The Group

The power of the human mind is absolutely astounding. We have the power within us to overcome any obstacles and push ourselves beyond the limits anyone else might have set for us. We also have the power to limit our capacity and put ourselves in boxes that feel impossible to get out off.

One thing I spent a lot of time thinking about today  is the power of the group mentality.

As humans we are apart of many groups, families, friends, Texans, blondes, tall, short, young, old, blogger, one without internet, recyclopath, litterer.
 I mean even within the group: friends you have countless subgroups. You have: peers, aqquaintances, facebook friends, school friends, work friends, facebook friends, best friends, best friends for now friends, people who want to be your friend, oh and lets not forget one of the most important ones- people who you want to be your friend.
Middle school is when these groups not just become clear but become very very real to the students. Their minds are spinning where that last group (the dream friends aka the popular crowd) is the absolute only thing that matters. Peer judgement and criticism (real or imagined) is a daily war.

My own sixth grade experience with the popular crowd was completely traumatic. One day I was her best friend, the next day I wasn't cool enough. A simple enough story, but even to this day I have almost no memory of my sixth grade year. It was all a blur and I was upset most of the time following being ditched. I to this day have trust issues when creating friendships. Although this obsession with popularity can seem trivial, it is something that is important to a developing adolescent mind, and needs to be treated with that level of importance.

It's easy with such a perceived close knit group to develop that group mentality, they follow the leaders of the pack- the ones who may or may not be leading in a positive way unfortunately. It is often hard to remember that a group mentality does not define a person. Although the quote "actions speak louder than words" is easy to throw around, it's incredibly hard to live up to in daily life.
The mix of a negative environment and negative leaders controlling the group mentality creates chaos and makes an effective learning space incredibly difficult to achieve.
Often students with no prior history of acting up will fall into the pressures of this environment and resort to drastic uncharacteristic measures.

Now, I am not trying to assert that these students have no control over their actions- I am just pointing out that these pressures often seem insurmountable to our students, and this as we age is easy to forget.
Probably the most wonderful thing City Year has to offer is the power of the near peer relationship. We remember what it felt like to be that age and be that insecure. As we grow older it becomes easier to forget the susceptibility we had back when we were growing into our skin.
Probably the second most wonderful thing City Year brings to the table is the idealistic group mentality. Even though day by day we see students who are on their way to dropping out, a school system that seems set up to fail, and other roadblocks in our journey to success, we continue getting up everyday putting on these wonderful timb boots and having the mindset that one person can change the world.

Daily Hero: Meghna, for giving me wonderful debrief during car-poo-l.

PS. Why do I have my most deep thoughts about life after working out in my Timbs?