By: Kacy B., Farrah L., Mira K., Iman A.
January 30, 2020
We looked up what “Challenging Growth” means in a Developmental Relationship:
a. Expect my best – Expect me to live up to my potential
b. Stretch – Push me to go further
c. Hold me accountable – Insist I take responsibility for my actions
d. Reflect on failures – Help me learn from mistakes and setbacks
Overall
Teachers have a key role to play in this topic. They can make or break your year – in and out of the classroom. Teachers can impact personal life and promote growth in a number of different areas of your life – more so than other adults because of the amount of time that we see them. You know that teachers make an impact because you may visit them for years after you have been in their classroom.
Adults who work with youth by volunteering and in programs can challenge growth in young people by supporting them and not just glossing over their mistakes. Treating young people like equals. Holding them accountable for their mistakes so that they can better prepared for the next time. You don’t have to be mean, but don’t treat youth like children.
Here are examples of how adults and youth can share power using the four sub-categories of “Share Power”:
Expect my best – A law teacher at Milton District was the focus for the “expect my best” category. Our youth members identified that they know that he expects the best in students so he provides opportunities that are unique such as hands-on activities. He holds himself to the same expectations by not being on his phone and knowing the content when he is sharing it.
Stretch – One of our members is the shooting guard on the basketball team. His coach provided him with plays in order to strengthen his ability as a shooter. When adults share their wisdom it allows youth to bypass a lot of the “learning it themselves” stuff and shoot for even higher.
Hold me accountable – Our team commented a few times on how the classroom and team dynamics in sports and clubs are greatly impacted by the adult leading the group. Holding each young person accountable with boundaries and consequences help set the tone and understanding and makes for a better experience. We chatted about Ms. G who has clear boundaries and expectations in the classroom making a big impact. Being late is one of her areas of focus because being late shows your character. As well, Ms. G held herself accountable to be the most informed and up-to-date teacher she could be, so she went back to school herself to ensure that she had current content to review with her students.
Reflect on failures – We decided that reviewing tests and events to know how you can do better for next time is a good strategy for this category. Having time set aside to learn from each experience creates a more enriching memory and contributes to future success. We challenge adults to share their time, wisdom, stories, etc. When youth can rely on adults to make them feel at ease and comfortable they don’t just have to focus on surviving your class or team. Young people can focus on learning and playing the games or whatever the task at hand may be. A teacher being there for her/his students really puts students at ease.
Community sector judges, most of whom we had connected with during the Milton Fall Fair, challenged our growth at the “Community Action Project Pitch Night.” Our team divided into 3 small groups and pitched project ideas. Judges had high expectations, asked lots of questions, and helped us reflect on where we needed improvement.