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Hi all! This was my first time facilitating an in-person PLIX activity, which was both exciting and a bit nerve-wracking. My past experience has primarily been with younger kids, so I was curious to see how working with teen (late middle school and high school students) would be.
I really liked the space we worked in. There were three round, short tables with about 3-4 chairs at each. Initially, the tables were spaced apart, but we rearranged them into a curved formation for better connection. This setup worked well; students could easily turn to each other or tap someone nearby to start or join a conversation. This also made it more dynamic since people weren’t physically restricted to speaking to a select number of people.
I was at a table with two main students. One who was in 8th grade and one who was a junior in high school. While they were open and responsive when discussing hobbies, backgrounds, and school, they initially struggled to come up with ideas for what to track on their bracelet or keychain. Once I passed some of my own examples, though, they started with a similar idea of New Year’s Resolutions. They had more personal ideas after completing their first and continued making bracelets and keychains until the time was up.
One memorable moment was when one of the students made a school class tracker bracelet and suggested that I create a similar one since I complimented her idea. Her excitement was clear when I actually followed through and made the bracelet. To me, it reinforced how meaningful it can be to validate a student’s creativity through action rather than just words.
I’d encourage those who might run a similar program to do a brainstorming session beforehand. Specifically, some of the students mentioned not wanting to track a certain goal because they might be discouraged if they don’t make progress. It would be nice to clarify that the activity is meant to be encouraging, rather than a source of guilt. I think this mindset is really important, especially since these students are younger. Materials-wise, working with twine also may be difficult for younger students. Taping the end of it so it doesn’t unravel was helpful and sped up their process. Below are photos!
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