During my debrief the co-worker focused on my strengths and weaknesses or areas that I could improve on. SO this is what he said.
STRENGTHS: I used positive reinforcement in a very appropriate manner. It was the perfect amount of praise at the right time. he said that this task is usually the hardest for people to get down and it just came naturally for me. He said that there is a thin line of reinforcing and praising them and then the youth taking that praise and interpreting it as condescending. He said it was perfect. He also said that my improvisation was also very good and that I came up with answers, and solutions to participation issues quickly and efficiently.
NEEDS: I need to learn how to get the youth to expand their thinking without indicating they are wrong. Things don't have to be my way of thinking specifically but that we can work with what the youth give me by expanding. I can't really explain so that people understand either you do or don't, the important thing is that I understand what he means. I guess I will give an example.
I was charting answers and asked for examples of bullying behaviour. So the answers are things such as verbal, physical, exclusion, harrassment, stealing, and such. well this youth said picking on someone, which is true. But then when I offered some suggestions of other behaviour such as physical bulying such as poking, pinching, hitting kicking the youth said that goes under picking on. I kept trying to explain that yes he was right but that these were other examples. When I shoudl have just said ok lets expand on "picking on others" what are all the ways you can pick on other people. At the time I didn't recognize that route. Now I do. SO I learned something today. YEAHHHH
ON another note.
Tomorrow is a busy day. I got a phone call today regarding the letter that our class sent to the president of the college. Myself and the other two people who are the actual spokes people for the class have been called to a meeting tomorrow with the president of the college, the chairperson of the college and the coordinator of the program. I don't know what they are expecting from us but i will keep you posted as to how things turn out.
Say a little prayer for me tomorrow.