Advice on Adolescents Transitioning into Adulthood

The goal of the teacher in an adolescent’s life is to help the adolescent get ready for the real world by giving the adolescent enough practice so that there are no big surprises when adulthood arrives. In order to accomplish this goal there must be reciprocal behaviors between the teacher and the adolescent. The teacher should have expectations of respect from the adolescent, expectations that school work should get done, and that overall grades should be average if the adolescent is of at least average intelligence. On the flip side, the adolescent should have expectations of support, expectations that they may ask the teacher questions, and expectations that the teacher wishes the adolescent good luck in the future.

Teachers cannot be too involved in bailing adolescents out of bad situations. This is why the teacher should at times wish the adolescent good luck, and let the adolescent solve some of their own problems. If a teacher becomes too involved a message may be sent that the teacher thinks the child cannot solve the problem on their own and that the teacher better do the work for the student.

Teachers need to give adolescents responsibilities. If the adolescent student blows the responsibility, then it will be a learning experience for the student. Generally the cost of a mistake as an adolescent in school is cheaper than in the adult world. When an adolescent makes a mistake regarding responsibilities consequences should occur and at the same time the teacher should express empathy to the adolescent student. Following the mistake, the same responsibility should be given to the adolescent again to show the adolescent that the teacher believes that the adolescent has learned and the job will get done. Teachers should encourage adolescents by focusing on their strengths. Adolescents like it when teachers can recognize their strengths. Also, teachers should let adolescents improve at their weaknesses before taking away an activity that is their strength.

Adolescents do need consequences. Teachers should give consequences that will hurt from the inside out. These consequences feel like they are from the real world. The consequence must be something that will truly make the adolescent internalize what they did wrong and correct the behavior in the future. Teachers should not give punishments that hurt from the outside in and do not make a lasting impression, but instead just create anger.

Teachers should try to be calm and rational when getting angry with adolescents. Teachers must also avoid being inconsistent with discipline. This will send the wrong message to adolescents. If a disagreement continues between a teacher and an adolescent a third party, who both the adolescent and the teacher respect, should be sought out to help end the disagreement. A good person in a school would be a guidance counselor.

Teaching adolescents to transition into adulthood means teaching adolescents to take responsibility for their own actions. The goal is to teach adolescents to make their own judgments, to make decisions, and to live with the consequences.