So you’re 28 years old, have been engaged in youth work for a few years and still feel pretty young and hip yourself. You’re Facebook friends with all of the young people in your group and follow all of them on Twitter. You’d probably say that you know each one from the group quite well and are confident that you’re up-to-date with all the latest ‘youth’ issues - from self harming to sexting. You may also be friends with a schools’ worker and think you’ve got enough insider information concerning life in school these days. Right?
Wrong! Just as you probably do so yourself – young people self censor. They’ve learnt to say the right stuff online, holding back, often not revealing what’s really going on in their lives. The need to fit in when hanging out with friends in town or at youth events also translates into the online stratosphere. No one wants to look like an idiot. And if you think teenagers will disclose all their thoughts and activities on platforms shared by their mums, grans and church minister, you should think again! Young people are increasingly avoiding Facebook to find social media spots not frequented by so many oldies or nosy relatives.
According to a recent Piper Jaffray survey, teens are fleeing Facebook in favour of other social media sites. The report showed that in the last year the number of teenagers using Facebook as their primary networking site has dropped by ten per cent, while use of services like Snapchat and Reddit are soaring. Sites such as Kik and 4chan are also gaining popularity. And as for that schools’ worker you know, he or she may only be in school for the odd lunch club session or assembly; not all are actively engaged in lessons on a regular basis. Getting some second-hand info from them is worthwhile, but not as valuable as venturing there yourself.
You might think you know what it’s like in school, since it’s not long since you were there yourself. However, there’s been one major leap since the days you were sporting that old stripey school tie: namely, the internet. YouTube, Facetime and blogging were not in existence when you were at school, smartphones were rare and porn was still largely confined to the sidelines of society. Social media sites were still a twinkle in Mark Zuckerberg’s eye. You know this, but how does it affect life at school and why does this matter?
It’s likely that the young people in your church attend a number of different schools in the area. Schools vary considerably, depending on myriad issues ranging from their location or size, to their pupil intake or their leadership. Having spent time teaching or volunteering in a number of different schools, I have discovered that there is no such thing as a typical ‘school culture’ or pupil (now generally known as a ‘student’). It’s important to assume nothing. One school may be rife with bullying, the other may appear quite civilised and well run, while hiding a few major issues. Another may have a rather glowing online report from Ofsted, which many parents might vehemently dispute!
One common assumption would be to see all the news stories or reports and assume that smoking weed will be popular among all year 10s or that self harming is only a girl’s domain (it’s not). Ditto boys and pornography (girls are increasingly enthralled by it according to recent surveys and statistics). Another mistake would be to believe local hearsay about a particular school – along the lines of ‘XY is such a brilliant school, it’s been rated ‘outstanding’ – such a thing would never happen there!’ To assume only the best or the worst are equally poor scenarios. Truth is, often it’s the students themselves who determine certain tendencies, successes or failures in a school, and each new year group presents a different set of challenges. Even classes can differ vastly across one year group.
In view of the above, I would suggest that all youth workers could benefit greatly from spending time in schools themselves, engaging with young people where they spend most of their formative years. To visit or get involved with at least two or three schools attended by young people in your church would enable you to see beyond the church youth group setting, which at times is insular or stifling, and to relate more to the bigger picture of a young person’s world. By stepping into the classrooms and corridors of a school, you will not only become aware of current issues in education but become better equipped to understand the pressures and environment that your young people are facing throughout the week. Here are some specific lessons you can learn from going back to school:
There is no such thing as a typical ‘school culture’
The atmosphere:
A few minutes spent over coffee in the staff room will also provide invaluable insight into the atmosphere of a particular school. Are the teachers mostly upbeat and positive, or are they overtly downcast and negative? Often, these vibes overflow into the classroom and affect young people’s perception of school. It doesn’t take long to get a general feel for a school. You could even shadow a student for a day (most schools would be happy to allow this, especially if you introduce yourself nicely and explain your intentions – e.g. information gathering rather than spying or criticising). Much as the thought of sitting through yet another geography or physics lesson after all these years might fill you with dread, it could prove very useful in helping you to understand what some of your young people are experiencing on a day to day basis.
