Teacher support · Page 1 of 2 · S4.2.1
What is a Circle of Support?
S4.2 My Circle and Safe Relationships · Stage 4 · 150 minutes, or two 75-minute sessions
Faculty opportunities
PDHPE; English; HSIE; Languages
School authority: Teachers add exact local syllabus outcomes, class adjustments, risk controls and assessment decisions. Use fictional or de-identified information. Kimi and app completion never replace teacher judgement, safeguarding action or human help.
Learning intention
We are learning to compare friendship, family, school, professional and community support roles.
Success criteria
- I can identify at least three types of support relationship.
- I can follow the Circle Operations Centre workflow and check the result before saving.
- I can explain one accuracy, consent, privacy, safety or audience decision I made.
Outcomes and evidence
Program outcomes: SMC-02, SMC-03, SMC-04, SMC-11
Observable indicator: Identifies at least three types of support relationship.
App task: Explore a fictional Circle in the Operations Centre
Vocabulary: role, inclusion, circle, support, compare
Teaching and learning sequence
1. Connect and establish safety (10 min)
Activate prior knowledge about what is a circle of support?, state the lesson purpose, confirm fictional/de-identified information and identify the human-help pathway.
2. Explicit teaching (20 min)
Teach and model the key concept: Compare friendship, family, school, professional and community support roles. Define vocabulary and use one worked example and one non-example.
3. App demonstration (20 min)
Model Circle Operations Centre using the eight teacher steps below. Think aloud about accuracy, audience, consent, privacy and consequences.
4. Guided practice (35 min)
Students complete the first part with teacher prompting, visual task analysis or peer rehearsal. Pause for checks for understanding before students save anything.
5. Independent or supported application (40 min)
Students complete the approved task and produce the evidence indicator: Identifies at least three types of support relationship.
6. Review and evidence (20 min)
Students check their result, explain a decision, complete the worksheet and submit the saved item, screenshot, demonstration or teacher-observation evidence.
7. Exit reflection (5 min)
Students identify what they learned, what support helped and one next step. Teacher records adjustments and follow-up needs.
Explicit app demonstration
Circle Operations Centre → Practice Circle
- Before class, open Circle Operations Centre and prepare the approved fictional or de-identified practice material.
- Project Practice Circle, identify every control students will use and show where the human-help pathway is located.
- Model the complete task while thinking aloud: Explore a fictional Circle in the Operations Centre.
- Deliberately model one privacy, audience, accuracy or consent check before saving.
- Show students the required file name, screenshot, saved item or teacher-observation evidence.
- During guided practice, pause after each major step and check that students can explain why it is required.
- Do not treat app completion as sufficient evidence; question the student about the concept and decision.
- Close by checking that no live participant information, unknown-adult contact or unmoderated publication was created.
Checks for understanding
- Ask: “What does what is a circle of support? mean in this situation?”
- Ask the student to predict what could happen if the wrong audience, information or action is chosen.
- Observe whether the student can use Practice Circle with the agreed level of support.
- Check the saved product and require the student to explain how it demonstrates: Identifies at least three types of support relationship.
Adjustments and extension
- Offer Easy Read, visual schedule, symbol support, audio, captioned demonstration and one instruction at a time.
- Accept speech, writing, signing, AAC, selection, demonstration, role-play or supported digital production.
- Use fewer choices, a shorter fictional scenario, pre-filled fields or repeated guided practice without removing the central concept.
- Provide co-regulation, sensory breaks, additional processing time and an offline printed copy of the student page.
- Extend through a more complex scenario, student leadership, comparison of alternatives or peer explanation.
Required assessment evidence
- A saved practice circle item, screenshot, export or teacher observation from the fictional School Mode task.
- Student explanation showing the indicator: Identifies at least three types of support relationship.
- Completed student worksheet with a decision, safety/privacy check and reflection.
- Teacher record of prompts, adjustments, independence level and any required reteaching.
Teacher prompt for Kimi
Support the teacher to prepare S4.2.1, “What is a Circle of Support?”, for Stage 4. Explain the concept in plain Australian English, give one fictional worked example and one non-example, suggest three checks for understanding and one Easy Read adjustment. Use only fictional or de-identified information. Do not make safeguarding, health, legal, assessment or competency decisions.