| The following is a list of some ideas and | | | | like this " When you talk about not wanting |
| general principles that can be applied when | | | | to go home because you hate your brother I |
| communicating with young people: | | | | get a real sense of fear". |
| | | | |
| • All young people can learn, but not | | | | 4. Summarise the conversation: - A brief |
| in the same way or at the same time. | | | | summary of a conversation allows you to make |
| | | | sure that you have understood all the most |
| • All young people can benefit from a | | | | relevant points being made by the young |
| caring adult taking the time to be helpful. | | | | person. It is also another chance to |
| | | | eliminate misunderstandings. |
| • All young people need to have | | | | |
| positive experiences in school. Grades are | | | | 5. In you role as a teacher, use self |
| not the only measure of success at school. | | | | disclosure only for the benefit of the young |
| | | | person: - Self disclosure refers to talking |
| • All young people need to develop | | | | about self, reporting personal experiences, |
| thinking skills, not just problem solving and | | | | sharing opinions and offering personal |
| remembering facts. | | | | perceptions. In helping relationships with |
| | | | young people self disclosure should benefit |
| The basic rules of communication with young | | | | the young person. I.e. if a young person |
| people can be summarized as follows: | | | | tells you they are lonely you may say "when I |
| | | | went to school I was so lonely sometimes I |
| 1. Attend the speaker: - Give nonverbal clues | | | | would cry". |
| you are listening, solicit continued input | | | | |
| through verbal acknowledgement, and make | | | | 6. Interpret behavior: - You must interpret |
| contact. If you are doing other things while | | | | or synthesize clues through personal filters. |
| you are listening, then you are not really | | | | Then judgments can be made and opinions |
| listening. This is the message you transmit | | | | formed. Remember though to be careful do not |
| to a person. Listening is the basis of good | | | | confuse opinion with fact. This leads to |
| communication. | | | | conflict. But communication with young |
| | | | people requires you to gauge more than just |
| 2. Paraphrase the speaker: - Report in your | | | | the spoken word. |
| own words what you have heard from the | | | | |
| speaker. This reduces the likelihood of | | | | 7. Probe sparingly: - Try to ask open ended |
| misunderstanding and shows the person that | | | | questions with young people when probing. |
| you have been listening. | | | | Avoid those types of questions that simply |
| | | | allow a yes or no answer. A question like |
| 3. . Reflect the speaker's feelings: - This | | | | "What happened to you today?" is likely to |
| is quite a difficult skill to master but | | | | gain much more information than did you have |
| really simple once the basic premise is | | | | a good day?" |
| understood. Success here requires you to be | | | | |
| able to paraphrase content and then go to the | | | | 8. Give constructive feedback: - The goal is |
| next step by adding a feeling statement on | | | | not confrontation. You should try to give |
| the basis of what you have understood. I.e. | | | | constructive feed back. Build on the |
| If Mary says "I do not want to go home I hate | | | | positives do not just criticize. Do not give |
| my brother" a paraphrase would be "you hate | | | | feedback in unsolicited circumstances unless |
| your brother" If you want to turn this into a | | | | it is your role to do so. |
| reflection of feeling statement add something | | | | |