Young Adolescents

Between the ages of 10-15, young adolescents are developing more than any other part of their lives; this being said, the middle school needs to be a developmentally appropriate place for them to emerge into self-actualizing citizens. Children in these early years grow in a very unique way. There are many theorists with ideas on child development. Adolescents are very vulnerable at this age, so they are affected by a lot of things. Adolescents are going through physical and cognitive growth. Most of them are going through puberty, which can be a difficult and confusing time. Their brains are shifting from thinking concretely to thinking more abstractly. They are also exploring different ideas and values, and trying to figure out who they are …show more content…
Teachers get together to talk about how they will implement the standards in their lessons. They can feed off of ideas from each other. The core curriculum consists of language arts, social studies, math, and science. The middle school also has an exploratory and advisory curriculum. Exploratory classes are different art, music, exercise, or nutrition classes that schools offer to expose students to a more diverse curriculum. Advisory classes are used to talk about different support, study strategies, or issues. It’s the teacher’s job to make sure students feel safe and secure, so that learning may take place. Young children are very curious. They may have a lot of questions. It is important to make sure students feel safe so that they are able to learn. Being a young adolescent can put a lot of pressure on someone, so it is important for schools to have opportunities to show students that what they are going through is natural. Schools should have counselors available, so students can feel like they have support, and people to talk to. It is important for these young adolescence to know they can open up to someone and ask questions about their …show more content…
They need to collaborate, and make sure the students’ needs are being fully met. Teachers should take opportunities to develop as well. They should create meaningful relationships with their students, so the students will feel safe with them and have a respect. The school should be a safe place for students. It should also be welcoming to the families of the students, because parents have a huge part in a young child’s life as well. Today, there are many different types of family structures. These families are very diverse throughout the schools. Some families include both parents and a few siblings, some families might only have one parent at home, or some students may live with a different relative or guardian. Schools should have parent education programs so parents or guardians can learn more about the middle school concept, and the developmental period their children are going through. It is important to collaborate with the parents, because they should have knowledge of the child and know techniques for working with them. Sometimes parents are being neglected, and it is important to keep them involved with community programs, and public policies. Communication is important for optimal