Back To School

Yep, the professor is back at this crazy teaching thing again in 2005. It actually was good to be back teaching and learning along with my students today. Introduction to Youth Ministry is a relatively interesting course to teach (& hopefully for my students to take) complete with a section on adolescent development, teenage culture and some current youth issues. Assignments include a research paper & presentation on a particular youth issue such as self-esteem, bullying, cutting, teenage pregnancy, etc.

One of my goals for my students is for them to revisit their lives as adolescents (some are still at the tail end of it ironically) and remember what it was like to go through all the incredible changes. This is the third time teaching the class and each year I ask how many of them enjoyed Junior High - again 80% of my students hated Jr. High and are glad they never have to go through that again. My challenge for my students is to stand alongside the jr. highers they have contact with in schools, youth groups, sports teams, or drop-in centres and to be listening ears as these teens go through some really tough circumstances.

In the words of Ned Flanders - Hi-dilly Ho there neighbour!