Many young people feel pressured to be sexually active due to the encouragement to attend sexual health clinics and to read quite explicit leaflets
Changes to curriculum:
Going into a school gives you insight into how the curriculum has changed in the last ten years or more, and how classes often work in pairs or groups. In a similar vein, you may see or hear how lesson content has changed and that it is acceptable for faith to be challenged, undermined or mocked by some teachers and peers. Many RE teachers are overtly biased against Christianity (though many others are supportive of the Christian faith).
Attitudes:
Many young people feel pressured to be sexually active due to the encouragement to attend sexual health clinics and to read quite explicit leaflets. (Take a look in the library to see what’s on display.)It is assumed that they will become sexually active, sooner or later during their school years. When I was a teacher at a large comprehensive, I attended a whole school assembly where the topic of the morning was ‘World Aids Day’ and a senior teacher went into detail about safe anal sex practices in front of 11 year olds!
Social media policy:
Did you know, for instance, that although initially banned, most schools now allow mobile phones and that many teens spend most of their lunch hour surfing or texting? Students are rarely disconnected from social media for long. How do you think this might affect their well-being and their priorities?
Aversion to school: In some areas, many young people (especially boys) seem very averse to school. They find it boring and are increasingly disengaged. It’s hard for Mrs Carter’s snazzy PowerPoint or quiz to compete with the interactive allure of an X-Box game. Try to discover what types of class activities engage young people more successfully and think about how you could encourage them that education is worthwhile. How do the good teachers maintain a class’s interest? Most likely you’ll find it has more to do with their demeanour and rapport with the students than the content of the lesson. What does this tell you about the importance or power of positive relationships?
How young people feel about school:
Do your young people feel safe at school or threatened? Do they have friends at school or only at youth club? Do they feel valued in class and are they optimistic about their future prospects? Ask them about what type of careers advice and help is on offer to them. (Ideally this should be available to them from year 7, not just in year 10 or 11.)
Convinced about your need to get involved with the schools your young people go to? Great. Here are my top tips for getting involved in a casual capacity:
Start off by checking out some school websites, as well as their Facebook and Twitter pages; get hold of and read their school magazine, if they have one. Find out about possibilities for volunteering occasionally or observe what a schools’ worker or chaplain is doing. Read some articles on the TES website – read up on the latest topics surrounding education. Maybe do an anonymous survey among your youth on school life and culture to get some idea about whether certain issues are prominent at the schools your young people attend. Find out what they struggle with at school – but also what they like. When looking around secondary schools with my eldest son a few years ago, I found it insightful to ask a few older pupils ‘What is the best and worst thing about this school?’
If you do get the chance to volunteer alongside someone who’s already active and known in the school, you’ll get a genuine feel for the place simply by walking its corridors en route to a CU or assembly. You might like to consider signing up to be a mentor (if the school has such a programme).
Think about what strategies you could employ to help those struggling with common problems – such as exam pressure, cyber-bullying or self-esteem. There may well be areas which you do not feel qualified to support – such as suicidal thoughts. Consider attending any training events on such issues. Where can you direct young people for specialist advice in these areas? Gather information and use your networking skills to draw up a list of useful organisations and websites.
Consider getting the wider church family involved in supporting and encouraging your youth group. Maybe set up prayer themes for the week in regard to a school issue such as peer pressure or coursework or friendship – and ask small group leaders to get their group to pray about it.
Set up a prayer buddy system, where an older member of the church is assigned a young person to pray for regularly – particularly with regard to their school life. The one praying would simply be given a young person’s name and a list of general things to pray for each day – e.g. every Monday pray for concentration and the ability to learn well; every Wednesday pray for good friendships and encouragement. Fridays pray for emotional stability and good mental health.
Don’t allow yourself to get burdened by the overwhelming issues your young people are facing at school. Share some of the tasks by collaborating with schools workers, small group leaders and an army of volunteers who might not be suited to youth work – but who are incredibly faithful in praying regularly for others.
Unless they’re home-schooled, young people don’t have much choice about going to school. Are you willing to take some risks and step out of your regular routine by venturing into schools now and again? You never know how much you might discover and how useful it might be in building relationships with your young people. They could do with all the encouragement and support they can get.
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