Is Anything More Challenging than Teaching a Group of Teenagers?

Adolescent behavior is something that few adults seem to truly grasp. How often have we seen parents literally throw their arms up in the air in an act of frustration as they attempt to deal with their own son or daughter?

Actually I have seen many wonderful teachers truly struggle managing a classroom full of teenagers. They too at some point are ready to throw in the towel of desperation despite the fact that these teachers spend many hours with this age group every day.

I often hear the question as something like: What does one do with a room full of ego-centric creatures that see themselves as always being on stage? How does one handle a group of individuals that are self-centered yet truly are without an ounce of confidence?

I believe that these views are in fact correct. I mean how else could one view adolescents? They are so focused on appearing cool in front of their peers that they are then left vulnerable to the whims of those who set the standards for what is in fact cool.

Adolescent Behavior
Siobhan Curious writes in a recent blog post on adolescence by breaking out four behaviors that rule this age group. She relates the four characteristics as adolescent egocentrism, imaginary audience, personal fable and an illusion of vulnerability. She is dead on with these especially the vulnerability piece as it plays out with the poor grade that a student seems surprised to receive despite the fact that he or she has done almost no work for an entire grading period.

Most importantly, those wishing to understand and then deal appropriately with teenagers should pay close attention to her closing paragraphs:

“I think that, instead of labeling certain behaviors as rude, disrespectful, or foolish, viewing these behaviors as simply typical of the time in these students’ lives would help me maintain a more pleasant classroom demeanor and enjoy my students more as people, and would reinforce them instead of belittling them. This doesn’t mean giving carte blanche, of course, but simply means being more sensitive.

I need to see students for what they are, instead of being frustrated by what they are not. I don’t think this means accepting behavior that is unacceptable – sometimes the best way to teach someone and to help him or her along to the next level is to say, “That’s not cool. Stop doing that.” However, by bringing a sincere acceptance of, and curiosity about, them into the classroom, I can alleviate my own irritation and can perhaps, indirectly, help them see themselves more clearly as well.”

Balance is Critical to Real Discipline
I have always believed in the tough love philosophy. You must be unbending on the few classroom rules that ensure a respectful classroom but that must be mixed with an equal dose of caring. The “Mean ‘till Halloween” mantra is truly an overstatement in my eyes - you must always separate the behavior from the student.

By understanding the behaviors associated with the teen years (discussed in detail in Siobhans’s blog), I believe teachers can learn to see the difference between the student and the behavior. If the student feels belittled or in some way ridiculed, the teacher quickly loses greater classroom control.

The surest way to head down the wrong path is to sarcastically address the very behaviors that teenagers are known to display – they will immediately see you as frustrated and ultimately in judgment of them. As Siobhan notes, it is extremely important to see students for what they are and where they are at in life.

In fact, the singer Cat Stevens wrote very eloquently in his song “Father and Son” the very thing that Siobhan is saying:

“You’re still young, that’s your fault, there’s so much you have to go through.”

Teachers must fully understand this – after all, we are the ones that others look to for answers when it comes to dealing with the age group that causes most parents to throw their hands up in frustration.