“In the eight months since council circle practice came to our school, we have used it in moments of joy, crisis, celebration, stress, fear, and disappointment. No matter the occasion, council helps all of us validate who we are and where we fit in this world. Teachers, students, administrators, and parents regularly learn from one another’s stories. Council has given us the avenue to appreciate each other’s experiences, experiences that we share through our stories.”

— Guillermina Jauregui, Principal, International Studies Learning Center (LAUSD)

“Having council in my course has proven to be an effective and meaningful way for students to develop fundamental skills. Council also fosters cultural sensitivity, and allows students in a large class to have small group encounters in which each person has the opportunity to express their thoughts freely. More than anything, council fosters a spirit of curiosity and openness, and reminds us that good learning begins with relationship and rapport between students and teachers alike.”

—DR. BETSY PERLUSS, PROFESSOR, CSULA

“The workshop in Freiburg was a big opener for my self. It provided a new angle on the whole of therapy, education, society, pathology, spirituality and self. It touched me in a sense of "Ahhhhh that´s what it really is about". Until now I was kind of distracted and struggled hard fighting all these problems, solving all the equations... not seeing the joy, the vivid, the simple.”

—MANUEL TUMINO, SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGIST FREIBURG, GERMANY

"Circle Ways has provided tremendous benefit to the thousands of LAUSD students and over 2,000 educators who have participated in pilot programs and trainings. These benefits include essential social-emotional skills, building safer and more caring learning environments, helping teachers to find their own creative ways of personalizing and differentiating instruction, and helping students find relevance in school by linking academic curriculum to their own lived experiences. These claims are confirmed by the WestEd evaluation of the program for the years 2006-09 and also by the anecdotal reports and comments from participants."

—DR. JUDY ELLIOTT, FORMER CHIEF INSTRUCTIONAL OFFICER, LAUSD

“In the eight months since council came to our school, we have used it in moments of joy, crisis, celebration, stress, fear, and disappointment. No matter the occasion, council helps all of us validate who we are and where we fit in this world. Teachers, students, administrators, and parents regularly learn from one another’s stories. Council has given us the avenue to appreciate each other’s experiences, experiences that we share through our stories.

—GUILLERMINA JAUREGUI, PRINCIPAL, INTERNATIONAL STUDIES LEARNING CENTER (LAUSD)

“There are so many benefits. First and foremost, circle practice made barriers to honest communication virtually disappear. Since I’m a home teacher, my position as “the teacher” with only one student can sometimes inhibit students’ willingness to share ideas. They know that I have “the answer,” and the benefits of group discussions are lost. Circles allow that teacher-student paradigm to disappear. Being on equal footing has inspired my students to take risks. I have been trying for years to remove that barrier; now I have a way to do it.”

—SUSAN ZAKAROV, BERENECE CARLSON HOME INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAM AND HOSPITAL SCHOOL

“…Principals felt that Council circles impacted their students and school climate by improving disciplinary referrals and fights on campus and better social skills (listening, public speaking, and negotiating personal conflicts) among students.”

— BARBARA DIETSCH, PHD AND NORAINI ABDULLAH-WELSH, PHD, WestEd (based on a 3-year independent study using the California Healthy Kids Survey protocol)

Many years ago I had already learned council here, but wanted to know more about Circle Ways in education, and contacted Joe. He invited me to join a circle for teachers in California via Skype, and so I became part of the circle of teachers, each teacher passing the laptop together with the talking piece so I could share in the circle. Later I came to California, and joined them physically, finally meeting Joe and the teachers face to face. This was so meaningful for me – they opened their hearts to me even though I wasn’t part of their staff or community, it felt like family, acceptance, and was very special to me.

As a Palestinian I feel the urgency to bring Circle Ways to people in the Middle East, as the only Arabic speaking Council trainer. I have always received support in this from Joe, whether he offers me materials, or mentoring in educational settings, he is always there when I need him, even meeting a school principal on zoom with me. Just now Joe has been meeting with me on zoom each week to mentor me with a particularly challenging council process with at risk teens.

I am very thankful for all this support and commitment over the years, for his always being in service of the Way of Council.

ITAF AWAD - TRAINER fND FACILITATOR

On a personal level I am happy to begin this by saying that Joe Provisor was my first Council teacher, 20 years ago, here in Israel. When Ronit Rinat invited Joe to teach Council here to educators I was hesitant about joining, but after a weekend of intensive training I was in. Today I am a facilitator, a trainer and an active member of the Council NGO in Israel, because I have made Council my way of life.

Joe taught how to create and hold meaningful connection in a clear and simple way: a child can understand it, an adult can get the deeper implications. This many-leveled way of teaching went straight to my heart.

But Joe’s work went much farther than that. Once you are Joe’s student, it is for life. Even though there are thousands of miles and many hours separating us, Joe was always there for us here in Israel. He offers zoom teaching councils to educators, he offers mentoring and support privately, he is constantly creating and learning how to deepen and strengthen the work of Circle Ways in education, and always shares what he finds with his students and peers. In short, Joe embodies Council, holding and maintaining the relationship with us over years.

Thank you Joe for being and doing with us in Israel and in the world.

— AURA HAMMER - TRAINER AND FACILITATOR, AMULAT MAAGAL HAKSHAVA - COUNCIL TRAINING ISRAEL