No bells, tests, or lectures? In high school? How can that be?
For my Sophomore Block experience, I am embracing the opportunity to be placed at a school that takes a unique project-based approach to learning. My students are largely in charge of their own learning, with a significant amount of independent work time. In addition to the unique academic landscape at my placement, the social-emotional environment is one full of warmth, diverse perspectives, and closeness.
An amazing side effect of this structure is that I have had ample time to get to know these students through conversations– whether I was included or more of an eavesdropping observer. These conversations and observations give clues to the developmental stages of my 6th-12th graders!
For example, I got to engage in a conversation about post high-school plans that gave insight to the identity development of one particular student.
I was thrilled to be approached by a student with questions about my college experience. She was curious about her options and expressed that she has thought of attending a two-year college. Together, we made a list of her interests and searched online for schools and programs related to anything she might be interested in. I wanted her to get a sense of the possibilities that exist, made possible by hard work now in high school. Portland State University states that as adolescents develop formal operations, they gain “deeply personal meaning, value, and emotion” (The Human Development Teaching & Learning Group).
I was impressed by how clearly she expressed her interests to me, seeming to know herself pretty well! While she lacks some reason about practicality (as many high schoolers do), she has a foundation for her authentic beliefs and desires. She was able to communicate what was important to her– an important feature of developing a strong, personal identity.
Speaking more generally, I am also seeing evidence that a significant driver for adolescents is wanting to appear independent, a concept my Education 279 class discussed. I have noticed some of my students denying help. As a college student, if a teacher asked me if I’d like help with anything, I would likely jump at the bit to make my workload easier! However, I have found that my students like to brush off my attempts at aiding their projects. Granted, I am at a school that prioritizes independent projects, but I still think it proves that adolescents greatly value the appearance of independence.
Lastly, I see evidence of the importance of social interactions on almost every aspect of my students’ development. This is especially prevalent amongst my younger high schoolers. One student told me about drama in their friend group, and she was deeply concerned about her role in it. She didn’t know what she did to deserve poor treatment from her friends. This was potentially a form of adolescent ego-centrism, in which my student failed to consider the friends’ perspectives or experiences and assumed that everyone was judging her. Or maybe she did something that genuinely upset another student. Either way, this social dilemma was impacting my student’s ability to focus in class and her overall school experience, demonstrating the importance of social interaction for our students!
Overall, these anecdotes prove that adolescent development is a complex process worth studying as educators in order to better understand our students as human beings first.
Source: The Human Development Teaching & Learning Group. (n.d.-a). Identity development during adolescence. Human Development. https://pdx.pressbooks.pub/humandevelopment/chapter/identity/
