FIRST META-REFLECTION
As a teacher I hope to provide for students the right tools for them to adequately manage and cope with such a time of “storm and stress” during adolescence. Many changes happen during puberty both physical and cognitive, and together via a reciprocal relationship, they form the agent who is the one experiencing these changes, and both play a very important part in puberty.
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In examining topic two on “Puberty and Physical Health” and relating it to topic three regarding the “Adolescent Brain” it’s interesting to see how closely intertwined the two subjects are. To begin the physical process of puberty, the brain signals to start the process, and interestingly, the brain signals the beginning of puberty because it detects a significant change of hormone level in the body, and this change communicates the change in level to the neurotransmitters forming a very shared and cyclical relationship between cause and effect, and mind and body.
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Nevertheless, the outward physical changes are usually the most noticeable to begin with during puberty. The brain continues to change and develop well into our late teens and early twenties but for the most part, physical changes in puberty have already occurred and ended for most people by that age.
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In our topic three class note slides, it explained that one of the last parts and one of the last parts to develop is the Pre-frontal cortex – that which is responsible for our judgement, organizing, and reasoning (slide 3, titled “1. Brain development”). In relating comparing topic two and topic three I can anticipate that the delayed formation of that part of the brain can have an effect on how students are able to think about healthy choices. They may not be able to comprehend or reason about the effects of unhealthy choices whether it is eating habits, substance abuse, sleep, exercise, etc. Their lack of judgment during puberty can make it hard for students to make proper health decisions.
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As a teacher I can influence their adolescent development by teaching them what healthy choices are, modelling them myself, and giving the students ways to implement them on their own. In dealing with this generally stressful period of development, adolescents should receive knowledge about tools they can use to best cope with the rapid changes. They may not think of the long term effects of what their chosen coping methods might be so as a teacher I can have an influence on their knowledge of the effects and perhaps ultimately influence on their choices. I will introduce them to healthy coping mechanism and show them how the effects of healthy coping strategies have far better outcomes then the negative coping strategies. One example of doing this is by using the “Body Image Tool Kit” referenced in my Topic two reflection.
I would also influence students’ development of healthy choices by modelling them myself. If I am someone that they listen and learn from, then they might look up to me and choose to model after my behaviour. In this sense, the student’s development will influence me as well. I will be more aware of the choices I make so that I can model healthy choices for the students.
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In Choices, an award-winning magazine on health and lifestyle for Teens, they have outlined healthy ways for a teacher to manage stress and they suggest not hiding the stress, but instead educating students on what ways you as a teacher can successfully manage the stressful situation.
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At Funderstanding.com, a resource for teachers and parents interested in the best teaching methods, Observational learning was emphasized as being highly effective. This website helps support the idea that what I demonstrate as teacher is often more influential then what I say to my students as a teacher because more emphasis is placed on acquiring the behaviour instead of only performing the behaviour. If a student has acquired a skill that means that they have internalized it. When the internalization happens we can have more confidence that the student will use it on their own. Therefore, by educating, modelling and having the students keep me accountable, responsible, and deliberate in my health choices, I as a teacher can equip students with tools to manage and use healthy decisions in their day to day lives.
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Resources:
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http://choices.scholastic.com/blog/4-ways-model-healthy-stress-management-your-students
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http://www.funderstanding.com/educators/observational-learning/
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Topic Three Slide Notes,
(https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6vH9ldTQLzIRlVoZVBjdzRYRGs/view)
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