CONNECTIONS
(1) Making
Connections, Cheryl A. Edwards, USA
NETWORKING
(2) TACT
Workbook: Session 2 Story Line, Kathy Suerken, USA
QUOTE
(3) Booker T. Washington
EDITORS’
NOTES
(4) Kay
Buckner-Seal, Cheryl A. Edwards
(1) Making Connections
From Cheryl A. Edwards
Francois
Moll will be giving a TOC presentation to the entire faculty of Education at
the University of Port Elizabeth, RSA on November 14, 2000.
On
November 25, Kathy Suerken will present "TOC: A Primer Called HOPE"
at a Safe and Caring Schools and Communities (SACS) conference in Edmonton,
Canada. The conference focuses on
improving student conduct and reducing violence in schools. Parents, police, students, community
agencies as well as educators will be attending.
In the
Southern Hemisphere, Dr. Shameem Rafik Galea of Malaysia will be presenting a
paper at the January 2001, Ninth International Conference on Thinking in
Auckland, New Zealand. Her paper is
entitled, "Opening Closed Minds, Changing Mindsets: Learning to Think
through TOC."
On Monday,
October 23, 2000, Mary Ellen Bourbeau and Doug Roby will be presenting at the
Michigan Association of School Social Workers Annual Conference, at Crystal
Mountain Resort, Thompsonville, MI. The
topic: "TOC for Education provides simple, very concrete tools to enable
children of all ages and demographics to systematically think through problems
so they can make more responsible choices."
I wrote the rather lengthy story in session one to help prevent some
obstacles I incurred when teaching session one without a story to address
them. It is so easy to get people to
think of their own negative branch story line example in session two and the
session is so easy to teach as is, I never took the time to formally write the
missing story lines. Recently, however,
I was in the UK working with Galina Doyla on the TACT materials for translation
into Russian and, thinking it would be helpful for her, I wrote the missing
scenarios in session two. First is a
simple story line, which I hope is internationally relevant. The continuation of the story later (to illustrate
the construction of the tool) was designed especially to model how a teacher
might very simply guide the student through questions in writing a negative
branch. Bernie will add flow charts to
visually illustrate the connections in the next printed edition of the TACT
workbooks. In the meantime, thank you
Cheryl Edwards for editing and improving this effort.
Story
for page 2 of the Negative Branch (Session 2)
"Oh no! Not again, I think as I turn around from
writing on the board and see Ann talking to a couple of her friends in class…
as usual. This time she is talking
while I am trying to explain a lesson.
Everyone is supposed to be paying attention… and listening to me. Ann knows that the one rule we have in class
is that when anyone is speaking, no one else can talk or interrupt.
Ann seems to like to
challenge me on this one rule even though she knows how angry I get when
someone disrupts the learning environment. No matter how many times I tell her
to stop, it's as if she doesn't hear me. I've tried everything...moving her to another seat; giving her a
writing assignment; I've even called her parents. Nothing I have done has changed her behavior.
Continuation
of story for page 8 (Constructing the Tool)
"Ann, I ask, taking
out a sheet of paper," what happens when you talk in class when someone
else is talking?"
"You get mad
because you think I'm interrupting the class," she says. I quickly write her exact words on the paper
and pass it to her. At the same time, I
have to all but bite holes in my tongue to keep myself from describing in
detail how annoying classroom interruptions are. Instead I simply ask, "What happens next?"
"You punish
me," she quickly responds, adding, "you'll probably call my parents
AGAIN."
It's important for Ann
to see this in writing and more important even for her to do the writing
herself. I wait as she writes down her
comment and draws the cause and effect arrows.
"And if I call your
parents," I ask, drawing another arrow for her, "what will be the
result?"
"This time they'll
probably ground me."
I encourage her to write
it down and then I say, "Really?
And what would happen if you're grounded?”
"Well, I probably
won't get to go to a really cool party on Saturday."
"How would you feel
about not going to the party?"
"Then I'll be mad
too," she says with certainty.
"Alicia… where did
the problem start?"
(3) “Success is to be measured not so much by
the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has
overcome while trying to succeed.” —Booker T. Washington (1856-1915)
(4) Kay
Buckner-Seal, Cheryl A. Edwards
If
you would like to share, don’t hesitate to do so. Send your contributions by mail to:
Cheryl A. Edwards
2253 S. Hill Island Rd.
Cedarville, MI 49719, USA
Or
send hyperlink to:
<redwards@sault.com>
or
<bucknek@resa.net