How can the circle of courage be used to improve student behaviour?

With escalations of challenging student behaviour in K-7 schools, the result of unmet social-emotional needs, educators are looking for ways to best support these students. For this reason, schools are trying a variety of methods to improve challenging behaviours using behaviour intervention programs, social-emotional learning and character/virtues education. This major project involved a review of literature and exploration to identify a model that could be used to support educators in improving challenging behaviour. The model I chose was the Circle of Courage as created by Brendtro, Brokenleg, and Van Bockern (2002). The outcome of this qualitative study was the creation of a professional development workshop using the Adaptive Schools (AS) (Garmston & Wellman, 2018) strategies to provide teachers with an experiential understanding of the value and processes of collaborative inquiry and Indigenous approaches to child development, as based on the Circle of Courage (Brendtro et al., 2000). Their model addresses four key values that both rely upon and ensure the ongoing development of positive relationships to ensure well-being. It is my hope and intention that the professional development workshop will be a valuable resource for educators who are committed to creating positive school climates that foster healthy relationships for students and the entire school community.