He also seemed to think that a classroom full of 14-year-old boys from poor neighborhoods would feel A-OK talking about their feelings in front of everyone. I don't know. The point isn't the stereotype, the point is that these young fellows conform to the stereotype and want incredibly badly to be tough right now, because that's what they need in order to survive all the shit that's happening to them. So I'm focusing on things like "working with girls and not feeling like you're being tainted" and "asking for help (yes, even though I'm a girl, it's okay to be that vulnerable, I'm not going to hurt you--or ask the guy, that's okay too, just ask for help)" and "having fun together instead of needing to look sullen all the time." You know, baby steps. Steps they can actually take.
He also wanted to get them to talk about how they've been wronged and ill-treated in their lives in their journals. You know, "hey dudes, let's talk about systematic oppression together." What the hell, dude. We need to show them that they can trust us so that if they need us, we'll be there. Demanding that these kids talk about the stuff that makes them cry is fucking reprehensible. Yes, we all know it's happening, yes, we know they're hiding stuff, yes, we know that this boy comes to class with cuts on his face and that girl always comes in looking exhausted and that girl has scars all down her arms, and it's our job to maybe say "hey, how's it going" once in a while but it's not right to demand disclosure and demand publicizing one's hurts. It's our job to make it clear that the lines of communication are open any time they want them, because forcing them to speak is kind of on the level of forcing them to stay silent--it takes away the little bit of control they've managed to develop.
Anyway. I understand that he wants to be the cool guy, and I understand that some people really don't want to be treated like children (as he said, he's trying to do what he needed). And on the other hand, other people, especially people who haven't been allowed to act like children, look for someone around whom they can be a child. But apparently to him parental == paternalistic, so there you go.
He's a moron.
As for the mental health thing, I'm not going to bring it up again. I didn't go to a work party that I had RSVP'd to with a maybe, because I just couldn't handle any more, but I'll be in on Monday ready to crack skulls, as usual.