Middle School Survey

I love asking kids  what they’re thinking, watching, listening to…

My friend Rob has been taking surveys in the most interesting of locations. Rob runs an amazing ministry  in Granite Bay, CA (home of many of the Sacramento Kings players and families). Rob is on campus at several schools every week. One is a very “well off” high school campus, and another is an older community surrounded by apartments, fairly racially diverse (about 60% white, 20% hispanic, 10% black, 10% asian). It’s to this middle school that he offers a weekly “breakfast club” where over 100 kids come out each week for breakfast, conversation and just hanging out with adults that care.

Rob started taking a weekly survey at this breakfast club. When kids walk in they are offered this optional survey and a pen. Kids are growing to love these surveys and often anticipate it when they walk through the door, “Where’s this week’s survey?!!” Usually over 80% of the kids take the survey.

Rob and I talked about these surveys last week and I offered a few ideas for questions. One of the ones he implemented was “What is the last artist you listened to on your iPod?”

Here’s his results from this week’s survey– a fun peek into the mind of today’s middle schooler:  (the question, followed by the number of answers)

Please circle your first choice…

Would you rather…
1.    Be good looking  – 50
or
Be really smart – 33

Would you rather…
2.    Play sports in high school – 61
or
Play in the band – 22

Would you rather…
3.    Be rich – 30
or
Be happy – 51

Who was the last artist you listened to on your ipod?
4.    ______________________I have an actual list (per your suggestion) but summary 30 hip hop, 10 pop , 3 country  (Top answer: Lil Wayne, 2nd Eminem)

Does the music you listen to influence your life?
5.    Yes – 48
or
No – 32

If you had a family emergency is there an adult on campus you could talk to?
6.    Yes – 43
or
No – 38

I LOVE questions 5 and 6. Are you surprised at the percentages? (over a third of kids surveyed think the music doesn’t influence them… and almost exactly half of them don’t have an adult on campus they feel they could talk with- interestingly, those who checked “yes” probably meant Rob)

Hmmmmm.

What questions would you like to see on this survey? (Rob does this weekly and I’m sending him ideas)