First Workshop Shadowing

Today I got to sit in on a workshop presented by one of the other staff members working with my supervisor in YouthCo's sexual health program. They each did the HIV 101 workshop, which I got to see in core training, but this was my first time seeing it in the actual school setting. I believe the class was a class of grade 8 students, and my supervisor (in the class next door) had a class of grade 9s.

The school miscommunicated the start times for the workshop (there were lots of other presenters too), so my supervisor and her co-worker were slightly late in starting, leaving them with only about an hour to do the workshop, instead of the original 70min that had been scheduled for them. Ah well, that stuff just happens sometimes.

Because I saw my supervisor facilitate the HIV 101 workshop in core training, I sat in on the other staff member's workshop. I think she did an awesome job, especially given the class was a little chatty and she had to reign in their attention many times. I helped out with a couple of minor things, but otherwise I just sat and watched and took notes. I learned I will also need to have lots of patients with younger students like this class, lol.

As my supervisor, her co-worker, a school staff member and I discussed afterwards, it was interesting seeing what the students' reactions to the workshop would be, because the city itself is known for being on the conservative side, and there are several conservative families who send their children to that school. There was an evident need for certain information (for example, how to use condoms correctly), but otherwise the students proved to be curious and respectful (for the most part), and one or two students even surprised us with some of their answers.

I'm hoping I can sit in on at least 1 or 2 other workshops before the end of April, but because I don't drive and get around only by transit, it will depend on where the workshops are being held.