Soon after, John, as the new boy was called had been caught mingling with his peers already. It really doesn't take time to integrate. Does it? You may currently affirm that it's easy to make new friends in a new setting but not everyone will agree to that.
However, experience has taught us that when a new person goes to a new place, he/she is usually not the one to make the first effective move. Someone who seems interested and has become attached to the new comer usually make the first move that will spark the continuing bond of friendship.
Hi, good morning. Is this your notebook on the table? Yes, the other person responded. Typical way to start out but in this case the new boy was bold enough to initiate the conversation. He's a smart boy indeed. In the next few minutes, he was already engaged with the pupils sitting close to him.
He had left the headmaster to wander away in his thoughts but was just lucky to meet people that gave him the attention he desired or at least, respond with a commensurate degree.
John, now a major citizen in the class of 30 pupils, has found his rightful place in his closest circle. Just for the sake of courtesy, you can call anyone a friend but we all know that there are the real friends in any case. His real trends made him find life during the school hours and gave him another reason to be in school.
Many have come before him and many new people will come after him and although they would usually pass through virtually the same phase of integration, the fates of distribution and circle formation were essentially different. Everyone homes to the group that both suits them.
At the end, their behaviours will obviously reflect that of the group to the which they have accepted to belong. John would end up being the most notorious boy in the school whereas the boy he first talked to on his first day in the school became the best graduating pupil. And this was attributed to the company they both kept.
In peer groups, one of the most important factors that is often mentioned is 'peer pressure'. Peer pressure in itself is not a negative factor, neither is it necessarily positive but the outcome is dependent on the group in question. And I'm sure John's peer group was full of negative energies which was also dissipated to him.
There is power in peer influence. Realising this makes every wise person to know and deliberately choose the company they want to belong to.
However, for children it may be the role of someone more advanced than them. In this case, the role of peer-educator relationship cannot be overemphasized.
0 Comments