“Teachers need to address young adolescents’ social and emotional concerns and identity issues through curriculum, school programs, and the development of a personal healthy relationship with each student.”
— Who am I? The Social, Emotional, and Identity Trials of Young Adolescence, Brown & Knowles (pp. 38)
I remembered we were asked to interview passer-by about their opinions on adolescence, our interviewee mentioned that except for a general consideration, schools should also focus on individual needs.
It is true that most schools do concern about adolescents and they offer courses (e.g. Adolescent Relationships and Sexual Ethics) to guide they to avoid misbehaviors and give them some clues about normal phenomena in adolescence. However what the school offers is a general information which may vary due to different specific situation. From these courses Adolescents acquire a basic understanding towards what they have been through at this very moment, but they may still be confused about their personal case. In this sense, it is the teacher’s responsibility to offer individual attention to every single adolescent’s physical and cognitive change.
At the same time, as what the author mentioned later, the teacher can’t offer effective instructions without setting up a frequent communication with parents. It’s important to inform parents that their children are in their adolescence so they may behave differently from what they used to be. The support and comprehension from parents are always essential when the teacher is dealing with adolescents’ issue. It’ll be more helpful if the teacher could keep in contact with parents, so that they can notice students’ latest situation and avoid any regretful results (like the concussion that we discussed in the class) due to ignorance or late attention.
Cindy
When we went outside to interview strangers about adolescents, I remember the guy I spoke to mentioning that smaller class sizes would help students and teachers because they would be able to give individual attention to students that can help them succeed academically and socially. I think it’s really important that many people are realizing that individual attention goes past their academic needs in the classroom and expands towards their social and emotional needs outside of the classroom as well.
Keeping a constant line of communication between teacher, student, and parents is important because all three involved play a part in the development of the student. Unfortunately, there are cases in which the parents can not be involved and that is when the role of a teacher becomes even more difficult then it already is because sometimes teachers have to compensate for that loss of influence on a students life. I just believe that if we take our time to focus on our students and their needs then classroom instruction and student development will fall into place as well.