Start em' off right

I am writing this entry at 4:00 in the morning at an all male lock-in for 6th grade students. We are using this lock-in as an introduction to our young knights on what it means to be a young man. Our goal, as teachers, is to introduce these young men to different members in the school and in the community that are concerned about them and want to teach them how to build a successful life and community. By starting with the 6th graders we are looking to develop characteristics in young men that will have a positive impact on the school in the coming years.
While at the lock in we have done some team building activities, as well as, allowed the students some free time to play basketball, football, ping-pong, cards, etc. We have fed the student’s supper and have educational sessions set up for them. The educational sessions include discussions about sexual harassment from the SRO, a lesson on etiquette by the Kappa Fraternity, and a goal setting session by a former student and pro football player in the community.
The first night was meet with some frustration by the adults because of the student’s behavior, however I think this is most of the young men’s first event like this and they were excited and did not mean to be disrespectful at times. The students did come around and got to participate with their teachers, administrators, and community members in a variety of activities that allowed them to see adults in a different light. Most of the adults took time in the various activities to teach students about teamwork and how to improve their skills.
With much work my colleagues and I will strive to make these 6th grade young men a positive force within the school community.