Negative Experiences in School

[vidioman 21]

We don't have [Ethnic group] student union, we use the tried-and-true ojibwe method of the friendship circle, where people are all equal and talk about stuff.

They serve chips!

[justanothersim86 83]

We just have a social justice club. They protested Wal-Mart, our old MP Pat O'Brien (he deserved it) and have many homosexual members. They're pretty good, not over the top or annoying.

 

[Meg 368]

Date: 2/24/2006 10:15:30 PM Author: vidioman 

 we use the tried-and-true ojibwe method of the friendship circle, where people are all equal and talk about stuff. They serve chips!

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I've heard of these but have never seen one.  I imagine there is more to it than sitting in a circle and eating chips.  Can you tell us more? 

 

Do they have a faciliatator?  Are there ground rules of some sort?  Are there limits on the number of people?   Is the topic limited to certain parameters?  How does it work?

[vidioman 21]

It's a community thing, everyone sits in a circle and shares stoeries, experiences, etc. There are several versions. The one at school is a support/healing circle, they talk about their problems and help each other get through things. It's supposed to be a nice place, so I guess rules would be no being mean? There isn't really a limit on the number of people but when it passes 12 they run out of spaces at the table and it becomes more of a glob. There isn't really a limit to topics but it's mainly about supporting each other, so they probably would stray to far from that. You just sit and talk usually. The chips are because it's held during lunch and you need something to eat. They also have pop and stuff, and on slow days they watch movies It's the Student Council room, so teachers dont usually go in there, just every once in a while to make sure nothing bad is happening.

Another type is a Truth Circle. The community gathers around in a circle, the accused is in the middle and a fair punishment is decided on. There was one at the Ipperwash Inquiry recently.

[Meg 368]

I was reading an article about bringing back the healing circle.    I guess it's the same basic concept.

[JRmystery 0]

I had some negative expirences of my own, but I don't want to tell anyone. However I know a teacher who likes to critcize some people. Its my Economics teacher. (For those who know who I am talking about, you probally know who it is.) I have not been cricized by him yet. He cuts you off occasionally. (Sometimes for good reason, others for bad.) I remember someone else doing a project and it had to be 15 minutes long. One of my friends did a project on Video Gaming. I thought it was interesting, and the class thought to. The teacher on the other hand couldn't take it any more, so he told them that this ridicoulus. Why? Because it was in the morning show lab on his computer and not in our classroom. So we had to go to the morning show lab to see it. (Thier was a subsitute that day, and he allowed it.) Fortunally they exceed the time. Unffortunally, they only got a 75. (it a C) I however got an 84 on my project (it a B). This project was out of a 100 points.