After the Circle

The first meeting of the Community of Practice went really well! (We didn't choose a name, though). After some setup and goodies--both food and drum kind-laid out, people came to the circle, and we began. I gave hearty thanks to everyone, introduced the purpose of the group, explained how I was working on an independent study project for graduate credit, and then went right into the HealthRhythms protocol.

This is where it was important for me note that I had only practiced once since the training (in our living room, the day before this meeting). Everyone knew I was a bit rusty, but that didn't stop me from going along as if I knew exactly what I was doing, and it didn't stop everyone else from giving me helpful comments, and even role-playing difficult group members!

During my run-through of the protocol, I felt safe and supported, even though I knew that I was probably messing some steps up. What a great way to learn this method, without having to fear that "train wreck" when a session doesn't go right. One person gave honest, and insightful comments--"you lost me at this point...". One person opened a great discussion on how to deal with participants who are disruptive or who are invasive with the way they are playing their drum. On the way home, I had to jot down people's comments and my learnings before I forgot them!

Overall, I am amazed at how well the Community of Practice meeting went; I felt we connected as a group again, especially during our free drum jam. We are currently trying to decide on our next meeting; evaluations were positive and still coming in. Also, I am looking forward to another friendly practice session this coming weekend with a librarian colleague and two social workers at a local park.

With this project, I saw even more how embodied, project-based learning (not just writing a paper, but actually doing something) is another great way for me to learn new skills, while also building up skills and abilities I already have (such as organizational and communication skills).