As written by intern Nick Smith.
Building relationships is probably one of the hardest things that people who work with children have to do. If a child doesn’t know you, they aren’t apt to work for you. While this is most obviously true for teenagers (after all, they won’t blindly follow an authority figure the same way some younger kids will), it still holds merit with all kids. In a previous blog, I’ve already mentioned that we have a strong relationship with our St. Florian site and the kids there. The Writers Center has been working at St. Florian for years. All the older kids are used to seeing us each summer and new kids either quickly learn to accept us, or learn from their peers that we are alright and that they can talk with us. It doesn’t take long before every intern has at least one child that clings to them every time we come in or begs them not to leave when our time is up. It’s a great feeling to have.
Interns Nick & Sydney with Saint Florian students
Of course, when it comes to our sites, St. Florian is the exception, not the rule. We still establish relationships with new sites and these take time to grow. One such site is Horizons. This summer marks our second year working with this program. While it is every bit as enjoyable as St. Florian, it is consistently harder to get the kids going. Many worry that their initial thoughts aren’t good and that no one wants to hear what they have to say. Each day we have to re-explain that we are genuinely interested in what they have to say and that they should be proud to share their views. It almost seems like a foreign concept to some of them – the idea of an adult wanting to hear what they have to say.
Slowly, kids are starting to come around to us. Earning these kids’ trust is wonderful. For the handful of students who worked with us last year, I see many of them excited to join us. While it can sometimes just be that they’re excited to see a friendly face, it is still a start towards helping them appreciate writing a little more.
If St. Florian is representative of the best that the IWC can do, then Horizons and other sites serve as reminders of the hard work it takes to get there. You can’t just expect kids to jump into the deep end with a stranger. First, they have to learn to trust that you won’t let them drown. Sure, there will be a few students who jump right in (and their enthusiasm is ALWAYS appreciated), but for others this takes time. Some have to test the waters first, dip their toes into the water. It’s a process we respect at the Writers Center. And it’s a process that I am confident, in time, will yield even greater rewards.
Building A Rainbow 