Can you imagine a teenager ever:
Going to a party and finding that friends, as well as strangers, pressure them to drink?
Organising a lift home but when the time comes find that their driver was drunk?
Talking to a teacher or a boss about a perceived injustice but being too aggressive or not assertive enough?
Being coerced into doing something they knew was wrong or dangerous?
Being at a job interview and finding that one of the interviewers is unfair and rude?
Being sexually harassed?
Being pressured by a boyfriend, or girlfriend, to ‘go further’ than they really want?
Of course you can. These situations are all too common. Young people get plenty of information about the law, the dangers of certain types of behaviour, and the foolishness of doing things just because the rest of the crowd is doing them. So what’s gone wrong?
Teenagers need something more. They need to learn real-world strategies and skills. They need to be involved in a session that uses the 10-step participatory and experiential teaching and training strategy Real Life Rehearsals (RLR). RLR has four unique features which sets it apart from other ‘classroom activities’ and makes it practical, pragmatic and immediately useful to teenagers. RLR incorporates: Real Life Scenarios; The Agent Provocateur Obstacle Course; The personalisation of strategies; and Agent Provocateur Role-Plays.
So you can help the young people in your care learn about these potentially difficult problem situations, learn a set of strategies to handle them that fit their culture and ‘way of doing things’ and learn a set of communication skills so they can use their strategies in the real world, where it counts! And here’s how you can do it.
1. Book Mark to present directly to your students
How to say ‘no’ to: sexual harassment; a drunk driver; the pressure to drink; …
This is experiential and interactive. It concentrates on the development of strategies and skills (related to principles 5 & 6 above) to deal with potentially difficult situations and tough conversations. It is based on the 10 step technique Real Life Rehearsals and Agent Provocateur Role-Plays. 40-100 mins. 3-100 students.
Find out more about Mark presenting directly to students.
2. Attend a workshop on Real Life Rehearsals & Agent Provocateur Role-Plays
Option 1. Attend a public program.
Learn how to use the teaching technique Real Life Rehearsals & the advanced role-play technique Agent Provocateur Role-Plays. These techniques can then be used to teach any social communication skill you like; right across the curriculum! Register for a public one-day professional learning workshop.
Option 2. Organise a workshop for your school, school cluster, region, state, etc.
This could take many forms. It could, for example, be a demonstration lesson or a group of lessons for different students across the school. It could be a special workshop just for teachers. It could be a combination. Contact Mark for further information.
3. Buy a book on Real Life Rehearsals & Agent Provocateur Role-Plays
Book 1. “Party Without Pain”
Title: “Party Without Pain. The use of Real Life Rehearsals® to help teenagers control their drinking.”
13,000 words. The first part gives a rationale for a skills-based approach and for a the need to look beyond old style or traditional types of role-plays. The second part provides an overview of Real Life Rehearsals. The third part provides the details of each of the 10 steps.
Order form. Have a look at the one-page preface.
Book 2. “How to design and deliver Role-Plays That Work”
This is the draft title of an 70,000 word practical guide that Mark is currently producing. It is scheduled to go on sale in June 2012.
Order form – coming soon. Have a look at the one-page preface – coming soon.
The real world of alcohol
Follow the link if you want to more specifically about how to help teenagers handle the real world of alcohol.