By F. Bate, SENCO
The teenage brain can be a complete mystery that can turn a
rational, perfectly logical young person into an enigma – fundamentally
different to anything that you know. However, we have to get wonderful GCSE grades
from these alien beings; the question is HOW?
Understanding this mind is the first step and engaging the
brain is next without pressing the wrong button of the hormonal ticking time
bomb – push that one and you are in a whole world of rage against the machine.
It’s all about striking that fine balance and although, we were once teenagers
ourselves, today’s world is unknown territory.
Tidiness needs a sophisticated level of cognitive control,
and the way the teenage brain is connected means that their planning is not
very good. Well, their planning according to your understanding; when they have
their own social life to plan – not a problem.
Anger and frustration is a norm because their brains are not
properly connected together yet, so the frustration comes from their lack of
understanding. This is a time when mental illness can come on, and anger can be
a front for depression or other anxiety disorders.
Teenagers are becoming independent; self-discovery and
novelty seeking behaviour is NORMAL! The scary part is ensuring it’s the right
kind of seeking and not the wrong kind, but then - do we control this or leave them to their
self-discovery? Tricky.
The Pastoral Office has a range of fantastic books that can
help with a better understanding of that mind that YOU have to turn into
subject experts to fill that basket of Progress 8 – so if you are stuck for a
reader in DEAR time come and check them out; even our more complex teenagers
are rocking the reads!
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