Berger Family Activity – “See Our Garden Grow”
Materials:
Markers Sets of 3 colors
Wall Chart Paper 27” x 34”
11” x 14” Unlined Paper
List of Handouts Accompany the Berger Family Activity:
Checklist for Promoting Shared Responsibility and Collaboration
Drawing of a Broken Heart
Inclusion and Normal Environments
Principles for Development of Family Outcomes
Process of Collaborative Consultation
Temperamental Characteristics
Description of Activity: “See Our Garden Grow” is an activity that helps professionals learn empowerment techniques, so that families can feel “in control” over medical, educational and social situations. Professionals share their expertise about inclusive transitional planning, service coordination, consultative collaboration, and medical fragile children.
Suggested “See Our Garden Grow” Activity Steps:
Reading the Berger Family Story:
- Co-trainers welcome participants and introduce themselves as co-trainers who are parent-professional partners and coordinators of the family-centered and activity-based curriculum.
-
Co-trainers point out that the success of the Qualifying Curriculum for EI Professionals depends on the willingness of professionals to share their knowledge and expertise in five phases of each activity:
a. Reading the Family Story
b. Taking the Family Picture
c. Interacting with Other Participants
d. Writing about the Family
e. Reflecting on the Learning - Co-trainers remind participants that the Berger Family Story is based on real family interviews. The Berger Family tells their story in the first person, to ensure that participants feel the presence of the family.
- Co-trainers distribute the Berger Family Story, and read aloud as participants follow along.
- Co-trainers distribute the Berger Family Activity, See Our Garden Grow, read the description of the activity, and remind participants that the objectives are integrated into this activity.
- Co-trainers inform participants that some handouts provided during the activity may be used directly as part of the active learning process, and others are for information only.
- Co-trainers invite participants to introduce themselves and their discipline, and give each participant a Drawing of a Broken Heart.
- The co-trainers refer to the Berger Family story, and ask participants to write short descriptions of Bob and Karin’s emotional feelings, inside the heart.
- Participants are instructed to also add the names of professional, agencies, or services with whom the Berger Family has been involved, reading them aloud to the group.
-
Co-trainers discuss with participants the importance of this picture of the Berger Family and ask them to keep it in mind as they complete the rest of the activity.
Interacting with Other Participants: - Co-trainers explain to the participants that the title of the activity, See Our Garden Grow, is a metaphor for the Berger’s perception of how their family will grow together and their desire to be in charge of how the “garden” will grow.
- Co-trainers distribute drawing paper, markers, and a handout, Principles for Development of Family Outcomes. Co-trainers refer to the handout as a reminder that families increasingly are becoming the source for IFSP/transition plan goals and outcomes.
- Co-trainers refer participants to the Resources Section of the Curriculum that includes articles about how family members are viewed as experts, consultants, and consultees, commenting that professionals are learning to become equal partners with parents in the mode of “shared expertise.”
- Co-trainers assign each participant a partner, so that they form a professional family partnership: one is Bob or Karin and one is a professional who works closely with the family. The professional of each pair starts to draw his/her image of the Berger family garden, by selecting colorful markers, and telling Bob or Karin to put a hand on top of the leader’s hand, and to follow his/her lead.
- The “professional” begins to draw, without speaking or giving Bob or Karin any information about his/her plans, and the parent partner holds on, as the professional draws his/her image of the Berger Family garden.
- After the garden is drawn, the roles change and Bob or Karin becomes the leader. The “parent” partner chooses other markers and different paper, and this time, talks with the “professional” partner, giving as much family information as he/she wishes. The “professional: holds onto the marker and tries to follow what the parent is drawing.
-
After both drawings are finished, co-trainers invite participants to show their gardens and guide a discussion that may include some or all of the following questions, posted on a wall chart:
a. How did it feel to be in control?
b. How did it feel not being in control, and not knowing what to expect?
c. Who was powerful and when?
d. Was cooperation and communication different each time the drawing was done?
e. When each person was the leader, did that person make the drawing of the garden difficult in order to confuse their partner, or was it just a difficult process?
F. Which leader makes it easy or difficult to follow along?
Did the partners find it easier to anticipate moves, once they had an idea
about the picture or heard a description of it?
H. How was cooperation and communication different each time the drawing was done?
Writing about the Berger Family - Co-trainers distribute the Checklist of Promoting Shared Responsibility handouts, and remind them that these are references for discussion of the activity. Ask participants to think about whether the drawings reflect how families feel when professionals address family priorities, concerns and issues.
- Participants write a “Dear Diary” entry about shared responsibility techniques they may use in the future, as they become more knowledgeable about family-centered EI practices.
- Co-trainers encourage participants to make summary comments about their “Dear Diary” entries.
The Early Intervention Specialist
Checklist for Promoting Shared Responsibility and Collaboration
Inclusion and Normal Environments
Principles for Development of Family-Centered Outcomes
Process of Collaborative Consultation (Goal Setting)
