Yarning Circles
The beginning of Term 1 is a busy time here at Wingaru as we set up all of our classes and touch base with the teachers leading Aboriginal education at their school. It is “all hands on deck” as we get everyone up and running as quickly as possible. This year, the pacing felt a little different as schools juggled the complexities of Covid along with everything else this time of year throws at them but by week 3 we were in the swing of one of our busiest times of the year and I LOVE it!
I love it because it is a time when we connect with so many of our teachers. We hear what they have been up to and how the school is doing with Aboriginal education. We get to celebrate the wins and help develop approaches to support schools looking to improve their approaches. Yep – I love a yarn! Not really that surprising, right?
Aboriginal ways of being and doing rely on connection so it is not surprising that these connections are a big part of how we operate. It is what makes my job so awesome and one of the things that many teachers say is the best thing about their job – connecting with students.
I have been thinking a lot about the power of a yarn lately and the role it has in Aboriginal education. For many people who are learning about Aboriginal people, culture and histories, it is the first time they are hearing truth. For centuries, truth has not been the focus of the narrative and now that it is, people need to process it and yarning is a great tool to support this. A good yarn shares ideas, points of view, and experience. A good yarn is engaging and gives people the opportunity to explore concepts, to challenge ideas and to resolve uncertainty about their thoughts.
Yarning and sharing stories has always played a key role in sharing Aboriginal knowledge so it isn’t a surprise that it remains a powerful education tool today. Yarning shares stories and stories are conduits for connection and connection can support people to see things from a different perspective.
This is why I encourage teachers to introduce a yarning circle in their classroom. While having a yarn can, and does, happen organically in classrooms every day, a yarning circle can help to engage students and encourage openness, trust and respect.
Yarning circles can: enhance students understanding of First Nations knowledge and ways of working; enrich the learning experiences for both students and teachers; provide a safe place to be heard and to respond to students; and build a connectedness within a school community.
If you haven’t hosted a yarning circle in your class yet, I really encourage you to give it a go. This is a tool that is accessible to everyone, doesn’t cost anything and doesn’t require any special equipment.
5 Tips for a Successful Yarning Circle
Sit in a circle: Sitting in a circle is inclusive and sends the message that everyone’s input is equally valued and encouraged. It also encourages students to be to active listeners, open to hearing and engaging with other thoughts and views.
Set some expectations: Yarning circles are a safe space where everyone should feel comfortable to contribute. This means everyone needs to be respectful. Setting expectations around listening, using respectful language and not judging other students’ contributions, can help ensure your yarning circle is a positive space.
Provide focus questions: Kids like to have a yarn and the stories they share can fast take you off track. Introduce focus questions so that everyone knows what the focus of the discussion is and have some follow-up questions prepared to keep them on track.
Encourage sharing of ideas: encourages students to take turns to talk and to promote reciprocal sharing and learning. Give all students the opportunity to contribute but don’t force them – the experience will be better for everyone if students are given time to be comfortable with sharing and offering contributions openly rather than because they are pushed.
Make time for reflection: As a group, reflect on the conversation. Resolve any actions or issues identified by the yarning circle, or agree to follow up in future yarning circles.
