YDEV 502 - Assignment #1

 Reflections - YDEV 502

1. How does the way you’ve experienced the world due to identity impact the way you work with young people?

Educators and other Youth Workers are in a unique position in life. There is a finite number of careers in which you pour so much of yourself and your identity into what you do. I think that the ways I’ve experienced the world due to my identity impact how I view myself, others, and what I do. Growing up female I often heard and felt the staples that many women worldwide have heard - don’t cause waves, don’t be too emotional, cover up your body or accentuate it, make your voice small, stand behind a man, etc. While society and some of the people in my life may have encouraged these ideas, I was fortunate enough to have strong, independent, and brave women to look up to and help dispel these ideas for me. When I work with young people, I try to create an empowering environment. One where no matter who they are or how they identify, they can learn to be self-reliant, compassionate, and feel powerful enough to enact change and create beautiful lives, whatever that may mean. I try to be who I needed when I was younger. I know that the world may be screaming at them that they can’t or shouldn’t, but I want to be the voice that says “do it anyway”. 

2. How can your lived experience strengthen the work you do?

Our experiences and how we process them shape who we are as humans, let alone as professionals. Identifying the mistakes or misconceptions made by other adults in my past helps to inform my goals with children. In the opposite way, positive experiences I had as a child do as well. Recently me and a group of friends were talking about different ways that our parents “screwed” us up. The basis of this conversation was humorous but in reality, everyone has negative learned behavior or reactions that were shaped by those who raised them. The fact of the matter is everyone carries with them known or unknown biases and beliefs. Understanding the humanity of parents and others that are a part of raising children was something I had to come to terms with as an adult facing my own insecurities, traumas, and biases. That being said, I was lucky enough to have a loving family and other adult role models in my life. One of the most formative experiences of my life was being a part of a wilderness leadership youth group from 11-18. When I think about working with youth I think about all the things that made that space feel so safe and special to me. It was the first place where I felt like I belonged. Not in the “fitting in” kind of way, but in the raw, true, “we accept you as you are” kind of way. I try to emulate that feeling in the spaces for youth I am responsible for. 

3. Everyone has blindspots when it comes to understanding identity. How can you as a youth worker create space for parts of your young people’s identities that you may not be aware of? 

As a teacher I constantly feel gaps in my understanding of the children. Sometimes I feel like I “just don’t get this kid”. This can obviously feel frustrating and isolating. I try to view it as a way for me to learn and expand my skill set and knowledge as a teacher. It forces me to get away from my own perspective and look objectively at what may be affecting this child at this time. For me, I often work with children who have little to no vocabulary yet. They are at a point when they can’t ask for what they need or even tell me what is wrong. In this way, I have to be very in tune with each child and learn what works for them or not. In a setting with older children, I try to allow them space to articulate how they feel. Not in a typical “why did you do that” stance, but in a more accepting way that allows the child to express themselves. The reality is, just because we are working with a child does not mean that we are the expert or authority over them. I try to treat youth as they are the expert on themselves, not the other way around. In this way I think I can create space for parts of them that I may not be able to identify or understand personally. Another thing I try to do is be an active learner IN FRONT of my kids. I question things, I take things back, I apologize to my kids, I show emotions, I admit mistakes. This is another way in which I feel we can create spaces for children to feel free to express who they are and what they need. I hope that this will allow youth to understand that I don't know everything, nor do I pretend to. I don't need to "fix" them or mold them into something they aren't, we're all just human. In demonstrating this myself, I believe I can even impact children who can’t speak yet to feel validated and strong in their own identities.