WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.277 --> 00:00:03.527 (soft uplifting music) 2 00:00:04.891 --> 00:00:06.180 - Can anyone tell me, rather quickly, 3 00:00:06.180 --> 00:00:08.870 when we did the rounds, just now, 4 00:00:08.870 --> 00:00:10.860 what were we really doing, 5 00:00:10.860 --> 00:00:15.860 besides bringing in the values in our experiences? 6 00:00:16.440 --> 00:00:19.880 What else were we doing in this space? 7 00:00:19.880 --> 00:00:21.270 - Making connections. 8 00:00:21.270 --> 00:00:23.200 - Understanding why you're worthy. 9 00:00:23.200 --> 00:00:25.440 - I think it builds feelings of positivity too, 10 00:00:25.440 --> 00:00:26.273 around the whole group, 11 00:00:26.273 --> 00:00:28.690 It's positive to hear everybody's proudest things. 12 00:00:28.690 --> 00:00:32.890 - I think we were sharing, actually, parts of ourselves. 13 00:00:32.890 --> 00:00:34.020 - Building community. 14 00:00:34.020 --> 00:00:36.450 - I think it helps us to identify with each other. 15 00:00:36.450 --> 00:00:38.683 - If we said this as an adult, 16 00:00:40.090 --> 00:00:43.160 everybody here got to tell a story. 17 00:00:43.160 --> 00:00:47.060 So, everybody's voice is in this circle, everybody. 18 00:00:47.060 --> 00:00:49.293 There isn't anybody that was left out. 19 00:00:50.250 --> 00:00:53.370 In a circle with students, or anyone else, 20 00:00:53.370 --> 00:00:56.370 there is a time, if the person is not emotionally ready 21 00:00:56.370 --> 00:00:59.240 to tell anything or can't tell anything, 22 00:00:59.240 --> 00:01:01.640 and sometimes students don't have a word 23 00:01:01.640 --> 00:01:03.810 to articulate what their feeling. 24 00:01:03.810 --> 00:01:05.910 Even though they're high school students, 25 00:01:05.910 --> 00:01:07.930 sometimes they cannot articulate 26 00:01:07.930 --> 00:01:10.610 what it is they want to say. 27 00:01:10.610 --> 00:01:13.470 And as a circle keeper, I can't prompt them. 28 00:01:13.470 --> 00:01:15.680 Notice I didn't prompt anyone. 29 00:01:15.680 --> 00:01:17.720 You didn't have to be prompted because you're adult. 30 00:01:17.720 --> 00:01:21.100 But what if a student said, well, it's like, 31 00:01:21.100 --> 00:01:22.620 well, I'm thinking it's kind of like, 32 00:01:22.620 --> 00:01:24.420 now one of the other community people 33 00:01:24.420 --> 00:01:27.080 can help her or him, but I can't, 34 00:01:27.080 --> 00:01:30.400 because I'm not there to put words in anybody's mouth. 35 00:01:30.400 --> 00:01:33.690 And so, if you did this, you can't do it either. 36 00:01:33.690 --> 00:01:35.710 And as the circle keeper, you notice, 37 00:01:35.710 --> 00:01:38.910 I was leaned over looking at every single one of you. 38 00:01:38.910 --> 00:01:41.330 You had my undivided attention. 39 00:01:41.330 --> 00:01:43.820 And that's what you have to give everybody in that circle. 40 00:01:43.820 --> 00:01:45.320 That much respect. 41 00:01:45.320 --> 00:01:49.180 Because their voices are coming to the circle to be heard. 42 00:01:49.180 --> 00:01:50.330 And you must hear them. 43 00:01:51.220 --> 00:01:52.953 Now that said, 44 00:01:54.070 --> 00:01:59.070 this is not a process that can be used just with students. 45 00:01:59.690 --> 00:02:03.560 I do it at Texas Southern university with Dr. Bailey. 46 00:02:03.560 --> 00:02:05.610 She has substituted for me several times, 47 00:02:05.610 --> 00:02:07.250 which sometimes she said, Dr. Lang, 48 00:02:07.250 --> 00:02:08.260 these circles are something. 49 00:02:08.260 --> 00:02:09.390 I say, I know they are (laughing) 50 00:02:09.390 --> 00:02:12.340 I said, but it takes work to develop those relationships. 51 00:02:12.340 --> 00:02:13.390 It's not easy. 52 00:02:13.390 --> 00:02:15.510 If it was easy, anybody could do it. 53 00:02:15.510 --> 00:02:19.580 It takes passion and heart to do this work. 54 00:02:19.580 --> 00:02:23.550 Otherwise it's not for you, because it's not a program. 55 00:02:23.550 --> 00:02:25.500 It's not something we can take off the shelf, 56 00:02:25.500 --> 00:02:27.150 read the book and we're done. 57 00:02:27.150 --> 00:02:30.500 This is a process that you must experience. 58 00:02:30.500 --> 00:02:32.880 You can't read it in a book and make it happen. 