Buffalo Phase
"A Family - Teamwork - Cooperation - Communication"
Buffalo are herd animals and move like a family, as an inseparable group. It is against their nature to act alone or to be incongruent with the needs of the family. This metaphor teaches students that agendas outside the cooperative group effort clearly obstruct the goals of the group and impair the ability to complete group tasks. As students begin to understand group responsibility and accountability, they begin to look outside themselves and take into consideration how their behavior affects others.
During this phase students complete assignments that are designed to improve peer relationships and build a sense of community. Students often begin to feel they are part of a safe, mutual, and healthy environment. At this point, the students begin to believe (perhaps for the first time) that there is hope for the future – and thus a reason to be optimistic.
Objectives
- Reach beyond basic individual survival and develop a higher sense of community, family, and consequence.
Duration
- Approximately 14 days
Phase Requirements
- Demonstrate improved communication skills.
- Call groups when conflict arises.
- Communicate without profanity.
- Confront others appropriately.
- Ask for help and guidance from others appropriately.
- Give and receive appropriate feedback to/from others.
- Assist new Coyotes in adjusting to group.
- Demonstrate respect toward others.
- Work toward growth for self rather than external reasons.
- Promote teamwork within the group.
- Write a letter of responsibility to parents and share in group.
- Assist in the teaching other students at least two bow drill fire methods.
- Plan and cook one meal for the entire group.
- Make a gift that will be useful to the whole group.
- Begin to take responsibility for behavior that resulted in being sent to Aspen.
- Take more active role in individual therapy.
- Take more active role in group therapy.
- Write at least one letter home to parents, addressing the identification of issues that student and family can work on.
- Create and commit in writing two goals for the future in each of the following five categories: physical, intellectual, social, emotional, and spiritual.
