Looking Past the Surface

As Dolgin (2011) very accurately states, “Sometimes, adolescents who are angry or unhappy turn outward…sometimes the anger or unhappiness turns against the self” (p. 354). Either result can be extremely damaging to the adolescent and the people in his or her life. Adolescents are going through emotional, physical, and mental changes, and are often not equipped to appropriately deal with all of these major changes. For some adolescents, running away seems to be the only option; some develop severe depression and contemplate suicide; others turn to eating disorders such as anorexia or bulimia; some break laws serious enough to become juvenile delinquents and/or join gangs; still others turn to drug or alcohol abuse (Dolgin, 2011). There are very real choices that adolescents are faced with.

It is our job as teachers to see our students as more than a seat filler. We need see our students and human being with ever changing feelings and emotions. Because we have the unique opportunity to see our students on a daily basis, often time more than any other adult sees them, we are able to notice the signs of something wrong. Adolescents are working on developing and refining their decision making skills. According to Ross, there are five skills to decision making, most of which focus on alternatives and their merits (Dolgin, 2011, p. 134). Unfortunately, young adolescents may not recognize an alternative course of action, especially when they are depressed and feel lost. Consequently, adolescents can then make poor decisions, some of which may negatively affect the course of their life.

School is more than a place to learn math, literature, history, or science.  Don’t fail your students; see and hear what they aren’t saying and you could be their champion.

Reference

Dolgin, K.G. (2011). The adolescet: Development, relationships, and culture (13thed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.