The Adolescent Demystified

By Thornton Parsons

Dealing with the issues of adolescence can be trying for all concerned, but educating teenagers doesn’t have to be as frustrating as trying to nail Jello to a tree. Educators help teenagers accomplish developmental goals, such as increasing responsibility and independence while navigating the tumultuous adolescent years.

Zimmerman and Cleary’s research (2006) suggests that adolescence is a pivotal developmental period in which youth begin to form an enduring sense of personal identity about themselves.  The researchers further state that adolescents are poor at setting goals and anticipating the consequences of their actions.  Getting teenagers to talk about their goals and their future is not an easy task.  Goal-setting at outdoor-driven programs like the Ivy Academy encompass activities for visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learners. The charter schools concept gives educators the ability to focus on the individual for learning styles and curricula needs.

Research is clear: Transitioning to high school coincides with major changes for adolescents. According to the Child Development Institute (CDI), most are in the throes of puberty; they’re becoming more self-aware and self-conscious; and their thinking is growing more critical and more complex. At the same time, adolescents are often seen as lacking in academic motivation and performance. However, autonomous learning opportunities allow students to perform and succeed, unfettered, at high levels.

Even though curriculum standards are grounded in academic disciplines, research shows that learning is grounded in ideas and concepts, contrary to “traditional” focus on learning isolated data (Bransford, Brown, & Cocking, 1999).  Academic excellence means challenging students to use their minds well by providing integrated instruction which crosses subject boundaries and provides real world experience.  Many charter-school educators can create small learning classroom communities to provide a variety of learning opportunities for developmental responsiveness to rigorous achievement standards.  Mutually respectful relationships support students’ intellectual, ethical, and social growth.

Knowledge and skills are not the only focal points for educational success.  To succeed in life, students must be equipped with attitudes and values to become successful learners, as well as productive citizens.  As the most victimized of any age group, teens should be equipped with the social skills to remove themselves from unfortunate, unhealthy, or dangerous situations or to defend themselves (CDI, 2011).  As students reason with thought and experience, so too, do they act impulsively, with little regard of the consequences of their actions.  Wise decision-making skills being reinforced at school and at home are critical components of success for an evolving teenager.

Ivy Academy educates students for college and life by fostering intellectual curiosity, academic accomplishment, physical fitness, and creative expression coupled with direct student involvement in school maintenance and community service.

Strong educators possess an acute understanding of academic motivation, academic achievement, and academic development.  Through the mode of outdoor instruction, a foundational element of Ivy Academy, students grow to become environmentally-conscious citizens who have appreciation for our natural resources.  A shared vision and higher learning expectations keep students’ future options open, as well as help each student produce high quality work and achieve personal and scholastic goals.  No matter what setting you choose for your student’s education, choose with the adolescent perspective in mind.

What are Charter Schools?

TN.Gov says that charter schools are public schools operated by independent, non-profit governing bodies that must include parents. In Tennessee, public charter school students are measured against the same academic standards as students in other public schools. Local boards of education ensure that only those charter schools open and remain open that are meeting the needs of their students, district and community. Local boards do this through rigorous authorization processes, ongoing monitoring of the academic and financial performance of charter schools, and, when necessary, through the revocation or non-renewal of charters.

There are approximately 41 charter schools operating in Tennessee, educating 9,000 students statewide.

Chattanooga area Charter Schools

Chattanooga Charter School of Excellence – www.chattanoogacharter.com

Chattanooga Girls’ Leadership Academy – www.cglaonline.com

Ivy Academy – www.ivyacademychattanooga.com

Knoxville area Charter Schools

Knox County STEM Academy

401 Henley Street, Knoxville

1-865-329-8440

www.knoxcountystemac.knoxschools.org

Knox County Schools

www.knoxschools.org