Getting students to open up and talk honestly about things they’re dealing with or thinking about is a hard task. One of the best ways I’ve found to get a group of teens to really open up is something I call “Real Talk.”
What I do is I give each student a 3×5 note card and a pen. I then give them a few minutes to write down any question they want me to answer. The questions are always anonymous and I always answer them as honestly as possible.
I pass around a basket and collect all the questions. Then I front-load the discussion time with several prerequisites:
- No laughing. It’s important that we don’t laugh at another person’s question. No question is stupid.
- Don’t ask who wrote the question. People can reveal what question they asked if they want, but I just don’t want someone to say, “OK, who asked that question?!” It tends to kill the trust.
- I ask the students to help make “Real Talk” a time of seriousness and safety. I emphasize the need for a safe place to talk about serious issues.
I get some really great questions. Sometimes the students ask me a personal question like, “Have you ever done drugs? And if so, do they really affect you?” Other questions are more general like, “How can I deal with stress?”
Obviously, you’ve got to consider your group of teens before you try to do anything like this. But if you think you can pull it off I encourage you to give it a try. You may be surprised at the kinds of things the students are really thinking about.
