Running head: ADDRESSING EARLY ADOLESCENT NEEDS 1

Addressing Early Adolescent Needs

Kathryn Stirk

University of Phoenix
ADDRESSING EARLY ADOLESCENT NEEDS 2

Addressing Early Adolescent Needs

There are numerous roles and strategies middle school teachers can use as tools to help

engage their students in the learning process as well as simultaneously address their individual

needs. Classroom teachers play important roles in students’ lives ranging from establishing a

sense of community to tailoring the instruction to individual student’s needs. Teachers must also

implement classroom strategies regarding typical daily routines and how to effectively present

the curriculum. While teaching can surely be challenging occasionally, efficient classroom

practices are essential to the development of a comfortable and positive school environment.

Although there are an endless number of key practices educators can use as tools, there are five

in particular that are especially important. These specific practices primarily intend to create the

necessary caring and supportive learning environment for the students. Not only does this type of

environment help boost self-confidence and social interactions, but it also positively affects

student achievement.

Best Practices and Their Implementation

According to Manning and Bucher (2009), it is important to develop “a positive learning

environment throughout the school communities in an effort to provide a place in which 10- to

15-year-olds can feel a sense of belonging” (p. 222). This environment allows young adolescents

to express themselves freely and comfortably where others will not judge their ideas and

opinions. As a classroom teacher, it is one of our roles to create this ‘sense of community’ not

only through established programs, but also through example. This can specifically be employed

through advisor-advisee programs. School advisories give each student “the opportunity to

participate in a small interactive group with peers and school staff to discuss school, personal,
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and societal concerns” (Manning & Bucher, 2009, p. 69). Additionally, it is crucial for each

teacher to set an example for the students by opening up about their own personal experiences.

For example, this practice can be implemented through a 20-minute advisory strictly composed

of the same gender. Each week can be used to discuss different problems facing young

adolescents. By dividing the advisory classes by gender, it places students in a community where

they should feel more comfortable discussing certain issues. This is a class that can be integrated

into a middle school curriculum daily, providing a safe haven for middle school students in

addition to a place where they can become familiar with and educated on common adolescent

issues.

Furthermore, it is also one of our roles to tailor our instruction to individual student’s

needs. Through the wording of questions and the timing provided for responses, students’

learning can be significantly affected. While one student may be able to provide an answer

following a simple question, another may need further explanation through alternative methods,

such as concrete objects or visuals. This can be employed through a teacher’s specific

‘interaction fingerprint’. According to Joanne Olson (2008), these ‘interaction fingerprints’ “tend

to [remain] common across subject areas and last throughout the school day” (p. 45). In her

article, she discusses four components of how teachers interact with their students regarding how

questions are directed towards them and the amount of ‘wait time’ given for student responses.

By asking questions that require extended answers rather than a single phrase, teachers can truly

understand student’s comprehension of the material. Take science as an example. Questions,

such as ‘How does that work?’ and ‘How could you account for this?’, encourage students to

provide a solid explanation for what has happened during an experiment. These questions can be
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altered depending on which student is called on, making this practice flexible based on student

needs.

Jerome Freiberg’s Consistency Management and Cooperative Discipline (CMCD)

present effective daily routines that can be used within any school setting as well as any grade.

Freiberg divided CMCD into five main themes. His third and fourth themes inspire classroom

routines, such as a ‘classroom constitution’ and ‘one-minute managers.’ Both of these ideas help

students “develop a feeling of ownership, become involved, and have opportunities for self-

discipline” (Manning & Bucher, 2009, p. 236). For example, teachers can have their students

create a list of classroom rules and expectations in a ‘constitution’ at the beginning of each year.

While a teacher can provide guidance in creating this, the students are usually capable of

brainstorming desired classroom rules and expectations. By placing this responsibility in the

students’ hands, “the children [usually] hold themselves accountable” (Geiken, Van Meeteren, &

Kato, 2009, p. 261). This could be implemented within a single classroom as well as with

troubled young adolescents. Overall, Freiberg’s CMCD is intended to provide students with

more responsibility in the classroom, making them an active participant in their own education.

Finally, integrating technology into the classroom and making connections across all

content areas are two practices that more specifically address individual student’s learning needs

through their personal interests. For students who enjoy using the computer, it is important to

include technology as an option in the classroom. This can be employed by having instructional

software available for students, such as Classworks. Not only does Classworks provide another

option for students, but it also “automatically customizes instruction for each student based on

their results” (Anonymous, 2008, p. 3). More specifically, this can be implemented during class

time when appropriate. Following instruction, students who learn better with technology can use
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Classworks to practice the material as other students simply do individual or group work. It may

also benefit students if connections are made across the curriculum. This can easily be

accomplished by creating thematic units. These units tie content areas, such as Math and Social

Studies, together to one common theme. For example, as students learn about the stock market

crash of 1929 in Social Studies, they could simultaneously simulate a stock market in Math.

However, it will not always be possible to connect all content areas to one theme. By integrating

technology into the classroom and making connections across the curriculum, students are more

likely to be academically successful.

In general, these five classroom practices help engage students in learning while also

addressing individual student’s needs. Some practices are simply general classroom strategies

that demonstrate appropriate classroom behaviors and give students more ownership in their

education. Other practices address various instructional methods that tailor the curriculum

towards individual students’ interests by integrating technology into the classroom and making

connections across all content areas. As educators, it is important to find the best practices that fit

our needs as a teacher as well as our students’ needs. Not only are the needs of early adolescents

always changing, but the roles and strategies used by middle school teachers are also.
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References

Anonymous. (2008). Louisiana educators welcome Classworks differentiated instruction as

strong solution. Education Letter, p. 3. Retrieved June 4, 2010, from ProQuest database.

Geiken, R., Van Meeteren, B. D., & Kato, T. (2009). Putting the cart before the horse: The role

of a socio-moral atmosphere in an inquiry-based curriculum. Childhood Education,

85(4), 260-263. Retrieved June 4, 2010, from ProQuest database.

Olson, J. K. (2008). The crucial role of the teacher. Science and Children, 46(2), 45-49.

Retrieved June 4, 2010, from ProQuest database.

Manning, M. L., & Bucher, K. T. (2009). Teaching in the middle school (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle

River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.