Being an RA for Different Age Groups

Being an RA for students in 7th grade and above and for students in 5th and 6th grades are equally challenging propositions. You will find, however, that the types of challenges you face with these age groups may vary considerably. What follows are some differences between working with CTY Young Students (YS) and working with CTY students in 7th grade and above (OS). These are not hard and fast differences, but are general trends we have noticed over the years.

Homesickness
Homesickness tends to be more common among younger students. Older students get homesick too, but generally not as many and not with the same intensity. As a YS RA it's not uncommon to have two or more homesick students. If you are working with 5th and 6th graders, you need to address homesickness almost from the moment parents depart. At the first all-site meeting there will be students in tears who will almost certainly continue to have crying jags on and off well into the first night and for the first few days of the session. Administrative staff will be available to help, but be prepared for a few late nights early in the session comforting distressed children.

Potential Issues
With age and adolescence come more challenging problems. RAs for students in 7th grade and above will need to be prepared for students struggling with depression, eating disorders, possibly suicidal ideations, and general teen angst. Because of their potentially serious nature, these types of issues tend to be referred to the academic counselor or site administrators, but OS RAs need to be vigilant in spotting problems and seeking appropriate help. Young students may face these problems also, but it is less common.

Standards of Supervision
Young students require more direct care and attention. Following our Standards of Supervision, 5th and 6th graders can never be out of eye-sight of staff. They must always be escorted throughout campus in groups, eat in directly supervised groups at meals, and on the residence halls they are more likely to want their RA to be directly involved with what they're doing. In order to establish and maintain a healthy rapport with your students, it is critical that YS RAs make themselves available. YS RAs need to play cards with their students in the hall, listen to music with them, hang out with them, etc. YS RAs should plan to take care of their personal business after lights out or while their students are in class.

Older students may want less direct care and attention. Because you represent authority, they may not want you to hang out with them (though you should never make that assumption--some older kids want an active RA, but might not know how to tell you that). The most important thing for you to remember is that, while some students may resist being closely supervised and while our Standards of Supervision for older students do not require you to have your eyes on the students at all times, out of sight can never mean out of mind. A good rule of thumb is that OS students must be at least within ear-shot of an actively attentive staff member at all times.

When working with CTY students in grades 7 and above, effectively implementing the Standards of Supervision necessitates creating an atmosphere of engagement and respect that avoids what students have described as a prison-like atmosphere. Appropriate supervision should be the result of close interaction with the students--circulating among groups rather than playing favorites, and talking with students rather than clustering with staff. OS RAs should be more like the wise owls perched on a fence post rather than vultures circling above.

RAs are always responsible for the safety and wellbeing of every student when classes are not in session. Even on weekends when there is more down time in the mornings RAs must insist that their students are clear about where they will be and confirm that a staff person will be there. Simply stated, for the program as a whole, we have to know where students are twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Students who are not being supervised are much more likely to victimize other students (bullying, teasing, excluding), damage property, get injured, or worse. Additionally, if a parent or guardian calls the site because they need to speak with their child, it is imperative that we can locate him or her immediately.

Daily Structure
Young students require constant structure to their days. While all students need down time, especially on the weekends, young students require more structure to their down time. Generally speaking, they are just not as self-sufficient. This means RAs need to think about how to structure laundry time, free time, hall time, and the like for younger students. Older students need structure too, but generally it does not turn out to be as labor-intensive.

Disciplinary Issues
Disciplinary issues can be more complicated with older students. Because they have more life experience, they can be trickier, more reluctant to speak whole truths, and less willing to admit wrong-doing. Some time or another most adolescents inhabit an attitude towards life in which they want to rebel or handle things on their own and not feel they are being perceived as children. The types of disciplinary issues you will confront with older students may require more fact-finding and patience, and they may be more time-intensive in terms of figuring out what really happened.

Communication
Communicating with YS requires more discrimination. While we discourage pervasive use of sarcasm with any of our students, it is doubly important that you avoid using sarcasm with the younger students. Many young students will interpret a sarcastic tone of voice as mean-spiritedness, and those students may withdraw from you and can potentially become afraid of you. Others may interpret your language literally. When you answer questions such as "Can I take a shower?" or "May I call my parents?" with a sarcastic "no," a younger student may take you at your word. They may not be able to figure out when "no" doesn't mean "no," and that may confuse and upset them. Going forward, they may feel unsafe or hesitate to ask you questions.

Be Friendly but Not a Friend
With OS students it's easier to unintentionally blur the boundary between being friendly and being a friend. The main reason is that OS students in the RAs' care are much closer in age. Without sacrificing the emotional openness necessary in the residential setting, it is important to establish and maintain appropriate professional distance in your interactions with your students. Along these lines, it is critical that OS RAs not feed or feed off of gossip among the students, and that RAs are continuously attentive to non-verbal modes of communication and physical gestures that may be perceived as interest, favoritism, and the like, whether intended or not.

RAs hear the following counsel throughout orientation and the summer: be friendly, not a friend. Older students may be more aggressive in their pursuit of and interpretation of personal information from their RAs. It is safe to assume from the start that this will happen, and that personal information eventually will be misinterpreted or misrepresented. For example, if an RA is overly self deprecating about his or her ability to understand their student's curricular materials, the students may conclude that their RA doesn't value the program or their interests. It is also possible for seemingly innocuous conversations about a significant other or about college life to become amplified and distorted into accounts of sexual exploits, drinking prowess, and the like. If necessary, an RA should not hesitate to tell students very clearly and directly that certain types of questioning and speculation are inappropriate, and that discussing or entertaining certain subjects, personal or otherwise, is not compatible with their role as RA.