“(1) Adolescents actively create their own identities through their social interactions, (2) the nature of the social interactions they can have are influenced by the worlds they inhabit, (3) these worlds are shaped in part by external structures in which they are allowed to participate and in part by their own choices, and (4) these identities have implications for all aspects of their intellectual and social – emotional development” (Eccles & Roeser, 2011, p. 236)

This article had so many interesting and important points in it, that I feel like I had to find a quote that captured the gist of the entire piece. Reading this article made me realize how confusing, difficult, but important adolescence is. This is the time when kids are the most impressionable, vulnerable, and malleable. Every social interaction that they have, every relationship they form, every event that happens, has the ability to leave a lasting impression on them and impact who they become in the future. Whether it’s parent-child relationships, friendships, teacher-student relationships, etc., each one has its role. I think reading this article is especially important for educators because it outlines how every aspect of school life can influence an adolescent. For example, who makes up the student body, how big the school is, how big the class is, who students are hanging out with, what their relationships are with teachers, what after school activities are available, when school starts and ends, what the students are being taught in class, how the students are being taught in class, how they can relate what is being taught in class to their own lives, and the list goes on. Every piece of school life plays a crucial role for adolescents in promoting academic achievement, self-confidence, feeling comfortable to discover themselves, feeling comfortable enough to try and fail until they succeed, feel like they are capable to succeed, etc., and it is our job as educators to be especially aware of our adolescent students’ surroundings, and pay attention and learn about them not only as students, but as growing individuals. A teacher’s main job is to teach the curriculum, but it is also our job to understand and realize how big a lasting impression we make on our students’ lives (not only academically, but socially and emotionally as well), and ensure that we do everything within our reach to provide them with what they need to make them feel safe and allow them to grow and discover themselves with the security that there is always someone there to help them along the way.