 
|
High School Case Study:
English As A Second Language: Tolerating Diversity
High School - SuburbanThis suburban high school was suddenly faced with a high number of Croatian and Bosnian refugee students, who had witnessed the murder of their own flesh and blood in their native lands, as well as tremendous hatred, violence and prejudice. Enormous behavioral problems and serious negative attitudes threatened to completely disrupt the school environment. The assistant superintendent commented: "We were about to have civil war in the hallways."
A group of these students were brought together for Living Consciously, with four peer listeners (student mediators) in attendance. Immersed within the Living Consciously framework, the youth got along so well in their interaction that visitors could not tell which side was which.
Hatred, violence and prejudice were replaced with the following new understandings which are reflected in these direct quotes from students who were in that course:
"We must not judge other people by where they come from or their religion, but their personal character, one person at a time."
"We must learn to forgive and we must teach our parents to forgive."
"We are in America and we are not going to blow this chance for a new life."
Since then, a second group of high school kids, as well as middle school students in that district have taken Living Consciously. Here is what the middle school ESL teacher noticed, "Since the Living Consciously seminar, the students are more accountable, taking more responsibility for their own words and actions. They are even helping other students, talking to them privately about how to handle themselves better."
High School Case Study:
Preventative For Violence - At-Risk Students
Wealthy SuburbanLiving Consciously was called in to present to a group of at-risk students in a high school that was part of a district where numerous Living Consciously school programs had taken place. The counselor identified the students in this high school who were most in need and they were organized into a group on a pull-out basis and given the seminar.
The LC baseline survey was administered at the beginning of the course with follow-ups to assess movement at 30, 120 and 270 days following the seminar.
During the program, the students in the course responded extremely well to Living Consciously and determined to turn their lives around. The 30-day follow-up showed that improvements were beginning. However, when the120-day follow-up survey results measured progress from the baseline, a very disturbing profile, different from all other schools in that district, started to form.
The group showed major improvements in their efforts to change their personal behavior into constructive avenues. At the same time, statistical movement showed precise evidence of substantial problems between this group of students and the school's administrators, teachers and other students in the school population. In fact, there were dramatically negative downturns in areas that, collectively, were indicators of potential violence.
It is to be noted here, that after any incidence of major violence takes place in our schools, (such as a shooting) experts routinely provide a follow-up analysis or profile of the personality and conditions that existed leading up to the act. Because the Living Consciously survey and program is designed to be preventative and specific in the feedback it provides, the profile for violent behavior actually materialized on the survey, allowing the school to take action with confidence before anything happened.
Here we have a group of at-risk students who received Living Consciously and began positive changes immediately. The students were showing all the signs of taking themselves in hand and making fundamental changes in their lives, to stop oppositional behavior and be positive. However, relationships with others around them were deteriorating rapidly.
Living Consciously brought the information to the assistant superintendent recommending an immediate intervention.
The intervention conducted by Living Consciously had two aspects:
- A forum was created immediately for the students to be able to discuss the situation and identify the problem. The discussion immediately revealed their eagerness to live constructively, but also enormous pent-up frustration and anger that revealed a much deeper problem in the school administration that was affecting everyone. The students were given advanced instruction in Living Consciously so they would know how to continue making constructive choices, no matter what they faced from others.
- A professional development day was held for the school staff where Living Consciously training was offered. The assistant principal in charge of discipline and the head counselor were shown the survey results revealing the potentially violent situation. These two and another counselor were given Living Consciously facilitation training in an attempt to adjust the style of discipline and management at the school. (See the findings that follow to learn what was revealed through this situation.)
The findings revealed an important glimpse into the effect of change on any environment. When an individual or group of individuals change and begin to demonstrate positive new behaviors, previous patterns of relating with others -- especially negative ones -- are interrupted and forced to surface in all with whom they relate on a daily basis. This initial period can be extremely sensitive, making support, guidance and encouragement important for successful outcomes.
Here is what was found in this school environment because they at-risk students were trying to turn themselves around: In their forum, these students told Living Consciously facilitators: "We want to have a new life. We're trying to have a new life. We know this works. We know we can be better people, but NO ONE WILL LET US. We are very frustrated at what is being done to us and don't know what to do."
Feedback indicated that the efforts made by these students was being met by ongoing emotional, verbal and even physical abuse from teachers and others in the school, as modeled by the administrators whose disciplinary style had long been authoritative and punitive. This "old behavior" was blocking progress for the students who were changed by the course, as the environment was not supportive or able to encourage, showcase or reward the new behaviors.
These students felt they were cast in iron from the past. Administrator and teacher words and actions were aggressive towards the at-risk students in front of other students. The adult example was then adopted by the student body.
At the 270-day follow-up, tracking revealed that the students and school had made considerable positive progress and the danger of violence had passed.
It is most interesting to note that this situation took place in a wealthy suburban area where resources, resumes, achievements, parental support and facilities were all top notch. Behind the picture-perfect layer there was a great deal to address.
Living Consciously demands that the teacher and school engage themselves consciously in the process and demonstrate to the students how they desire and expect the students to act. In conscious education, all teachers and administrators would be anxious to do this.
|
|
|
|
