I used to dread circle time, but over the years I’ve learned a few strategies that have helped make circle time easier for my students, and less stressful for me. First, I keep it short – 10 minutes at the most.  When I keep circle time short, I know that my students will be able to sit through it, and that they’ll actually be paying attention to what I have to say.  If I go too long they start to look like they’ve gotten lost in the clouds.  Of course there are exceptions to this rule, if the children are especially engaged in a conversation I don’t cut it off.…