In my last post I explained the basic traits of this generation of young people, often referred to as the EPICs. They are Experiential, Participatory, Image driven and Connected. In my opinion, reaching these young people with the gospel as well as academics is not MORE challenging than past generations, but they present DIFFERENT challenges. I have listened to church youth leaders as well as classroom teachers talk with frustration about the difficulty in finding "what works" with today's teens and even college aged students. I want to share a few thoughts about some ideas I have found that work. Most of this has come from a combination of personal experience and discussing with other educators things they have tried with good success.
1) Invest in developing personal relationships with your students. Today's young people are for more interested in teacher-student relationships than past generations. Remember, they are Connected and are very into connections. By investing, I don't mean just a cursory chat every once in a while, but a real conversation about things that matter to the student. In my day (yes, the Golden Ages) we didn't engage in casual conversations with our teachers because we saw them as so far above us they were often unapproachable. The line between teacher and student was wide, dark and crystal clear. While we still need to keep a line of distinction between teacher and student (they don't need us to be their buddies, but their mentors) we need to be willing to be transparent about who we really, our own interests, challenges and spiritual struggles.
2) Accept they fact that what drives them may seem shallow and surface at times, but to them it is very important. If we scoff at it we will lose the chance to minister. I am just not into Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, etc. and honestly, a lot of it seems shallow, trivial and a waste of time to me. BUT, that is NOT the way this generation feels. This is how they connect, build relationships. That's why we now have teachers and students who are Facebook friends and Twitter followers. There are some inherent dangers in this and I intend to address some of these potential pitfalls at a later time. For now I'll just say that we must not criticize or ridicule their obsession with social media. It is only going to become more prevalent in the future.
3) Be willing to take up the challenge to realign your approach to teaching so that you can take advantage of some of these traits. Make sure you include MUCH visual imagery in your lesson plans. Open your class to include discussions that permits students to share personal experiences. Make sure that you plan classroom activities and field trips that involve students participation, even at the high school and/or college level.
4) Use social media to YOUR advantage. Create your own website and make sure it isn't lame! Create a Facebook page for your class and only accept friend requests from your students and their parents. Make sure you keep it professional, positive and free from personal information. Expect your students to do the same. You can do the same with Twitter or other social networks. This shows your students you are willing to engage in social media but know how to use it properly. (Spare us from the people who post numerous "selfies", what they had for breakfast or use it to gripe, complain and attack).
Bottom line, when it comes to this generation of young people, their potential for success is unlimited. I find them very exciting and, as well as a man of my age can, I understand what motivates them. We can either sit around and moan about how hard it is to reach them or we can set about the business of trying to find creative ways TO reach them. I choose the latter!
No comments:
Post a Comment