blog seven

 It is clear to see how my ideology is a Positive youth development. I am a firm believer in always building people on their strengths because through their strengths there a solution on how to build on their weaknesses.  Being optimistic is a positive way of thinking and this is one skill I try to portray to the youth that I work with. In everything I do I always involve a positive mind set, from the kind of environment I present to them down to how I answer their questions with positive certainty. I also believe in creating a space where they can be themselves, where they to talk about any subject and not feel judged. A positive mind brings positive thoughts, positive thoughts feeds positive actions. 

blog six

Injustice  surround us I see it pretty much everyday in my life and its sad to see. In fact one occasion that will stay with me forever is what happen to a young girl who trying reach her goals. Alone in this world with only one person to truly depend on. She went to through a bad breakup which had her trapped in a domestic dispute. Under constant threats, being stalked, and harass to the point where she wanted to give up. But being the kind man I am I could not sit by and allow her to give up. I was there as a person who would listen to her problems and support her in every way. The first advice I gave her was to change her number maybe that way she could have a piece of mind and go on with her day without her phone constantly blowing up. Turns out days later her ex had her new number and the harassment got even worst. After consoling her I suggested to her that maybe its time to file a no contact order but she rejected it. What she told me next was scary to hear, " I am fearful to do so because every time the law got involved before he always got away with it and I was made out to be the crazy person." As time went on  she was still under constant threat, till one day she gave in and went to go see him in person. That same night I get a call in the late hours of her crying screaming that she was beaten by him. During this time I felt helpless because there was nothing I could do to make her feel better. And she ended up lashing out on me saying it was my fault, but being aware she is just devastated I allow it and let her get all that hatred out. Couple days later she finally agreed to file a no contact order and ask me to take her. After that was done she started feeling better about herself and started to get her life back in order. But then all the pressure of the court date got to her and she broke down again because her parents refused to get her a lawyer. I offer her my lawyer but she refused and ends up finding a free lawyer. The day before her court date the lawyer of the defendant contacted her lawyer saying " we will be filing for a mutual restraining order and even though we do not have any evidence our client will tell the judge that your client was using sex to keep getting him to come back to her. And that the judge will see it our way and agree to the mutual restraining order." Comes to find out her lawyer told her that we should not go to court and just dismiss it because you do not want a restraining order on your record because it looks bad. So this kid gets away with a year long torment and she is left with nothing to make her feel safe. Injustice was clearly served to her and everything I did might have made things worst for her and I deeply regret it because all I wanted was for her to be happy and feel safe again. The only thing that I would do differently is get my lawyer involved because her lawyer was not adequate enough to fight and protect her. I feel my lawyer would have saw through the shake down that the defendant's lawyer display and would have went to court and call them on their bluff. It sad to see how money can factor in on who will justice or not.

Blog Five

The kind of care that these teachers portray is that kind of care all teachers and youth workers should have. Its the kind of care that allows these teachers to read in between the lines. Its the one that models, what working with the youth really means. When the article speaks about how the school should feel like a second home, I definitely agree with it because that is how I want my youth space to feel like. It shows how these teachers are willing to go the extra mile with not only sharing their teachings but emotionally, financially, and physically. Time after time no matter how many times they fail a mentor should always stay consisted, being attentive, and continuously grow their awareness about their students. In my internship the youth do get the feeling that this is place where they can be themselves, a place where everyone there generally cares about each other. But there also an understanding that I am here to push them to their limits, to get them to grow and become better. They know that I will be tough, will always be fair and that I understand life hits hard, life can get you down but I'm here to pick you up and get them to succeed.

"Framing Youth"

Reading this piece of literature has open my eyes to a different way of seeing or judging teenagers. Yes it is known that most teens have raging hormones, teenage angst, and gawky, insecure, risk-taking adolescents". With this perceptive ceases a damaging outlook on how to deal with the youth. Any negativity brings problems by decreasing the full potential that lies within any human being. In the example of Thorne (1994) she states that as adults we need to challenge the deep assumption that they already know what children are like, this is something I can agree with but we can take this further and start accounting for all the extrinsic influences society has on children while they are developing. If we are able to compare how society has changed from when adults were children to how society is now, there is a huge gap of change. The way I see it we are like our parents in every way, so I disagree with the statement Thorne made about how "they regard children as a less complete versions of themselves." I also disagree with this because children are not only influence on how their parents are but other role models they may have. This is damaging to how we teach the youth simply because there are a lot more variables that still need to be accounted for.

pictures can say a 1000's words about me

 Judo squad having fun at the judo jr US Opens 

 High school senior winning the best wrestler award at the Rhode Island state banquet

 The moment where I finally completed a life long Dream!!!

 Doing what I do best Coaching wrestling

Hope high school Wrestlers and I having fun at Six flags New Jersey