Awkward Yet Skillful.
It goes without saying that as tech natives our youth run circles around their elders, but in other ways youth may have just received their "learner's permit."
Many youth suffer from a lack of self-confidence. Inside, they often feel quite awkward -- in that everyone seems to be looking at them closely and passing judgments on their imperfections.
Yet, by the time most of the youth I have known have reached their teenage years, they had already been pursuing any number of passions -- and over time they had developed great prowess. The most common paths are through the arts and sports. But others choose paths more esoteric, as magicians, cooks or bird banding. Social scientists call this level of skill "agency."
It is up to the mentor to look beneath they many aspects of youthful awkwardness and gain access to this agency and build upon it.
It goes without saying that as tech natives our youth run circles around their elders, but in other ways youth may have just received their "learner's permit."
Many youth suffer from a lack of self-confidence. Inside, they often feel quite awkward -- in that everyone seems to be looking at them closely and passing judgments on their imperfections.
Yet, by the time most of the youth I have known have reached their teenage years, they had already been pursuing any number of passions -- and over time they had developed great prowess. The most common paths are through the arts and sports. But others choose paths more esoteric, as magicians, cooks or bird banding. Social scientists call this level of skill "agency."
It is up to the mentor to look beneath they many aspects of youthful awkwardness and gain access to this agency and build upon it.