Topic 9 - Intimacy
Q: How do your notions of intimacy and self-disclosure fit with those of current adolescents and how might that impact your work with them?
A: Compared to an adolescent, my views of intimacy and self-disclosure may be better informed just because I am older and therefore have had more time to make mistakes, learn lessons and focus on beneficial forms of intimacy and self-disclosure.
Mainly through analyses of past mistakes, I will have a different vantage point than an adolescent and I will use this point of view to encourage students to learn from my mistakes (Example: relating to them through experiences, or telling a story with a "moral" at the end, so they know where my information is coming from.)
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Also I will be able to better recognize or "spot" possible patterns because of my past experiences in case anything seems familiar. In doing so, I will be able to be proactive about seeking out resources to help an adolescent if I recognize signs of them feeling alone, disconnected, or influenced in some negative way.
