"Everyone
at Studentworks seems to get along in harmony. How it happens I'm not
really sure. Could be that they put their differences aside."
- Tabitha, student |
Adolescence
Staff believe that if relationships at school and home are always in
conflict, the adolescent learns that relationships are conflict.
Adolescents, they say, are practising being in the world. It is vital
that adults 'do as they would be done by' when working with
adolescents. Middle adolescence is considered the perfect time to
actively intervene: problems have surfaced, but many young people are
still open and malleable.
"Adolescents
act out the world in a virtual sense. They try on lots of personas:
belligerent, easy going, temperamental then old and wise. They're
fledgling adults. They're great to work with. Just when you think
you've got it, they throw you a curved ball."
-
Linda Farrington
"Our age group - fourteen and a half to sixteen - is carefully chosen."
-
Jack Bennett |
Respect
"We
have some kids here in a seriously fragile state, slow and damaged by a
hard life. We always try to put ourselves in the student's position. I
must say they are generally a lot better behaved than I would be. They
cut some adults a lot more slack than I would in their situation. Kids
respect adults who respect them. It's that simple."
- Linda Farrington |
Respect is basic at Studentworks. It is openly discussed by staff and
students. Staff say respect is the first step to creating self-esteem,
harmonious work relations, personal ambition and success. Students ask
for it, think it is reasonable that they are asked to give it, and can
identify the lack of it in other aspects of their lives.
The practical mind
"If you look back in history there's always been the academic and the practical mind."
- Michael Brown |
Studentworks is a place for practical young people who are interested
in work in trades areas. These students can suffer in schools where
academic or sporting prowess is recognised, but manual skills and
creativity are comparatively unnoticed and unrewarded. Students here
'learn by doing'.
Work ethic
"We keep it simple— we focus on the job.'
-
Nick Blaubaum, former Qantas manager, now Studentworks instructor,
volunteer, mentor and self-identified 'passionate advocate'. |
Studentworks staff consciously instil a work ethic in students.
Employers of former students say that they are willing to work, are
reliable and on time and have a realistic understanding of the
workplace. This puts them ahead of others who have just been at school,
and explains why some employers frequently go directly to Studentworks
for new entry level recruits.
"One
of the elements of the workshop's success is the focus on work. High
schools generally don't focus on work. You can see it in their
language: 'drop out', 'retention rates'. I think the workshop produces
some of the smartest dumbest kids I've ever met."
- Paul Sellars, Manager, Sunrise Bakeries and employer of Studentworks' graduates |
The boring bits
| Student: |
I hate sanding. It's so boring. Why do I always have to do it? |
| Staff member: |
Who do you think does the boring bits at work? |
| Student: |
The youngest one. Not fair! |
| Staff member: |
Who should do the boring bits? |
| Student: |
It should be fair. Everyone should have a turn. |
| Staff member: |
You
mean the supervisor or the boss should do their share of the boring
bits? Do you think they'd pay you to work and then run around making
sure you had an interesting day?
Would you do that if you were the boss? |
| Student: |
(laughing) No, I suppose the new people should do the boring bits. I'll be a boss then. |
Cleaning up mistakes
Students have to clean up their own bad jobs so they understand the
consequence of mistakes. This is organised matter-of-factly, without
anger or blame, but the clean up must be thorough and students will
talk through what happened with their supervisor or a manager.
Quality ethic
Staff constantly emphasise finishing the job, working cleanly and
safely, being responsible for your own part of the job and being
inspected. Every job a student does is signed off by the supervisor and
discussed with the student in the process.
Overheard at Studentworks
| Student: |
I cleaned up. Can you sign me off? |
| Instructor: |
OK I'll check. |
| Student: |
But I told you, I did it. |
| Instructor: |
It's not if you did it, it's if it's clean. |
Communication
"One
student told me he was going to prison, even though he wasn't in
trouble with the police. The only story he'd ever heard from his family
was that adults go to prison. We retalked his story— he had to reinvent
his personality really."
- Linda Farrington |
|
Linda Farrington has a range of skills from her special education
background. She applies them systematically and constantly to her work.
