Teaching practicum experience.

My experience working with teenagers.

Before start, I want to thanks to my tutors: Cristian Torres and Alejandra Canales, for the patience, for create a good environment and make us part of their groups, and for the help and advices given during this experience, thanks for all teachers.

We have presented in the previous entries information about adolescents and the different stages in their development, moving on from childhood to adulthood, taking in consideration their physical cognitive, psychosocial and emotional changes, and how them affect adolescents in their life, and in their academic aspects as students. In this blog entry I will share my personal experience in the teaching practice with teenagers in the Teenagers program from Universidad Don Bosco, and presenting evidence checking if the information that we have presented in previous entries could be proved by my own experience in the teaching practice with adolescents. 

In the practice with teenagers I have worked with two different groups, one from level eight and the last one was from level 5, and while working with them I have noticed some important aspects that matches with some topics and information that I have studied in the teaching practice class at the beginning of the course. First, I noticed in some of the classes when the tutor teacher asked them something about previous topics that was not really important, they did not remember it, what explain us the synaptic pruning, which means that students, specially teenagers, loose connection with the topics that they do not use enough, and the information is eliminated because is unused. At that moment I realized how important is to make the classes meaningful for students, provided them information in a way that they might keep and think that will be useful for them in the future. By my own experience as a student I was sure that the students will have this same problem, because when I was studying English I forgot some things that I did not use in my classes, but now that I am working as a teacher I am trying to make my classes in a way that students might keep with them most of the information that I present, and I will continue trying to improve myself in that way. I noticed as well while practicing with adolescents that they requires a sense of safety and belonging to a group, and it was really important at the moment of the class, because of the environment that teachers created for them they might feel comfortable with their classmates, and with teacher as well. That is what I would like to do in my future as a teacher, create an environment in which students would like to be, to study, and to learn. In conclusion, teenagers students match with some characteristics that I have studied before go to practice with them, of course not all the students are similar, but most of the students were like I have studied in the teaching practicum first weeks.

In the previous paragraph I said that I have worked with two different groups in this teaching practice, and I have participate in some classes, teaching some stages or a complete lesson from 1 hour or more, and I want to share how was this experience for me. I had five participations by this time, I have delivered different stages, and skills as well. I really like this experience, every single time that I was participating with the delivering of a lesson I felt comfortable with myself, with students, and most of the time with the topics. I am pretty sure that I felt comfortable with the complete group thanks to my tutors, because they created the environment to make us part of their groups, and I really appreciate it. However, I did my part as well to be part of the group, and students were always nice with me and my classmate, it just depends on how you treat teens, they will be nice with you if you are nice with them. Students were always participating, they were enthusiastic when we were presenting new topics, and if they knew something about them they were sharing what they knew, and trying to help each other's. Both groups were good, I would like to continue working with them. Teachers were good as well, they were always trying to help us in the way that they could, giving us advices, and information that they thought that might help us, there are several things that I would like to take from them, but not in the same way in which they do it, but adapt them to me. I would like to be enthusiastic and be full of energy as Cristian Torres, and creative and easy going as Alejandra Canales, I will try to do it in my own way, but as I said at the beginning of this entry I am glad for the opportunity of have worked with them.

I have had 5 participations in the practice, and I have had different feelings during all this time. Before teaching my lessons the first time I was nervous, not because I was not prepared, but because of the students, I did not know what expect of them, but while I was delivering the class I was confident, and I wanted to continue more and more. The second, third, and next class I was not nervous at all for the class, or the stage that I had to deliver, but in one of the lessons that I taught I was giving the wrong information to students, but it was not because I did not know about the topic, I just get confused about it at the moment, but because of that experience then I took special time to study the topic that I was supposed to teach, because sometimes we think that we know all about the language, and that is not true, we need to learn lot of things as well, prepare correctly our classes, and do not provide wrong information to students. When I started this practice I was nervous before a class, when the time was passing I started to be confident, and at the end I felt good with myself and with the job that I was doing, I felt happy because I knew that I had done my best at that moment of the class, and my students were achieved the objective of my classes, and they were enthusiastic while learning, they wanted to participate in all my activities, and answering questions about the topics, I really enjoyed those moments. 

