encountering new life forms: meeting adolescent needs how to teach young teenagers without losing...

Encountering New Life Encountering New Life Forms: Meeting Adolescent Forms: Meeting Adolescent NeedsNeeds

How to teach young How to teach young teenagers without losing your teenagers without losing your mind.mind.

Development of the Development of the Person:Person:

Primary needsPrimary needs• UnlearnedUnlearned

Secondary needsSecondary needs• LearnedLearned

– Toward self-sufficiencyToward self-sufficiency– Toward self-actualizationToward self-actualization

Strommen’s Five Cries of Strommen’s Five Cries of YouthYouth

The cry of the unlovedThe cry of the unloved The cry of the orphanThe cry of the orphan The cry of social protestThe cry of social protest The cry of prejudiceThe cry of prejudice The cry of the joyfulThe cry of the joyful

Worries of AdolescentsWorries of Adolescents

56% school performance 22% my parents might divorce53% looks 21% I may die soon48% others like me 19% sexual abuse47% one parent might die 18% trouble from friends45% how I’m treated by friends38% societal ills 15% parent’s drinking36% violence at school 12% getting beat up at school35% I might lose a friend 11% I might kill myself35% drugs/alcohol30% might not get a good job26% body normality25% US nuked

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%

Elementary

Middle

High

GirlsBoys

I AM HAPPY THE WAY I AM

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%

Elementary

Middle

High

GirlsBoys

I AM GOOD AT A LOT OF THINGS

Self-development tasksSelf-development tasks

1. Achieving mature 1. Achieving mature relations with age-relations with age-mates of both sexes;mates of both sexes;

2. Achieving a 2. Achieving a masculine or masculine or feminine identity;feminine identity;

3. Accepting one’s 3. Accepting one’s body;body;

4. Achieving 4. Achieving emotional independ.emotional independ.

5. Selecting & 5. Selecting & preparing for career;preparing for career;

6. Achieving financial 6. Achieving financial independence;independence;

7. Preparing for 7. Preparing for marriage & family lifemarriage & family life

8. Socially 8. Socially responsible behaviorresponsible behavior

9. Ethics & set of 9. Ethics & set of values.values.

Some Adolescent IssuesSome Adolescent Issues

SleepSleep SexSex Self-imageSelf-image Prolongation of adolescenceProlongation of adolescence IndependenceIndependence PeersPeers EthicsEthics

The Early AdolescentThe Early Adolescent

Rapid growthRapid growth Girls ahead of boysGirls ahead of boys Sensitive about Sensitive about

being differentbeing different Deep, close rel. Deep, close rel.

w/same sexw/same sex Questioning Questioning

authorityauthority AntagonisticAntagonistic Sense of justiceSense of justice

InquisitiveInquisitive Sexual awarenessSexual awareness New rolesNew roles Need security, deep Need security, deep

lovelove Peer standardsPeer standards Conformity to fadsConformity to fads New sense of New sense of

chronologychronology

Secondary needsSecondary needs

GregariousnessGregariousness AggressionAggression AffiliationAffiliation InquisitivenessInquisitiveness PowerPower AchievementAchievement StatusStatus

GregariousnessGregariousness

Social beingsSocial beings Need to belong:Need to belong:

• Homeroom may be homeHomeroom may be home• Need to know teacher loves themNeed to know teacher loves them• Need to be part of the teamNeed to be part of the team

The voices of youthThe voices of youth

“Many of us see our teachers more than we see our parents. I think that teachers need to realize that they are a part of ourlives as much as they are. Yes, our parents are important, but teachers are also because we see them so much.

-9th grade girl

AggressionAggression

The need to assert, carve out The need to assert, carve out territory, have “turf”.territory, have “turf”.

Allow opinions to be expressedAllow opinions to be expressed Involve them in problem solvingInvolve them in problem solving Let them take care of routine tasksLet them take care of routine tasks Acknowledge their presence & Acknowledge their presence &

uniquenessuniqueness

The voices of youthThe voices of youth

“I like the way I am. I have a family that supports me and loves me, too. Sometimes my classmates try to be someone else. I think they look ridiculous; you shouldalways be yourself, no matter what.”

11 year-old girl

AffiliationAffiliation

Need to associateNeed to associate Boys/girls and relationshipsBoys/girls and relationships FriendshipsFriendships School spiritSchool spirit Belonging/gangsBelonging/gangs

The voices of youthThe voices of youth

“ I was just dying to fit in with a certain crowd. It took methe whole seventh grade year to realize that for people to like you, you have to be yourself and not put on a front.”

14 year-old boy

Inquisitiveness: the need Inquisitiveness: the need to knowto know

Relation of learning to lifeRelation of learning to life ““senioritis”senioritis” CuriosityCuriosity

The voices of youthThe voices of youth

“ I don’t know. I just wanted to try out everything. I wantedto know what it was like to get drunk or high or everything.I guess I didn’t think of the consequences. I think youdon’t really learn the important things in school. Youhave to try stuff out to really learn.”

12 year-old boy

Power: the need for Power: the need for identityidentity

Decision-makingDecision-making Graffiti, Dare-devil antics, gangsGraffiti, Dare-devil antics, gangs

The voices of youthThe voices of youth

“ I changed my attitude because I wasn’t showing people respect. When I realized what I was doing, I said,’This isn’t right. I should treat others like I wanted to be treated.’”

13 year-old boy

AchievementAchievement

Need for recognition for something Need for recognition for something specificspecific

Motivation: boys vs. girlsMotivation: boys vs. girls Creation of Rites of PassageCreation of Rites of Passage

The voices of youthThe voices of youth

“I never had more than five minutes to sit down andbreathe. I like being busy but it got to a point whereit was just way too much.”

15 year-old girl(was captain of the volleyball team, first-chair flute withThe school orchestra, played on the tennis team, takingSinging and art classes and had 3 hours of homework nightly.)

StatusStatus

The need to be somebodyThe need to be somebody Demonstrate students’ power over Demonstrate students’ power over

their statustheir status Value all kinds of talentValue all kinds of talent Notice them outside the classroomNotice them outside the classroom

The voices of youthThe voices of youth

“it’s cool to see your name on the broadcast monitor in the cafeteria or in the local paper because you scored thewinning basket. No one is going to get on the PA and say ‘Susie got an A in Spanish.’”

-12 year-old boy

AutonomyAutonomy

Need for independence: rebellionNeed for independence: rebellion ““Don’t trust anyone over 30”Don’t trust anyone over 30” Need for choices AND Need for choices AND

consequencesconsequences Jobs, financesJobs, finances

The voices of youthThe voices of youth

“Nobody should change for anyone, no matter how muchthey get made fun of, laughed at or even talked about,because you’re your own person.”

14 year-old girl

How do we encounter How do we encounter them?them?

Listen, listen, listenListen, listen, listen Stick with themStick with them Keep asking questionsKeep asking questions Take them seriouslyTake them seriously Dare them to dreamDare them to dream Don’t try to “fix” thingsDon’t try to “fix” things

Why?

Where?

How?

When

What?

The voices of youthThe voices of youth

“Enjoy your time in middle school while it lasts. When youget older, I’m not saying things get harder, but there is alot more responsibility in high school. Don’t be so quickto want to be adults.”

16 year-old girl