Field Experience In Schools

Field Experience
This year I started working with the youth at First Presbyterian Church in downtown Athens. I spend three hours with them every week; each week entails something different. A typical Sunday night looks like your average youth group or Sunday school setting. However, the youth takes many outside field trips and retreats throughout the year. The kids are middle and high school students, boys and girls between the ages of eleven and eighteen. Due to the fact that this learning environment is not definite in grading per say, I have been able to assess their growth by getting to know the kids. Youth is supposed to be a motivating and safe place for them to learn about God. Yes, they learn about the bible but it is more than that. …show more content…
His framework suggests that development passes through eight stages each containing different goals, concerns, accomplishments, and dangers. The children I worked with were leaving the fourth stage, industry versus inferiority, and moving onto identity versus role confusion. In this fifth group it makes sense that peer relationships are a key event during this time. The kids are trying to figure out their likes, dislikes, roles, and faith. Therefore, they constantly look to their peer groups. At the retreat, all the kids were still trying all the different events. They still try new things in order to find out who they are and what they enjoy. During one specific Sunday night we focused the night on setting group morals and rules. They need that sense of power in contributing to the rules but they still need to understand their lower level role. When talking in group settings, they are very vocal about any topic you give them. It is when you separate them individually and try to get them to talk one on one that they lack confidence in themselves. This age group needs constant encouragement and reinforcement. They are starting to ask themselves “Who am I?” That’s why you see so many middle and high school students dye their hair, explore different religions, or start to date. They need a good support helping them construct a firm basis for their …show more content…
I have heard many times before that middle and high school aged kids were the hardest to work with and it makes sense. They are going through both physical and moral development trying to figure out who they want to be in this life. You can not simply teach them material; you have help them outside of the material as well. Even though I am not going to be a teacher, I see how this age requires a different form of instruction. They need to experience things on their own and figure themselves out. I recall having so much group work and projects during those grades and this facilitates their specific development group. Looking back on middle school, everyone hated it. Everyone was trying to figure themselves out. I had blue hair, got bangs, played in the band, played soccer, wore cowboy boots everyday and was really just a mess. But it is hard for everyone and having support from teachers helps. I hate great relationships with my teachers and they understood that teaching this age group was just different. The kids are starting to grow up and they need guidance and space at the same time. Their teaching role is so impactful. If they don’t establish a safe space for kids to grow into themselves, they will never develop an environment for the kids to actually