Charles and The Circle

Charles didn’t mean to knock over the paint pots, or shout when he didn’t understand the lesson, or when there was too much noise in the classroom, but it happened a lot.

‘He always does this,’ whispered one girl to the new teacher, Mrs Brotia.

‘He ruins everything,’ said another, a little more loudly.

Charles heard what the little girl said, which seemed to upset him more. Some children laughed when Charles ran out of the classroom and slammed the door, and some raised their eyebrows; they couldn’t understand why he got so upset over something that seemed so small.

Mrs Brotia said nothing; she calmly picked up the paint pots, wiped the table clean, and then said, ‘Can everyone please come and sit on the carpet.’ The children glanced at one another, worried they’d be told off. ‘I’d like to tell you a story,’ Mrs Brotia continued. ‘In Zambia, where I am from, there is a tribe called the Bemba. When someone in the village does something wrong, they are not shouted at or punished.’

A few children looked surprised. ‘They don’t get told off?’ one asked. 

‘No. Well, not immediately.’ Mrs Brotia laughed. ‘The whole village gathers in a circle, and they place the person in the centre, not to blame them but to remind them who they really are.’ The whole class now listened in silence. ‘They take turns sharing the kind things that person has done. They say, “You helped me carry water,” or “You shared your food when I was hungry.” It helps the person remember they are not just this one mistake. There are many good things about them too.’ She asked the children, ‘Do you think we can try something like that with Charles?’ Some children looked unsure, while others nodded. 

Charles was sitting outside the classroom door, staring at the floor.  Mrs Brotia asked him if he would like to come inside. She gently sat him in the middle of the carpet. No one spoke, and then a hand went up.

‘I remember when Charles helped me find my lost jumper.’ 

Another said, ‘Charles always helps me to pick up the books after reading time.’

More and more voices could be heard. ‘He’s good at building Lego cars.’

‘He showed me how to build my best-ever paper aeroplane!’

They spoke one by one until everyone in the class had made a positive comment. Charles looked up slowly. His hands and shoulders relaxed, and a huge smile spread across his face. Everyone else was smiling, too.

When Charles got upset and mumbled loudly during reading the next day, no one groaned. One boy softly tapped his shoulder and whispered, ‘Do you want to come and sit next to me today?’

Charles nodded. The circle of the Bemba Tribe had worked not just for Charles, but for everyone.

Questions for The Class/Group

1. Do you ever feel like Charles in the story? How do you wish people would respond?

2. How do you think Charles felt at the beginning of the story? How do you think he felt by the end?

3. Do you ever feel like Charles’s classmates, frustrated and annoyed with people in your class?

4. Why do you think Mrs Brotia’s idea worked? Why do you think the Bemba people came up with this idea?