For two days last month, MC Youth Advisors gathered together with adult allies from their schools to envision what powerful youth/adult partnership could look like. MC Youth Advisors work with members of their school’s MC team to support and shape one piece of the MC team’s work.
Students from South Bronx Academy of Applied Media
This is our second year having MC youth advisors. One big takeaway from last year? Adults always ask how students are, but then they don’t follow up so it seems like they don’t care. They might ask for students’ opinions, but then nothing really changes. It seems like adults are listening, but they never quite hear.
One big takeaway from last year? Adults always ask how students are, but then they don’t follow up so it seems like they don’t care.
We adults have to do better at showing our students we hear them! We have to follow up, share the whole picture from our perspective, and put our heads together to do better by our young people.
At our first MCYA huddle of the year, one adult practiced seeking feedback from the young people.
One adult asked, how can we reduce stress for young people, especially in courses that culminate in Regents exams? Here’s the advice students gave her…
Be empathetic!
K: Students know it’s important. Be understanding, and don’t make it an argument.
Students from Urban Assembly School of Math & Science for Young Women
D: Teachers always say they understand we're stressed out, but then they give us a big assignment. I also know that teachers communicate with each other, but it's still that we get a big packet of work in one class and a big test in another.
J: Not mentioning the regents test so much! That would kind of make it seem like less of a big deal.
Slow down.
E: Try going at a slower pace, and if you can't do that you need to have catch up days.
J: I would say to give time for breaks in between lessons. I believe that students will learn best if they have a time to unload all of that pressure. I also think that teachers should try to be more understanding.
A: Try to pace the lessons where they don’t feel overwhelmed. Try group work more so that the minds of the kids can also be activley running, so that is building them up to be ready for more.
Most importantly, create a safe space.
C: Make the class a safe space to ask questions, instead of somewhere where they have to pretend they get it all. Don't make it more pressure. This is a process, and no one has it all down. Remind the kids constantly that we're all in this together, and we have plenty of time.
D: Let kids ask questions, even if it's little ones, to show that it's okay to ask questions.
Z: It depends on the relationship students and teachers have. I'm in a Regents class now, and the work they give us is hard, but the more comfortable you get with the teacher the easier it is to ask questions.
There you have it, grown ups. The young people have told us what they need — let’s keep working to make it happen, and to show them we hear them, too.