Module 3: COMMUNITY

Page 7

Topic two – in the workplace (continued)

teacher's notes - general approach

When young people enter the workplace, they may meet difficulties with the people who are in authority over them or with whom they work, These may arise from the fact that, in most work places, the emphasis is on getting the job done and satisfying the customer/client rather than the employee. In school the pupils are the 'product', the centre of attention. They may find it difficult to be treated differently in the work situation.

Talk to them about the fact that relationships at work can often be a challenge. You can sometimes get on very well outside work but find that people are different or difficult when you have to work with them. It also takes time and patience to learn how to work together with complete strangers which you usually have to do when you first go into the workplace.

The pupils will have experiences of working with others at school or during activities outside school. When they first came to this school they had to learn what was expected of them and how best they could work with others including the staff. Encourage them to draw on these memories as they consider the issues raised on worksheet 4 (page 9) Difficult or different?

It should also be remembered that they themselves could be considered difficult! "When I point my finger at my neighbour, there are three more pointing back at me." You could suggest they try doing this to test the truth of the statement!

strategies: task one

Ask the pupils to think of the most difficult person they know and, without mentioning names, elicit from them what makes them so difficult and write these on the board.

The following tasks give a choice of approach.