59 00:02:32.880 --> 00:02:35.750 You are the happening, you're it. 60 00:02:35.750 --> 00:02:38.050 And you give yourself, when you do circles. 61 00:02:38.050 --> 00:02:39.740 And that's why they're so powerful, 62 00:02:39.740 --> 00:02:42.460 because we just gave some of ourselves in this circle, 63 00:02:42.460 --> 00:02:43.550 right here. 64 00:02:43.550 --> 00:02:46.980 So, for those of you who do not work with children 65 00:02:48.090 --> 00:02:50.420 in any form or fashion, 66 00:02:50.420 --> 00:02:54.340 but you work with adults somehow in what you do, 67 00:02:54.340 --> 00:02:56.240 I'm going to pass the talking piece this time 68 00:02:56.240 --> 00:03:01.240 and ask you how you perceive yourself using this tool. 69 00:03:01.340 --> 00:03:02.890 Because this is a tool. 70 00:03:02.890 --> 00:03:03.870 If you have a tool belt, 71 00:03:03.870 --> 00:03:06.750 this is just another tool that you could use. 72 00:03:06.750 --> 00:03:10.732 How would you use this in your line of work? 73 00:03:10.732 --> 00:03:15.732 (soft uplifting music) (group speaking faintly) 74 00:03:21.990 --> 00:03:25.000 I'm glad you all found other ways to use it. 75 00:03:25.000 --> 00:03:27.440 This is not just for bad kids, by the way. 76 00:03:27.440 --> 00:03:29.100 This is for anybody. 77 00:03:29.100 --> 00:03:31.190 As you can tell, you're not bad kids, 78 00:03:31.190 --> 00:03:34.170 but you're sitting in here and you're getting information. 79 00:03:34.170 --> 00:03:37.490 We do it with students that have discipline problems first, 80 00:03:37.490 --> 00:03:40.350 because that takes up the most time in a school. 81 00:03:40.350 --> 00:03:43.820 But if I wanted to, I can do a celebration circle. 82 00:03:43.820 --> 00:03:46.340 For instance, what's your name again? 83 00:03:46.340 --> 00:03:47.940 - Barbara. - Barbara. 84 00:03:47.940 --> 00:03:49.080 You were one of my students, 85 00:03:49.080 --> 00:03:50.850 and all of us are in the same class together. 86 00:03:50.850 --> 00:03:54.310 And you finally, for a whole six weeks, came to school. 87 00:03:54.310 --> 00:03:57.450 We would get in a circle and tell you how great it was 88 00:03:57.450 --> 00:03:59.460 having you back in this circle. 89 00:03:59.460 --> 00:04:00.860 It's a celebration. 90 00:04:00.860 --> 00:04:04.140 So, the circle can be used in a lot of ways. 91 00:04:04.140 --> 00:04:06.280 It can be used to discuss issues at home. 92 00:04:06.280 --> 00:04:10.550 Like I tell you, I had Thanksgiving with my family. 93 00:04:10.550 --> 00:04:13.240 That was my beginning circle and circles do go wrong 94 00:04:13.240 --> 00:04:15.610 when you first start, just as an FYI. 95 00:04:15.610 --> 00:04:18.630 And so, we didn't have a great circle that time, 96 00:04:18.630 --> 00:04:20.419 and several of us left angry. 97 00:04:20.419 --> 00:04:21.380 (laughing) 98 00:04:21.380 --> 00:04:22.960 So, that was my first circle. 99 00:04:22.960 --> 00:04:24.980 I said, oh, boy, I didn't do good. 100 00:04:24.980 --> 00:04:27.260 So, at Christmas I brought them back 101 00:04:27.260 --> 00:04:30.870 and I did a little bit better, okay, just saying. 102 00:04:30.870 --> 00:04:34.873 It takes about 30 of these circles to become proficient. 103 00:04:35.720 --> 00:04:36.770 30. 104 00:04:36.770 --> 00:04:39.790 You have just experienced one. 105 00:04:39.790 --> 00:04:42.940 Every circle you do will get better, and better, 106 00:04:42.940 --> 00:04:44.930 and better, and better. 107 00:04:44.930 --> 00:04:46.840 And you're more comfortable with it. 108 00:04:46.840 --> 00:04:49.930 This is my circle guideline sheet. 109 00:04:49.930 --> 00:04:52.250 It's step-by-step of what I just did. 110 00:04:52.250 --> 00:04:54.050 And then that way, if you want to do it yourself, 111 00:04:54.050 --> 00:04:55.650 you could, okay. 112 00:04:55.650 --> 00:04:57.440 Also, if you don't do that, 113 00:04:57.440 --> 00:05:01.940 Texas education agency will have these sample lesson plans 114 00:05:01.940 --> 00:05:04.010 on their website and you don't even have to do that. 115 00:05:04.010 --> 00:05:06.460 So, nevermind that, I just remember, we're gonna have it. 116 00:05:06.460 --> 00:05:10.426 So, we'll have this circle and the template for doing it. 117 00:05:10.426 --> 00:05:13.676 (soft uplifting music)