Connecting Rituals
From Conscious Discipline
Connecting rituals are activities that help children and teacher connect through eye contact and/or touch.  They can be done in a whole group setting or during specified times during the day.  Many teachers use these rituals as part of their Brainsmart Start and Closing Circle.  Eye contact and touch stimulate brain development.  Dr. Bailey's book, I Love You Rituals, has many, many connecting rituals and can be used in a variety of ways-within your classroom, with Big Buddies/Little Buddies, and sent home as homework.  Below is an example of one that can be done with teacher and child, or child and child.  You can adapt any other songs, chants, rhymes as a connecting ritual too-just add movements with touch or eye contact involved!

Humpty Dumpty
Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall
(Teacher makes a wall by holding fists together, touching at the knuckles; 
child makes a fist that rests upon the wall for Humpty Dumpty)

Humpty Dumpty had a great fall
(Teacher firmly but gently takes child's hands and guides them as "falling" slowly down to his/her sides-don't let go!)

All the king's horses and all the king's men
(Teacher moves hands to just below the child's elbow, massaging the forearm gently but firmly)

Helped to put Humpty together again
(Teacher brings child's hands together in a fist for Humpty; 
teacher wraps her hands around child's securely and brings hands to child's eye level)

From I Love You Rituals, by Dr. Becky Bailey