Here are some "news" from my Book Club in the prison. I like the experience very much,in fact I love this experience more and more. When I enter the prison, every Thursday, I have the sensation to enter in a real situation, a microcosm of what is outside. In my class I am with real people, with real problems. They are, the majority, incapable of expressing their emotions. I have 14 men and just 4 read the books I propose. The rest don't read, make also no effort to read. 4 is good, I think so. Now the school classes for them will start and I asked if some of them will continue with me and these 4 will continue. The rest give me excuses like they will be very busy studying!
Next week will be the last class for this session but I will continue with a new group plus these 4 readers. I will give them a questionnary to see what they liked or not of the club, what they expect, etc. Next week also I will make them write some poems and I will post them in my facebook wall. Do you think it is a good idea?
Last week we read The Little Prince by Saint-Exupéry. Just 4 read the book, the majority of the others told me that they did not like the book even if they did not read the book. ;D Or because the book was for kids even if I specify that this book it is not for kids. I gave them a little lecture about fairy tales stories. When I asked them if when they were kids someone read stories to them, all answered no. But I told them that maybe a grandmother or a mother told them stories oral. I explained that stories is what is important, that in some cultures they don't have books but told stories orally.
I am still thinking how to make them read a book when they don't want to read a book?
I see others situations that I like to study, for example how the people who worked there treat the inmates, how the inmates react to the civil servants, their body language, their visage when they ask something, etc. With me they are always very educated in fact more then the average man outside the prison.
They are in this prison some levels that are "hard", like level 6 for people that made something bad, acted in a bad way, did not follow the rules of the prison, took drugs, etc. They are shut up during weeks or a month. they can not have permission to see their family or go outside on permission.
The other day, this Wendsday, one inmate ( I did not know him but he was in the level 1 so he was acting good) went on permission after 12 years to be in prison. He was assassinated the same day he went outside with 2 balls on the head. So I am aware of the world where I go every Thursday and I have to be careful anyway. They are inmates and they are there for a reason. I need never to forget this.
I am learning a lot. About others, about how to express myself with clarity, about my body language and be aware of it when I am with them, about the silence of a class that is plain of emotion not expressed, about people that are dead inside, about their lives, their infancy that they told just with some words. I like to see their interaction between them, their gentleness, their intelligence, how they lied or try to manipulated, how some take care of their bodies (gym) but are so afraid to take care of their brain. I have a clown in my class but he talked so good and intelligently about The Little Prince that now he is my philosopher. Another one make really an effort to read, I brought to him a small book because he asked me to bring to him something small and easy. They are there in the prison, the majority of my students, because of drugs, robbery.
Thanks to listen! And I welcome advice, always!