Why Teens Benefit by Having a Teen Coach
Unfortunately, teens are placed in classrooms that exceed student capacity. Schools have limited resources in counselling or student service support. Outside of their family, teens only socialize with other teens. In such a circumstance, it is very easy to fly under the radar: a zone where teens spend most of their academic years without having established a connection with an educator.
The culture continuity gap between school and home, leaves parents unclear as to how to communicate and empower teens when they are unsure about the struggles faced in school and the support they can offer.
In my 16 years of teaching over 4000 students, I have crossed paths with students who are achieving relatively high marks, displaying neutral behaviours in class, and seemingly getting through the years spent in junior high and high school with ease, but they are struggling, in school and at home.
They are unable to envision their future or reach their potential, because the logistics of the school system, workload, and adolescence leave little opportunity for leadership building, change making, and personal development. These teens become hesitant to get out of their comfort zone, unable to see their strengths, and discover their niche.
At home, these struggles can manifest as withdrawal, lack of engagement, and a limiting mindset. At school, it can manifest as hesitation to get involved in school activities, lack of confidence in collaboration, discomfort in advocating for their learning, and unsure about the next steps in their academic planning.
A Coach's Influence as a Mentor is Essential
Guiding a teen’s journey towards helping discover who they are and who they can become.
I hold a Masters degree in Leadership, I have 15 years of teaching experience, and I am a professional workshop facilitator, but everything I know, I’ve learned from the 4000 teens I have worked with and the relationships I have built with them over the years.
My experience gives me the ability to bridge the gap of communication between teens and their families, peers, and schools. I coach teens in finding ways they can articulate their thoughts and advocate for themselves in an empowered way that leads them in creating a resilience mindset.
I also model and offer language for parents to support this process, at home, throughout the coaching sessions. I implement leadership strategies practiced by leaders, and I teach teens how they can apply these strategies in taking charge of their learning, growth, vision, and success.
A coach’s influence as a mentor is essential and can become a catalyst in a teen’s journey towards helping discover who they are and who they can become as learners and leaders. It can also provide parents with the tools they need to empower their teens. The Teenacers Model is an intuitive, holistic, and reflective approach to building self-esteem and resilience. Teenacers is a partnership between teens, parents, and coach; we walk along the path together.
