Lesson 7: Think like a Teenager

As a teacher, it is imperative that I keep in mind that adolescents are going to be impulsive and emotional.  Adults, in contrast are typically better able to provide reasoning and organized thoughts to process their feelings.  Adolescents have to be accountable for their negative actions, however, as a teacher, I have to keep a perspective that they are not adults and will act differently. When I am communicating with adolescents, I have to provide gentle guidance and discipline in order to help them develop the reasoning and organized thought processes that my students need to be successful in life.  Modeling reasoning, impulse control, and organized thinking, even when it is difficult, is very important to help guide students.  An example of this is not letting students’ behavior affect me.  As a teacher, I need to remain calm and collected, setting an example to all of my students. As teachers, we need to put ourselves into our student's shoes to understand them.  Thinking like a teenager will go along way!