Topic 10: Problems
The reflection question for this topic is: what do I believe is my primary role as a teacher in helping teens manage difficulties?
Teens face many difficulties during their time afloat in adolescence. Many teen girls are internalizing their problems; due to whatever external social pressure, -- the pressure to be thin, popular, fashionable, etc. -- compounded with a biological tendency to turn inwards to reflect and ruminate, female students are coping with psychological problems such as depression (McArt, Schulman, & Gajary, 1999).
Body image issues in adolescent girls seems to be an accurate indicator for depression and low self-esteem (Goodman, Hinden, & Khandelwal, 2000). I believe this self consciousness stems from not understanding enough about the changes their bodies are going through and as a biology teacher, I can only hope to be a source of good information to my students.
Thus, I believe that a primary role of a teacher in helping teens manage difficulties is to convey useful and relevant information to students whether they know they need it or not. An informed student is one who can make educated choices. Girls might feel less compelled to try an extreme diet if their biology teacher assured them, in passing, during a lecture, that weight gain during adolescent years is one-hundred percent normal and healthy.
To be a giver of good information, one must be well informed about the needs of his students. This means understanding what type of infomation my students will find valuable and acting on it, which suggests I must know my students.
To help teens manage problems means more than fixing it for them; rather, it should be providing them with the tools and information necessary to solve their problems themselves. By knowing our students -- their questions, problems, doubts, whatever -- we can know what information to empower them with to overcome obstacles.
Additional Resources
1. Article about internalizing guilt across cultures: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00224545.1969.9922349?journalCode=vsoc20
2. YouTube video on the truth about teen depression: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txJGm6zhiBA
3. YouTube video on teen suicide: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDImUMPGV5U
4. Article about effects of depression on teen academic performance: http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/124/4/e596.short
References
Goodman, E., Hinden, B. R., & Khandelwal, S. (2000). Accuracy of teen and parental reports of obesity and body mass index. Pediatrics, 106(1), 52-58.
McArt, E. W., Shulman, D. A., & Gajary, E. (1999). Developing an educational workshop on teen depression and suicide: a proactive community intervention.Child Welfare: Journal of Policy, Practice, and Program.