Many educators and youth workers mistakenly believe that it is simply a model
to be used with at-risk kids.

What they fail to recognize is that in its original meaning…

At-Risk was not meant to be used as a descriptor of certain kinds of kids.

Rather.... At-Risk was used to focus attention on the "hazards in the environment" that can lead to poor outcomes for any children.

These environmental hazards can be experienced by any child from any socio-economic level, any ability level and include:


Destructive Relationships- as experienced by rejected or weakly attached children, hungry for love but unable to trust…expecting to be hurt again.

Climates of Futility- as experienced by insecure youngsters crippled by feeling of inadequacy and the fear of failure of not measuring up to expectations.

Learned Irresponsibility- as seen in youth who's sense of "powerlessness" is masked by indifference or defiance.

Loss of Purpose- as portrayed by self-centered youth (people) desperately searching for meaning in a world of confusing values and a culture that sends very mixed messages to its children.

These environmental hazards can and do happen to many of our youth as they navigate their worlds.

Lets take a closer look:

Children who struggle with Belongings:
Broken belongings have life time effects. Belongings can and do distort into “artificial belongings”. These can include: gang loyalty, people who crave the attention and affection of others, promiscuous behavior, cult vulnerabilities and other signs of overly dependent behaviors. On the severe end you may see people who: are extremely guarded, isolated, aloof, distrustful and inattached.

Children who struggle with Mastery:
The need for mastery usually doe not disappear. It can however.. distort. You may see: extreme workaholics, overachievers, cheaters, arrogant thinking, delinquent skills. These people, frustrated in their attempts to achieve mastery seek to prove their competence in distorted ways. On the extreme end you may see: total non-achievers, avoidance of any risk, unmotivated, extreme fear of failure, gives up easily, and a sense of inadequacy.

Children who struggle with Independence:
Fighting against feelings of being powerless…some people may choose to assert themselves in aggressive and violent ways. You may see dictatorial behaviors, manipulative behaviors, bullies, reckless, defies authority….
Or at the other extreme…… submissive, irresponsible, helplessness, easily lead.

Children who struggle with Generosity:
Without opportunities to be of value to others… young people may struggle to become caring adults. A distortion here may lead to: overinvolvement, co-dependence, servitude, playing martyr or on the other end…. Selfishness, affectionless, narcissistic, hardened, anti-social, explotitive.


The Circle of Courage represents the 4 Universal needs that are designed to create environments that lead to positive human growth and learning.

These are the 4 basic pathways to Resilience........

It comes from the North American Medicine Wheel ( Lakota ) and was developed from studying cultures where the central purpose of life was the education and empowerment of children.

It can be used as a unifying them of a positive culture and matches up well with the work of people who we are more familiar; Dewy, Maslow, Glasser, Ryan, Deci, Brooks and others.

4 Universal Needs of the Circle of Courage

• BELONGING- Attachment
• MASTERY- Achievement
• INDEPENDENCE- Autonomy
• GENEROSITY- Altruism


Questions certainly drive all learning. I collect them :)

One of my favorites is from Roland Barth;

" The question for educators is not whether all humans can learn but what conditions we
can devise so that they will learn."

The Circle of Courage certainly identifies those conditions.

The resiliency literature is also an exciting link.

Again…resiliency knows no social or economic class!

It speaks to the powerful and inspiring concept of
"turnaround teachers" and "turnaround schools".

We can certainly use the Circle of Courage to identify and develop the skills necessary for the development of turnaround teachers and schools.

These teachers and schools go way beyond the basics and create places where people can expand into what they are capable of becoming!

Wondering.....

Have you had a "turnaround" teacher that inspired you to be more then you thought
you could be?

Is there any connection to this work and the work you current do?

How might schools begin to actualize the concepts in the circle?

How does your schools leadership look through this lense... how do they actualize the needs of the circle for their staff?

Is there any use for this at the level of higher education???

[Mike]

Thinking on a cold....damp....windy night.......

So.... who were the "turnaround" elders in your life?

[Fiona Stewart]

thank you for synthesizing this information. you have an ability to express the salient ideas of complex subject matter in a very concise way.

i had a "turnaround" teacher at university. she is a professor of education, who previously taught elementary school for almost 30 years. her approach with adults was the same as she used with children. she would often read storybooks to the class in which complex ideas were discussed in language simple enough for young children to understand. i came to understand that the needs of all people are the same, regardless of age.

do you have any answers? :)

[Mike]

Hi Fiona... hope this finds you well.... no answers here just plenty of questions :)

I do think many of us have had turnaround people in our lives...they are a gift that sometimes is not even recognized at the time of the encounter. If we stretch a bit...one can find turnaround ideas in many different places.... some very cool books or stories come to mind.

I agree... are basic human needs are the same...and the Circle represents them very well for me.

Hey.... what have been some things you have read that have influenced your path?

be well... mike

[Mike]

Hi All..... hope everyone is well....

A map of healthy human development........

Always helpful to have a map :)

be well.... mike