Social Responsibility

Bridget

Our research on playtime provided me with insights into the social behaviour of preteens and teenagers that I would never have seen if not for our study.

I found this year’s class to be very different from last year’s. Overall, academically, they were stronger and everyone in the class had at least one friend. Students worked toward common goals such as fundraising for field trips, planning Sports Day and compiling a yearbook. They also provided the younger children in the school with fun events such as dances, special days and buddy reading. Planning for these social activities seemed to create a bond that was missing in last year’s group.

I began the year with a focus on social responsibility and discussions on bullying naturally emerged as we explored ways to be inclusive and supportive. As well, I included the other Grade Seven classes so that everyone would receive the same message. The topics we explored were respect, anger management, maintaining friendships, and diversity. Activities were varied and included group projects, essay and journal writing, and weekly class meetings. Of these, the class meetings were the most effective in provoking open conversation about issues that were current and meaningful. The boys and girls had different perspectives on relationships but this was deemed acceptable and it led to interesting discussions on the socialization of males and females from an early age.

Being aware of potential problems helped me to plan my year. I focused more energy on social issues and worried less about the academics. I knew they would be ready for Grade Eight by the time June rolled along. I think also, that by establishing a trusting relationship early on we were able to take more risks (ie. discussing sensitive issues openly and with respect).