Seven Characteristics of Youth Work

   While reading the article, there were more than seven characteristics that described youth work. Some of the characteristics that I thought were very important were, being respectful, being a role model, trustworthy, reliable, positive, and consistent and willing to learn. These characteristics are very important because it helps to have better relationships with students and staff.  To create a positive environment for students, us youth workers, we have to show them that we are willing to learn from them.  When students see positive behaviors from adults, they start to practice it as well.

     When I was part of a nonprofit organization that focused on having teenagers in a positive environment, I learned a lot of things that were good and bad.  The director of the organization was very strict and made the environment feel unwelcome. The director would have a negative attitude if someone did not follow the rules or came into the program late. This used to make me feel very uncomfortable because I was afraid to speak my mind and share my thoughts.  I felt like I was not allowed to speak to the directors or any of the youth workers because they always had a negative attitude.  From this experience, I learned that you need to always have appositive attitude when working with children and teenagers.  When a youth worker has a negative attitude, it pushes the students away and it creates a negative environment.

     After joining a new nonprofit organization that focused on teaching team work, self-respect, and the importance of giving back to the community, I became a new person.  The directors and youth workers of the organization were kind, respectful, and trustworthy and were always willing to listen to our ideas.  My antisocial and anger behaviors became part of my past because I learned to be respectful, punctual and learned public speaking skills. I also learned to respect the opinion of others and most importantly, I made friends who had a positive impact in my life.  

     Now that I am older and about to graduate from college, I have a lot of respect for youth workers. Being a youth worker is hard because you have to deal with different personalities, and you have to be a role model to inspire others to do their best.  After constantly doing community service with young girls and teenage girls, I learned that they respect more when you always have a positive attitude.  Being punctual, trustworthy and always willing to learn has opened a lot of doors for me. Organizations that I have volunteered for always call me back to work with them.