Session 6, Week 2
Research suggests that a common human need is not to be agreed with, but simply to be heard. At CHOICE we focus daily on finding and sharing our voice. Heroes have diverse opportunities every day to be heard. And yet, sometimes they still don’t feel heard. After a particularly heated Town Hall this week, a few Fire Studio heroes were angry and feeling entirely unheard. Our afternoon launch simply invited each Fire Studio hero to share a time or two when they haven’t felt heard. No outcomes from Town Hall changed, but somehow recognizing we all feel unheard at times and re-iterating what we can do about it, made all the difference. Practicing finding and sharing our voices in different ways, listening to one another and reflecting on what to do when we don’t feel heard, is part of each day at CHOICE.
In the Spark Studio as we have been working on the play, it is apparent that the heroes are used to having their voice be heard. When they are ready to rehearse, they are the ones calling for “places” and “action”. The heroes don’t hesitate to speak up when they feel the lines don’t make sense, or they feel like they should be delivered differently. If the heroes have different opinions, they immediately call for a vote.
We played an improv game with random interesting props.
During the CHOICE work cycle that followed the heroes continued to invent creative ways of using the objects…
and when we needed a portal for the play, they decided that old treadmill belt would work perfectly.
Heroes LOVE to be the leader of the day. Perhaps that is because it is another opportunity to be heard!
During Montessori Work Cycle this week heroes continue to explore what it means to have passion and perseverance. As they focused on keeping their contracted promises, heroes were focused on staying engaged in a work. Heroes share their voices and are heard as they hold one another accountable by reminding each other of the promises they each made.
When do Spark heroes not feel heard? Sometimes in a vote when we share our voice, but still don’t get our way. Sometimes in a disagreement with a friend when we share our voice, and they still don’t listen. Sometimes during tribe time discussions and Book & Film Club when Spark heroes have something they really want to say, but aren’t called on. This can lead to feeling “not heard.” What can we suggest as parents and mentors when this happens? A recognition that just because your position didn’t win, doesn’t mean you were not heard can be helpful. A recognition that if every hero were called on in every tribe time discussion, each discussion would last half the day, do they want tribe time to last that long? Perhaps encouraging your hero to talk to the leader of the Book Club discussion beforehand and bring up the concern? The encouragement to keep trying and not give up. Sometimes just listening to our Hero so that they feel heard by us can make all the difference.
In the Fire Studio for all of Session 6, we are focusing on the process of finding and sharing their voices. Each hero has something unique and important to share in their studio and in their communities. This week heroes imagined having a nation- or world-wide audience, such as Malala Yousafzai has. What would they want to change with the power of their voice? Heroes hoped to help everything from endangered animals and coral reefs to homelessness and healthcare policies. Everyone was inspired by Malala’s passion for education, and the risk she took to advocate for girls in her country.
Many Fire Studio heroes are also passionate about education–about using their voice to keep their learning environment the special space they imagined in their studio contract. This week they trial ran some adjustments to their Moolah system. Moolahs are an important tool for quieter heroes to have a stronger voice in influencing the culture of the studio, and a way for all heroes to help hold each other accountable to the excellence they all value. With an increase in using their Moolah system, came an increase in using their appeal system. Sometimes the heroes won their appeal, sometimes they lost their appeal. What a great opportunity to share their voice.
Heroes are also beginning to feel stronger in their writing skills, both in handwriting and also in crafting sentences, paragraphs, or essays. A few different heroes were heard saying this week “Writing a paragraph (or a 5 paragraph paper) is so much easier now.” As they build those communication muscles in Writer’s Gym each morning, heroes are unlocking another powerful tool for finding and sharing their voice. It’s inspiring to witness!
The opportunity to choose their own question and choose their own way to answer it, has provided an awesome opportunity for Fire Studio heroes to share their voices during Quest. Most of the time spent in Quest this week was finishing their individual insect projects. At the end of the week each squad met together and each hero took a turn presenting their projects. Each hero had a chance to be heard. The squad members were challenged to practice listening as each squad member was invited to share warm and cool feedback (about their projects and presentations) with every other squad member. It was beautiful to see heroes’ passions shine through in their projects!
An intense interest and joy in ants has taken over at CHOICE! During Squad Challenges on Monday, the heroes put together ant habitats and began observing the way they make their tunnels and hills.
By Tuesday the Fire Studio heroes were all enthralled…
And by Wednesday, the Middle Schoolers were hooked as well!
Squads who focused and finished the squad challenge on Tuesday, had the opportunity to try some edible insects. Those heroes who were brave enough to eat them were quick to share their opinions about the flavors of different kinds of bugs.
On Wednesday, we had a fantastic field trip to Bountiful Pond where the heroes paired up in search of bug lifeforms which they poured into resin during art the next day.
In the Middle School our Monday game required heroes both to share their voice and listen to other’s voices in order to make matches and earn points.
While that skill is easily applied in a game, it is much more difficult in Town Hall! Town Hall is always an instructive time to practice finding and sharing your voice and experience feeling heard and not heard. Whether the topic is about how many chairs heroes are allowed to sit on (and put their feet on) or where to go on a trip, the discussion feels just as impassioned. Feeling heard is important no matter how seemingly insignificant the issue appears to be. After a heated debated, it felt great to go tear down parts of the barn!
The middle school heroes are finding their voices as they research and inquire about apprenticeship opportunities. Several heroes have chosen to test the waters about possible apprenticeships by cold-calling different companies and asking. Ironically, this isn’t the recommended protocol (they have been challenged to first deeply research a company/industry, then write and send an introductory e-mail, then attempt to secure a 5-minute phone call), but their fearlessness and confidence are inspiring! Next week they’ll have a chance to get feedback on the voice that comes across in their writing as they each meet with a professional writer to critique and improve their draft emails.
They’ve also been testing their range of motion and stamina through a variety of movement challenges. Parents, watch out! You may be challenged at the exhibition to some exercises that 13 year-olds find easy, but are a little more difficult a few decades later!
As I reflect on my own life, just as research suggests, I am not much different from the heroes. I want the opportunity to share my thoughts and feelings and I want someone to listen. As the Fire Studio heroes shared times they felt unheard, some experiences were in the studio, some experiences were with friends, and some experiences were at home. As I listened to these wise young people, I re-committed myself to listening: to taking the time to slow down and listen to others, to not feel the need to prove someone wrong, or even to agree with them, but just to sit and listen. For the more we each listen, the more we will all feel heard.