Adolescence

By: Luke Daniels

Introduction to Adolescence

 This presentation will cover

 Physical Development
 Physical Brain Development
 Cognitive Development
 Social-Emotional Development
 Application within Education
 Personal Interest
 I am personally interested more in this topic because I am aiming to be a High
School Music Educator and this is the age range of students I would be working
with.
Physical Development within
Adolescence
 Puberty
 Differences between biological sexes
 Biological Male
 Biological Female
 Societal Effects
Physical Development – The Brain

 Gray Matter Changes

 Brain Function
 Hormone Releases
Cognitive Development

 Thinking Abstractly
 Advanced Reasoning
 Meta Cognition
 Learning is Enhanced
Social-emotional Development

 Managing Emotions
 Self-Esteem
 Stress
 Social Circles
 Peer Pressure
 Social Interaction
Application

 As educators, it is important that we are aware of the stage of development

that the age group we teach is at.
 Even then we need to be wary of the deviations from the norm at that stage of
development.
 Adolescents tend to be going through a lot no matter who they are.
 Being aware of someone going through something you don’t know about is crucial
because there is most likely a good reason why there is a student not performing
well in a course. Working with counselors/parents/guardians is important to help
give a student the best education we can provide.
Application (continued)

 Adolescents are changing on behalf of their hormones.

 Their hormones are making their bodies change and they are all trying to figure out
their own bodies and emotions while trying to learn which can be distracting.
Being aware of this is crucial because it will help educators better understand how
their students are responding to their education. Their brains are changing in a
way that can make it difficult for them to learn sometimes so being supportive for
students is important.
 Creating a Classroom
 Having an open dialogue classroom where students can more openly work with
other students can foster more positive connections within their social circles. This
can help some students who may not have larger social circles.
Conclusion

 It is crucial for educators to be aware of the age group they are working with.
An educator who does not consider the feelings and inherent problems an
age group has, is not going to be an effective educator. To teach effectively
is not only know the material but to also know the group they are teaching
the material too. There is not one single way to teach a topic.
References

Konrad, K., Firk, C., & Uhlhaas, P. J. (2013). Brain development during
adolescence: neuroscientific insights into this developmental period. Deutsches
Arzteblatt international, 110(25), 425–431. doi:10.3238/arztebl.2013.0425
Office of Adolescent Health. (2019, October 25). Adolescent Development
Explained. Retrieved from https://www.hhs.gov/ash/oah/adolescent-
development/explained/.
Santrock, J. W. (2018). Educational psychology: theory and application to
fitness and performance. New York: McGraw-Hill Education.