“Rather than try to suppress the changes and contradictions that your students play out every day, you can attempt to work with them. School then becomes their place to practice new ways, which can grow, with time and encouragement, into new attitudes and habits” from “Everything is Off Balance.”

I love this quote. What I take from it is that as a teacher I need to be patient with the students and allow them to experiment with their identity, but also provide them with other possibilities that they can choose from. Because they are experimenting with their identity it is up to teachers to expose them to other possibilities that they might not gravitate towards. We can do this by being tolerant and understanding of adolescents and by being passionate about our subject material and work so that students  can explore it with an open mind. Unfortunately, this is not easily achieved. Negative peer pressure is vey powerful, which is why it is important to create a healthy, safe classroom environment based on trust, respect and openness, among other things, so that students feel as comfortable as possible exploring.  Though it is important to be patient, there must be rules and boundaries in order for it to be a safe learning place where students can express themselves freely.