This occurs not so much in formal sessions with a label, but rather as
a set of communications tools to be used with students as the need
arises. Linda uses these tools constantly as she interacts during the
day. Linda finds narrative therapy particularly effective along with
conflict resolution, problem-solving and choice-making.
What is remarkable is how consistently other staff, many without
professional backgrounds in therapy, use variations of the same skills
repertoire.
Modelling attitudes
Staff believe that you can teach attitudes through positive modelling.
‘It’s no good pretending you're some sort of really together adult who
has all the answers,' says one instructor. 'Kids don't believe you
anyway.'
Listening
"I've
noticed if I get irritated with students it's often that we haven't
understood each other. I try to stop and track back to where we've
crossed wires. I try to teach them to help us listen to each other
better"
- Jaime-Lee Bailey, instructor |
At the heart of all the methods Linda Farrington and other staff use
lies good listening. It is 'really listening' as opposed to polite or
'good enough' listening and entails complete non-judgement. Listening
is also an aspect of the respect that Studentworks values so highly.
"We
might say to a kid, 'What is it you want to do?' The kid might say, 'I
want to be an flight attendant.' Then if we reply, 'You'd better do
something about your presentation first', we are controlling
conversation till it's in an area we’re comfortable with. That's not
listening at all. You have to really listen and respect what they say,
trust them to make their own decisions and support them. Trust and
responsibility are pure tokenism otherwise."
- Linda Farrington |
Self discipline
"Everyone
is respected at Studentworks. There is a great emphasis on self
discipline. Students make their own decisions and manage the
consequences."
- Nick Blaubaum |
Like a family
Staff describe Studentworks as a family. The support for students does
not stop when they leave and staff have a parental, caring attitude to
students past and present. Students return to borrow 'interview'
clothes and shoes which are stockpiled in the 'interview cupboard', or
for help or just to keep in touch.
Bullying
Many students who come to Studentworks have been bullied at school.
Staff do not shelter them from this, on the understanding that if
someone is a victim at school they will be a victim elsewhere.
Bullying, they say, is to do with a pecking order and students need to
learn strategies that will work for them in other contexts too.
Pecking order: an exercise to make the implicit explicit
A group exercise used at Studentworks requires placing chairs in a
line. The group members are told to sit where they belong in the group.
The aim is to make the implicit explicit as a prelude to helping
students to differentiate between what they can change and what they
have to accept. The method requires the co-ordinator to resist giving
answers, but to help students think about and articulate their own
options. Here is an excerpt from one session.
| Co-ordinator: |
Is this seating order the same as what is happening in your group? |
| Student: |
Yes. I'm down this end and everyone picks on me. |
| Co-ordinator: |
What do you want? |
| Student: |
I want to be up the other end. |
| Co-ordinator: |
What would you like to do about it? |
| Student: |
I want to make the others respect me. |
| Co-ordinator: |
How can you do this? |
| Student: |
Get you to tell them off. |
| Co-ordinator: |
OK, I want you all to respect Richard. He's a good person and works hard and deserves respect. Did that help? |
| Student: |
No, I look like I couldn't do it myself, like I'm weak or something. |
| Co-ordinator: |
So what now? |
| Student: |
I dunno. I have to get my own respect. |
| Co-ordinator: |
How could you do this? |
| Student: |
I could be the best at something. Or I could stop thinking about it. |
| Co-ordinator: |
Which will you choose? |
| Student: |
Not
worry about it. I don't care. The one up the other end has to worry
about if someone wants to take it away from them. I can't get lower so
I don't have to worry. |
What's next?
'There are many irons in the fire. You can never expect what works
today will work tomorrow. You've got to keep on your toes.' Michael
Brown
'We're going to have a meeting every morning to explain the day's work,
so the kids can see how what they are going to do fits into the larger
whole.' Linda Farrington
'We're working on a new locally designed skateboard for production.' Jack Bennett
'The future looks pretty rosy.' Tabitha (student)
'A good job and a nice car.' Kyle (student)
|
