Wednesday, September 20, 2017

Play in Youth Work

An example of youth work that I have been involved in is speaking about my experience as a pregnant teen in two different high schools. One high school includes my own which I feel I can make real connections with the students in this environment because I was literally once sitting where they are. I bring a personal touch to a topic that parents and teachers feel the need to tip toe around because society has trained us to feel shameful about teenage pregnancy. In this space I advocate for all teens, pregnant, parenting, and adolescents learning about safe sex.

~~~> Also in this space, an aspect of play that I bring is a slideshow presentation to go along with a my personal story and also some interactive aspects with the students. As each year I improve my presentation I would like to include more interactive activities or something.




Other youth spaces that I have worked in include an inhome daycare setting with children ranging ages in infancy to school aged. Where I tried to incorporate play in whatever I did because I strongly agree with Piaget that playing IS learning.
~~~> My work with this population of youth has a much more descriptive aspects of play. I had to really take control of my setting in this position and basically come up with day to day activities for the kids. But with this I let the kids kind of lead with what directions they were interested in. So for an example of this was that it was hard to get a group of a variety of aged kids to sit down to listen to a story during reading time. For the kids to become more engaged and interested in following along with this activity I created felt pieces for specific key objects within the storyline.


Reading the text through a different lense to look a play has really made me rethink strategies and certain activities or even discussions or role modeling can be considered as play through the 6 P's.

1 comment:

  1. Sam I think it is amazing that you can have that personal connection with the youth you have educated about safe sex and what its like to be a teen mom. As you said this population of youth gets much more descriptive aspects of play because it was real life for you. To any teen that is so important but especially to the ones that are about to have their lives change forever.

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