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Beginnings: Family Dynamics

by Naya Arbiter & Fernando Mendez

Overview

This curriculum is presented in the South Lodge. It should be presented once the TC Participant has become better acquainted with the TC. Each page bordered in black is for the demonstrator to create their lesson plans from. The white pages are the corresponding pages from the student workbook.

The DVD’s recommended for use with this curriculum directly relate to the material being taught. They illustrate the family experience as it relates to childhood, and have been carefully selected to promote cultural diversity and understanding. Remember, the therapeutic community is intended to be a school for the whole person.

It is important to familiarize yourself with the fundamental teaching tools used in the TC. These tools are designed to ensure that every community member plays the role of both student and teacher. The Interchange, for example, was first developed in Synanon (the first TC) while other tools were later developed and modified by Amity Foundation. Amity is called a Teaching and Therapeutic Community because of its extensive work and contribution to developing new methods, techniques and approaches to teaching. These teaching methods have been developed to encompass Dr. De Leon’s Eight Essential Elements for a TC. A few of these tools are explained in Appendix B.

Teachers are refered to as “demonstrators,” since the role of “teacher” within the context of the Therapeutic Community is to be a good role model, to demonstrate both teaching and learning.

This curriculum is a tool to be used in order to examine where people come from, what they learned, and how it has affected their behavior. With this broader base of self-knowledge, students will invariably improve their decision making skills. It is important to introduce this curriuclum as a tool for people to begin to look at the foundations of their life.

In preparation for teaching this curriculum, advise prospective students to identify one personal photograph which is significant to them and best describes them. They should bring this photograph with them to the first class. During TASK ONE, students will be asked to introduce themselves through
the family photo they have brought.

In order to be prepared to discuss and deal with the ideas and emotions that may be generated, you must watch the video before it is presented to students. Depending on your group; i.e., size, time of day, the movie shown, and intensity of the movie, choose points to stop the movie, and engage in a group discussion. Stopping points and discussion prompts are included in the Demonstrator Guide Tasks. These videotapes are an integral part of the curriculum.

Always watch the video before you show it and be cognizant of your group--who in the group might have some experience that relates to the video? Who might be able to contribute something to the session about the video?

If you are going to utilize the interchange format after watching a video it is recommended that the polarizer watch the movie prior to the session also.