Developing Community

The Natural Learning Research Institute

How We Work With Schools

Community Outreach

Who We Are

Our Research

Research Foundations

How We Work With Schools

Process Learning Circles®

promote: 

• Listening: Deepening the ways in which participants listen to each other;
  

• Learning about learning: Mastering underlying research;
  

• Improved teaching: Individually developed strategies and processes to try in the classroom;
  

• Action research: Coming together to reflect on and assess results;
  

• Learning from experience; Regrouping and engaging in personal learning.
  

• Improved communication: Developing the skills of conflict resolution and the use of “I” messages.
  

Optimal learning climate

The state of mind of the community and the state of mind of participants needs to be the same as the state of mind in a great classroom - one of relaxed alertness - of low threat and high challenge.

Feeling safe as well as being intrinsically challenged and motivated makes it possible for educators to:

• Genuinely examine their own competence and capacities;
  

• Take risks, make mistakes and try things out;
  

• Work with and support each other;
  

• Appreciate the fact that there are different rates of development and that people are at different places along the path.
  

Create professional learning communities

Our Primary Tool: Process Learning Circles.®  

The Process Learning Circle.®  format is described in the book The 12 Brain/Mind Learning Principles in Action, R. Caine et. al., Corwin Press, 2008.

(Click here).