| Previous Message | Return to Archive 2005 | Next Message |
Archive Number 4249 | ||
|
Date: Fri, 28 Jan 2005 12:19:31 EST
MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Daly Okay, I am back from work with the teens today and can think again. The first session with a new group of kids is a getting to know you session. Not so much "So tell me about yourself" but just a time together. In fact, the at-risk youth I work with won't tell me anything about themselves until they know I can be trusted. Sometimes, they don't even use their real names which I accept even if the other kids say "He's lying." I say "He can be anybody he wants to be. So tonight he is ___." Right away, they know they can relax a bit. I usually just tell the kids that we are going to be spending some time listening to or telling stories and doing some art projects and for how long. I tell them my name, ask them to tell me theirs and then tell them two or three stories. I keep the stories short and sweet the first visit. I will sometimes tell "The Tiger's Whisker" the first night. This is a good story about anger management and winning trust. I might also tell a story that allows the characters (who are representative of the teens) to be successful and empowered. I've used Vassalisa for this for example since the girl defeats her stepmother and step sisters which could represent any trouble the kids are facing. We do no story discussion this first night unless the kids ask me a question. I keep the discussion short in that case but use their questions to formulate my next visit. Not that you cannot tell the stories yourself, but have you considered partnering with a storyteller to tell the stories and then you can lead follow up discussions etc? I only say this because it allows for a separation of functions by you and the teller. After a while, you could then tell the stories either alone or in collaboration with the storyteller. Just a thought. Some other stories around the themes you work with such as abuse, drugs and anger would be the story of the Samurai and the wise man (Difference Between Heaven and Hell. Laura Simms has a version of this, I think,) Scar Face Girl (another Cinderella story), Dan Keding's "The Two Warriors", ask Elizabeth Ellis about the man who had a choice of heaven or hell and chose hell because he knew the names of the streets, my story "A Moth to the Flame," Mr. Fox, and the list goes on. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Lorna MacDonald Czarnota Storyteller/author PO Box 1641 Buffalo, NY 14215 (716) 837-0551 LCzarnota@storyhavenstudio.com www.storyhavenstudio.com ------------------------------- To Unsubscribe from Healingstory send the message: unsubscribe healingstory to: listserv@maelstrom.stjohns.edu ------------------------------- | ||