By Jasper Smith, GTA Instructor
Day one of my fall GTA class started with an icebreaker activity in which each student shared their name with the group and two interesting facts about themselves. It’s amazing how nervous people get when you put them on the spot and make them share something about themselves. Nearly the entire class said “I don’t know anything interesting about me” or “I don’t do anything special”, which we all know isn’t true. That held true for all except one young lady, who decided to share how awesome she was and how everyone in the group should follow her on Instagram. Confidence was definitely something she didn’t lack. Since Game Theory’s program is 10-weeks, the icebreaker helped the class gel and perhaps spark some new friendships.
I asked the group if anyone had a desire to be a CEO in the future. I didn’t get many hands, but I expressed to them that they were already a CEO—the primary decision maker in their lives. Some still had this puzzled look on their face. I explained that while some people affected their decisions, they had the final say in their decisions and should do everything in their power to make every decision count.
Then we turned the discussion to each student’s best interest, which would be the primary focus of the rest of the evening. It should come as no surprise that these teens know the difference between what they should do and what they want to do, but outside influences may influence their decisions. We talked through a scenario about the decision to stay home and study, or attend a party. A few of the students agreed that they should stay home and do their homework (which was in their best interest) but for the students who wished to attend the party, they began to second guess themselves once they were forced to share their rationale. This type of thing happens all too often in our daily lives, and your gut decision will constantly be challenged.
It was a great first class and I’m super excited about what the nine remaining classes have in store.