Open Space with 3rd graders in 1 hour

ashley cooper mail.easilyamazed at gmail.com
Wed May 3 07:15:42 PDT 2006


Thank you so much Harrison, Chris, Mikk, Lisa and Brian for the many great
suggestiosn and encouragement. I look forward to reading through your
offerings more fully and sharing with you what all emerges. I have decided
that the performance will only be 10 minutes giving us 1 hour and 20 minutes
to play together!

with love,
Ashley

On 5/2/06, Lisa Heft <lisaheft at openingspace.net> wrote:
>
>  Hi, dear Ashley –
>
>
>
> Ashley wrote of doing a 'mini' Open Space with third-graders.
>
>
>
> You are the best person for this !  Those young people and their teachers
> are lucky to have you.
>
>
>
> As a theme, how about
>
>
>
> 'What are the gifts I bring to the world'  or
>
>
>
> 'What do I want to learn and share with you?' or
>
>
>
> 'What things do we do that really make a difference in our family / our
> neighborhood / our school / our world?' or if you really need it to be
> school-based,
>
>
>
> 'What things have I learned in school that help me help others?', or…
>
>
>
> I am giving you theme ideas when your question was actually '*could you
> offer me some questions that would help me (and the teachers) focus the
> theme*?'
>
>
>
> So let me reply to that specifically, too.  When I work with
> clients/sponsors on the theme, I ask what the intent of this meeting is for…
>
>
>
> (and you've explained that: '*for them to have an opportunity to deepen
> connections with one another, expanding their sense of being 'a class', and
> look forward and reflect upon the first phase of their school life and what
> is important for them in this next phase*.')
>
>
>
> …and I would ask them what they imagine a young person might ideally come
> out of this feeling / knowing / being able to do.
>
>
>
> Then we just start playing ideas back and forth – for example I'd say the
> deepening of connections and expanding a sense of being a class will be
> delivered by the Open Space process.  The looking forward and reflecting on
> the first phase of their school life – I'd ask the teachers what these third
> graders might say if you asked them to reflect on their first 3 years of
> school – what would they remember?  I'd guess favorite teachers, special
> field trips, an activity or art project they really enjoyed, being tutored
> by the older kids, some great friendships formed, and things like that.
> (that's what little Lisa Heft enjoyed, anyway…!).
>
>
>
> If you and the teachers really resonate with the kinds of answers you
> think might come of that, that will give you some sense if you are close to
> finding your theme.
>
>
>
> Asking the young people to think about what is important for them in the
> next phase of school…what do you and the teachers think they would answer?
>
>
>
> Going to the big kids' building, learning a language, sitting in a certain
> place for assembly, tutoring the little kids…I'd suspect they might say what
> they observe (mostly visually) about the bigger kids.
>
>
>
> Do the answers you and the teachers think of get you excited as you
> imagine those possible discussions?
>
>
>
> I'd also ask the teachers if this might not be an opportunity to make
> things a bit broader than the first 3 and next few years in school.  Maybe
> an opportunity to ask how the young people feel they have grown? What they
> want to be and do?  What they want to be and do for their world?  Or
> Harrison's invitation to imagine the future, which is not school-specific.
>
>
>
> I don't know where that conversation would go with the teachers but you
> get my idea – I'd keep delving into what you could ask and what you imagine
> folks might bring forth as topics and there will be a point at which you
> really get excited…and that may be very close to your theme question…
>
>
>
> I also vote for 2  20-minute sessions.  And if there is any challenge for
> readers, I think John's/Michael's approach to having people make their topic
> signs and walk out to the different discussion areas (tree, flower, fish,
> chicken, frog, sun, moon) -- rather than posting them on an agenda wall --
> keeps things visual-graphic-kinesthetic – you could do two rounds of
> circle-announce-walk to groups, if it's all oral, as it can be hard for the
> mind to remember more than one round of such things.  Just an idea.
>
>
>
> We will all be there in spirit, Ms. Ashley,
>
>
>
> Lisa
>
>
>
> ___________________________
>
> *L i s a   H e f t*
>
> Consultant, Facilitator, Educator
>
> O p e n i n g  S p a c e
>
> lisaheft at openingspace.net
>
> www.openingspace.net
>
>
>
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