The “Please Take Care of Youth Teachers Workbook” is included in the text.
Renewed to suit the changing ministry environment
Second Edition

Please take care of the youth teacher

The calling of being a youth teacher is by no means romantic.
In the place where life is born and grows, things that are not organized are everywhere.
Pastor Jeong Seok-won, author of “Please Take Care of Youth Teachers,” says that the youth field is a world where rewards and wounds, hospitality and rejection coexist intertwined among youth and youth, youth and teachers, teachers and teachers, and teachers and parents.
So, paradoxically, being called to be a youth teacher is undoubtedly an incomparable calling.
The author states that while adolescence is undoubtedly a difficult journey, it is also a process of change and growth, and witnessing that change is an ecstatic privilege and an incomparably sweet fruit given to teachers of youth.
He knows better than anyone the difficulties faced by teachers of young people, and he wanted to provide practical help through this book, to the extent that he personally listened to the concerns of over 100 teachers of young people across the country and wrote it.
First published in 2021, "Please Take Care of Our Youth Teachers," which has become a must-read for youth teachers, includes the "Please Take Care of Our Youth Teachers Workbook" in the main text to facilitate readers' utilization of the content, and some of the content has been revised to reflect changes in the ministry environment.

The church in Corinth needed one man, Paul, who was like a father to them, more than ten thousand teachers.
The church in Corinth needed a heart that would give birth to souls through the gospel more than any other need.
Paul's diagnosis and prescription raise the following questions for us today:
“Am I one of the ten thousand teachers for the souls of teenagers? Or am I their spiritual parent?”
--- p.27

There were three main reasons why I felt skeptical.
First of all, it was because of the ‘youth generational shift’ that was happening too quickly.
In the past, there was a unique culture that only they shared, even though they were of different grades and genders.
But as time goes by, youth culture becomes harder to define.
It has become increasingly diverse and complex.
Every year, as a freshman, I had to meet a completely 'new humanity'.
Graduation is when the kids get a little used to it.
And we welcome a new humanity.
The rapid generational shift of young people, who are forced to follow rather than lead, has left us feeling deeply tired.
--- From “Please #4 “God’s heart is enough””

Although puberty is a time of inactivity, they are very talkative when they are with their peers.
At first, I couldn't adapt either.
I felt a sense of betrayal when I saw children who were quiet during small group time become talkative when they were with their friends.
The more I meet young people, the more I feel one thing.
The truth is that children want to talk about their inner feelings.
Children have conditions for opening their mouths.
It's trust.
He is very talkative and tells his true feelings to those he trusts.
Trust is proportional to the time spent together.
--- From “The Inner Thoughts of a Youth Teacher #1 “Am I Okay Like This?”

[Middle school 1st year student (14 years old) - Spider-Man “Who am I?”] Middle school 1st year students are similar to Spider-Man.
Like Spider-Man, he seriously contemplates his own identity.
Entering the tunnel of identity confusion, we begin to search for a vague sense of self.
At this time, it is essential to teach children a biblical sense of self-identity.
We must convey that we are God's chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to him (1 Peter 2:9).

First-year middle school students are very interested in their peers, especially friends of the same sex.
This is because peer groups are formed in earnest through same-sex friends.
The main motivation that drives these children is same-sex friends.
Having a lot of same-sex friends in your church increases your chances of settling down.
So, having same-sex members in your small group helps with settling in.
With children, you need to increase intimacy through exercise or conversation, and reduce awkwardness by being a little over-the-top and welcoming.
--- From "Please #8 "The grade I'm in charge of, would you like to try this?"

If you have a channel of communication with young people, there are mistakes that can ruin the conversation.
This mistake is often not recognized by teachers.
Although it may be said with good intentions on the teacher's part, it may be difficult for the student to accept it.

[Discussing right and wrong] Of course, there are times when we need to teach young people right and wrong.
But the conversation is different.
Conversations should be shared on equal footing.
Otherwise, teenagers will hear it as nothing more than a scolding or nagging.
When talking to teenagers, it's best to be careful not to make value judgments like, "You shouldn't think that way," "It's your fault," or "Why can't you think that way?"
Because good intentions may not be properly communicated.
If you absolutely must bring it up, you should carefully bring it up when the conversation is over and the child is mentally ready to listen.

[Having Preconceptions and Prejudices] You cannot have a full conversation with a teenager if you have preconceptions and prejudices.
The teacher knows better than anyone else, and the students know better than anyone else.
That preconceptions and biases are blocking conversation.


[Providing an answer] Most young people who have conversations want empathy.
It is also necessary to provide answers.
Only when absolutely necessary.
Not every conversation requires an answer.
Empathy is needed.
--- From "Please #13 "Would you like to try this conversation with teenagers?"

Closed questions that lead to an answer or require guessing the correct answer can make small groups feel stiff.
Of course, you might ask this question:
However, closed questions should not become the main flow.
Even if you ask a question like this, it should end with an open question.
For example, it should lead to questions like, “What do you think?” or “Why do you think it was written this way?”
Here is an open question based on the same Joseph story:
Why is Joseph introduced only when he was 17? How do you think his brothers felt when they heard his dreams? Why did Jacob love Joseph more than his other sons? How did his brothers feel when they threw him into the pit? What were Joseph's thoughts when he was sold to Potiphar?

--- From "Please #15 "Youth Small Group, Would You Like to Try This?"