The magic that happens...

[Toni Petrinovich]

Julie, please tell us more if you can about how this process unfolded.

Love,
Toni Petrinovich

----- Original Message -----
From: "Julie Smith" <jsmith at mosquitonet.com>
To: <OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU>
Sent: Monday, September 02, 2002 10:20 AM
Subject: Re: The magic that happens...


> Dear Elena,
>
> When I met with high school students last week, my goal was to introduce
> them to the idea of OST, and to invite them to think about how they
> might use the OST process in their classroom and in their school.  When
> one of the students asked if we could just do it (using Harrison's own
> words), I knew our fate was sealed.  I told the students we needed a
> theme, and the theme needed to be something important to them.  A number
> of ideas were suggested, but not everyone was interested in the same
> theme.  When we looked at the suggestions more carefully, we saw that
> the underlying issue was often respect.  Since we didn't have much time
> (the class meets for 80 minutes each day), we decided to use "Respect"
> as our one-word theme.
>
> I should also tell you that this was not the first time this class had
> met together.  They had met together 5 or 6 times previously, and I had
> met with them one of those times.  The students didn't know each other
> well, but they weren't strangers to each other.
>
> I'm thinking of the students as being in the position of the sponsor of
> the OST events we create. (Michael Pannwitz helped me understand this
> more clearly.)  That way, they are responsible for defining the theme,
> creating the invitation, and deciding who to invite.  That creates a
> very comfortable role for me, as I can simply support them in doing what
> they feel called to do.
>
> The teachers I'm working with are very excited about this process.  My
> hope is that both classes sponsor an OST event for their schools in
> September, and that they also use OST as a tool for learning in their
> mediation classes.  I'm now thinking I might provide students with a
> very brief overview of what the mediation process looks like, and invite
> them to give it a try in a practice role-play.  As they play with the
> process, questions will arise.  Those questions can be raised and
> discussed using the OST process.  As students continue doing practice
> role-plays, begin doing actual mediations, and then struggle with
> developing the mediation program in the school, questions will continue
> to arise.  My hope is that the students will begin to use OST when they
> need to talk things through with each other, and spend the rest of their
> time doing what they've decided they want to do.
>
> We're also moving very quickly into student-facilitated OST.  I expect
> to spend some time talking with students about the role of the
> facilitator, and then let go and watch them do it.  The students I
> talked with last week were very eager to take responsibility for this
> part of the process.
>
> Elena, I would be very happy if you shared my address with others who
> would like to have it.  I wonder sometimes if my messages are too long
> for people who are translating into another language.  Since I speak
> only one language, I'm not sure how to be helpful to those who are
> translating.  If you or others have any thoughts about this, please let
> me know!
>
> Julie
>
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