Context: Youth Week Please describe some key attributes of a professional role model.
8 comments:
The Ben Freeman
said...
It seems to me that the two most important aspects of a good role model are responsibility and approachability.
The attributes involved in responsibility, of course, get discussed a great deal, but I think people overlook the latter. the fact is, if people never interact with you save to see you acting distantly 'professional', they're not likely to try modeling their actions after yours - why would they? You do not seem analogous. In the context of Youth Week, this would mean telling they youth some stories of your (less irresponsible) actions during your own Youth Weeks (for those Staffers who had them), and otherwise interacting with the youth as fellow camp-attendees (not peers, but similar to), rather than just as charges in our care.
For youth, to be someone so close to their age gives us a special ability to connect in ways that older adults can't. I think that exhibiting confidence can be a way to show youth that they can also be confident in who they are. I think that confidence is an important thing for me to have as a positive role model, especially as a woman.
Having positivity as a positive role model may seem redundant, but I do think it needs to be reiterated. Part of being a role model for youth is enabling them to determine how to forge their path. This is best done in a positive environment. This doesn't mean feigning happiness all the time, but it does involve compassion and humility.
Whew, I didn't set out to get quite so serious with that one.
I think the biggest change that youth need to go through to reach adulthood successfully is becoming responsible. I think it's really important to show youth a good example of responsibility, especially assertive, self-motivated responsibility, because learning these traits will do them a lot of good. But one has to also be having fun while being responsible, so that the kids don't think that responsibility is lame. That's my goal, washing dishes damn well, while also shaking my booty to some music.
I think everyone has kind of hit the nail on the head here. I like the idea of being "Approachable" as TBF has put it. I think I would even further characterize that as "Accessible" so that we aren't intimidating but also available (like physically with our body language and our tone of voice and then not hiding in the loft).
Something that I also think is important is modeling behaviors that are non-judgmental and promote equality. Just presenting ourselves as a neutral party of high moral fiber.
For youth week, I think it is important to make sure that the staff does not appear to be too far removed from the campers. Yes, we are responsible for their ultimate safety and well-being, and we have our jobs to do. But in terms of basic youth week behavior, they have counselors, and our job is not to be another set of counselors. Youth week is a great week not only for us to be good role models and to be inclusive of campers, but also for the campers to learn new skills and activities they might not do at home. Part of our job is to encourage them to step up and try new things or give us a hand in the kitchen, or help with a small repair project.
I think that integrity is also very important. There are lots of media sources telling developing minds what qualities they should or should not possess, but there are very few that stress individuality. Role models must be in tune with what they believe to be right and wrong and hold true to that.
I've always seen Youth Week as a time for teenagers to do some serious self-discovery. And although we staffers may be (and most probably are) still doing the same, I think it's very important that we present the youth with strong senses of identity. We should be the living proof that no matter how "uncool" or "weird" you were in the 9th grade the world won't stop turning and eventually you will find your way. This goes for those individuals that might seem a little overconfident as well. Because underneath that loud, smiling youth may be a very confused and lost young person. I don't mean for this to sound too depressing, I hope it doesn't. Basically a good staff role model should emit a true sense of self to encourage the kids to do the same. :)
8 comments:
It seems to me that the two most important aspects of a good role model are responsibility and approachability.
The attributes involved in responsibility, of course, get discussed a great deal, but I think people overlook the latter. the fact is, if people never interact with you save to see you acting distantly 'professional', they're not likely to try modeling their actions after yours - why would they? You do not seem analogous. In the context of Youth Week, this would mean telling they youth some stories of your (less irresponsible) actions during your own Youth Weeks (for those Staffers who had them), and otherwise interacting with the youth as fellow camp-attendees (not peers, but similar to), rather than just as charges in our care.
Confidence and positivity.
For youth, to be someone so close to their age gives us a special ability to connect in ways that older adults can't. I think that exhibiting confidence can be a way to show youth that they can also be confident in who they are. I think that confidence is an important thing for me to have as a positive role model, especially as a woman.
Having positivity as a positive role model may seem redundant, but I do think it needs to be reiterated. Part of being a role model for youth is enabling them to determine how to forge their path. This is best done in a positive environment. This doesn't mean feigning happiness all the time, but it does involve compassion and humility.
Whew, I didn't set out to get quite so serious with that one.
I think the biggest change that youth need to go through to reach adulthood successfully is becoming responsible. I think it's really important to show youth a good example of responsibility, especially assertive, self-motivated responsibility, because learning these traits will do them a lot of good. But one has to also be having fun while being responsible, so that the kids don't think that responsibility is lame. That's my goal, washing dishes damn well, while also shaking my booty to some music.
I think everyone has kind of hit the nail on the head here. I like the idea of being "Approachable" as TBF has put it. I think I would even further characterize that as "Accessible" so that we aren't intimidating but also available (like physically with our body language and our tone of voice and then not hiding in the loft).
Something that I also think is important is modeling behaviors that are non-judgmental and promote equality. Just presenting ourselves as a neutral party of high moral fiber.
Yup.
For youth week, I think it is important to make sure that the staff does not appear to be too far removed from the campers. Yes, we are responsible for their ultimate safety and well-being, and we have our jobs to do. But in terms of basic youth week behavior, they have counselors, and our job is not to be another set of counselors. Youth week is a great week not only for us to be good role models and to be inclusive of campers, but also for the campers to learn new skills and activities they might not do at home. Part of our job is to encourage them to step up and try new things or give us a hand in the kitchen, or help with a small repair project.
I think that integrity is also very important. There are lots of media sources telling developing minds what qualities they should or should not possess, but there are very few that stress individuality. Role models must be in tune with what they believe to be right and wrong and hold true to that.
I've always seen Youth Week as a time for teenagers to do some serious self-discovery. And although we staffers may be (and most probably are) still doing the same, I think it's very important that we present the youth with strong senses of identity. We should be the living proof that no matter how "uncool" or "weird" you were in the 9th grade the world won't stop turning and eventually you will find your way. This goes for those individuals that might seem a little overconfident as well. Because underneath that loud, smiling youth may be a very confused and lost young person. I don't mean for this to sound too depressing, I hope it doesn't. Basically a good staff role model should emit a true sense of self to encourage the kids to do the same. :)
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