As someone who tries to teach and support leadership development for a living, it became readily apparent that the average student could care less about the exciting new theory I read, nor do they want to hear about how other people struggle with their exact same issues ("I'm different, special, etc."). In reality, they are unique individuals with circumstances that are not exactly like anyone else's in the world. That being said, the problems at their core are still the exact same as millions of other people around the world. So where am I going with this?
People want to be told they are special and I don't think it is any educator's job to tell them otherwise. That doesn't mean we can't be prepared for some of the issues we can expect to come our way every year. Students will make mistakes; feel unsupported by their peers; struggle to maintain appropriate balance in their lives; and question whether they are choosing the right path in life. The funny thing is, their problems sound awfully similar to the ones that those of us in the "real world" face every day. God forbid we actually admit that to them.
The trick to connecting with them is an understanding of the commonality of these issues and yet still giving them the time and attention to show that you genuinely care about what's going on with them. Speak their language, listen to their frustrations, and adapt your response to the individual involved. The challenge for this type of response is that it truly needs to be genuine. Students have an uncanny ability to decipher when you are not being forthcoming and sincere and it will do more harm than good to the situation. This isn't earth-shattering stuff, it's just a friendly reminder at the time of year when education professionals are feeling drained and over-worked so they become more susceptible to feigning enthusiasm or exposing unfiltered frustrations.
Expanding beyond one-on-one situations, students get tired of being taught the same general life skills over and over again, so it is up the educator to give it a new name, a fresh look, and a more impactful experience. Just this past week I worked with a group of students and told them I was going to teach them how to be mentors in informal relationships. In our time together we developed shared expectations for the members of the organization, discussed men's development through healthy relationships, and the importance of role models. If I would have called the session "Men's Development" or "Member Expectations," they would have been checked out before I even walked in the room. By putting a slightly different spin on the same old lessons, it produced an entirely different outcome. As I mentioned before, these tidbits are probably covered in counseling and marketing 101 classes, but because they are so basic, they are also easy to forget.
Enjoy your weekend, appreciate the unique people in your life, and keep it fresh!
No comments:
Post a Comment