You: Jeez, Ellie and Kelly, it's been a really long time since you blogged. What's the dealio?
Me: Two things.
1. IRB (Institutional Review Board)
IRB is a very interesting entity to deal with. We've been struggling since the trial round of TEP to get everything approved and to get all of the signatures we need, etc. Because inmates are considered a sensitive population, IRB is super careful about approving protocol for studies in correctional settings. I totally respect that and I get it, but at the same time we're several months behind and it's been an incredibly frustrating process.
2. Bees
Ellie and I have been crazy busy with finishing up our first full year as graduate students. In case you hadn't heard, grad school is real difficult, especially when that grad school is WashU. I know what you're thinking: "Kelly, if you've had time to watch seven seasons of One Tree Hill, certainly you've had time to write a blog post." Yeah, you're probably right, imaginary heckler. Cue the boos and the tomatoes.
Since the trial run, Ellie has finished up her hours here at the DOC. I'll be done in a few weeks. Ellie started her next practicum at the Public Defender's office, which is an amazing opportunity that will let her see an entirely different side to the justice system. I've been doing programming here at CJC with certified juveniles (AKA juveniles 15+ that have been charged as adults because of the nature of their crimes). I've also been helping out Carrie with the Concordance Academy and Institute, which has been SO COOL. I can't believe that I have the opportunity to be a part of this groundbreaking initiative that will soon be up and running as one of the premier holistic reentry programs in the country. We're on the frontier of social justice, people!!
Anyway. We finally were able to start the study portion of TEP on June 9, which means that we had our first official graduating class TODAY! I've been facilitating by myself so that Ellie can use her research hours to do interviews. It's been weird not having my partner in crime (ha!) around because we balance each other out so well, but I'm starting to get used to it.
Because the interview process takes so long (1 hour+ for each interview!), the class has been really small so far. We started out with two and ended up with four, but now we'll be back down to two because the first guys graduated.
Having a small group has been kind of nice. It's much more personal and easy to get everyone's input. I've been setting up the room with two tables in an L shape and sitting in a chair in front of the tables so that we can have a sort of pseudo-circle and still have surfaces to write on. I think this has really helped everyone feel comfortable sharing and speaking up.
Another thing that I feel is really helpful is genuineness on the part of the facilitator. Ellie and I both approach teaching in a very collaborative manner, and we've learned to be flexible during class and discussion. These guys are the same age as we are, and as such we understand that there are going to be times when you joke around or cuss or go on a little tangent or talk about other important things or whatever. It's okay to get a little weird with it. It's much less stressful for the facilitator to know that you don't have to be on this power pedestal all the time, and I would imagine it's less stressful for the participants because they know we will be understanding and that they won't be judged.
I'm realizing that it's never going to get easier to say goodbye to our participants. I have such affection for the two guys that graduated today. They're so sweet, kind, and funny, and I have no doubt that they will be able to succeed if they can stay focused and goal-oriented. How lucky we've been to have such wonderful class members thus far! I tell you what, if you ever are feeling bad about yourself, go teach a class in a correctional facility with emerging adults. This age group is so open, genuine, and not afraid to tell you what they think (bad or good!). I can't tell you how many times I left class feeling such a self-esteem boost. It's great to feel like you're helping people, and it's even better when you feel like the people you are helping are as fond of you as you are of them.
After our little graduation ceremony (basically just giving certificates and saying words of encouragement), I gave the guys a feedback survey. I'm taking a program evaluation class right now and have decided to evaluate the process of administering TEP and to what extent it is administered with fidelity to the manual. I'm going to synthesize all of the data from those surveys and my own personal fidelity checklist and will update the blog with the info soon!
Until next time,
E&K