As all things in life we have positive and negative aspects of all what we do, in this case, I am going to present what I think was good, and what was not too good since my point of view about the teaching practice with adolescents. The most positive thing about this experience for me is the opportunity to work in a real environment with real teenagers, the School of Languages UDB gives a good opportunity for us to grow up as professionals, working in an environment in which we might feel what the real work is, and know about what happens in the real life of a teacher, the advantages and disadvantages of work with teens, and the obstacles that teachers have to face with.  I cannot find something negative about this experience, the only thing that I would like to be better was the instructions for tutor teachers, because there were somethings that they did not have a clear idea of what they had to do, but that was the only thing. I have lot of positive things that this experience has given to me, I would like to have more and more practice and continue with this program. Unfortunately there is not more time for me, but I am glad that I have had this opportunity for practice, and because of all the knowledge and experience that I have acquired during the program. I will be waiting anxious to work with adults, and have a similar experience as with teens. Work with teenagers is one of the best things that I have done.  Thanks to the School of Languages UDB, thanks to my teacher Yanira Peña for the opportunity, for the experience, and for the knowledge acquired, and thanks to you for reading this post. I want to conclude this blog entry by introducing a famous phrase by Phill Collings: "In learning you will teach, in teaching you will learn" and that is exactly what I did: learning while teaching, learning while practicing. 

Third Day of Practice.

While the time was happening I was feeling more confortable with the group, with the teacher, and with myself at the moment of being there.

That was my turn to participate again, but this time I was suposed to teach two stages from a lesson. The topic was "hobbies and pastimes", to be honest, I was kind of nervous, but I tried to do my best while teaching. The class started with a warm up activity that teacher Cristian develped making a review about previous topic. After warm up was my turn. For the encounter stage, I pasted the phrases and words that belongs to the vocabulary of the lesson, and I asked students to answer what they thought that those activities were. After that, to continue with the encounter stage we played the hot potato game in order to select students to pass to the front and match the definition of each activity and the word and phrases pasted on the board. Then, we check together if the definition and the words and phrases were correct. Most of them were okay, they just have some mistakes with the ones that was difficult to understand. Then, I asked them if they had a hobby or a pastime, and what were their hobbies.

For the clarify stage I introduced the new topic, that was "hobbies and pastimes", and I explained the difference between a hobby and a pastime, as we know a hobby is an activity that we take an special time to do it, something that we love to do, and a pastime, as the word says is just an activity that we do just to let the time pass, such as wath television or listening to music. Then, I introduced two questions: "Do you have a hobby/pastime?" and "What is your hobby/pastime?" for students this topic was not new, and they knew a lot of it. Then I explain the ways in which they have to answer to those questions, explaining the use of gerunds while talking of hobbies and pastimes. Always that we are talking about hobbies and pastimes we have to use the verb in gerund form, for instance: My hobby is playing soccer. Then I asked them to talk about their hobbies and pastimes by asking them questions, they had the chance to bring what they like to do. I just developed those stages, and teacher Cristian continue with the rest of the class.

The class continue with some work in the book to internalize the new knowledge, and put into practice the vocabulary and new structure about gerunds. Then for the fluent stage students were asked to talk about their hobbies and pastimes with a classmate in a conversation taking in consideration the uses of gerunds in their answers.

Then, after the break was the turn of my colleague Carlos to develop two stages, encounter and clarify as well. Teacher Carlos developed a warm up activity, in which he formed 3 different groups, then, he pasted masking tape, and asked students to write down all the names of the group, and the last to finish had to pass to the board and write down by dictation different sentences using gerunds. Then, for encounter stage teacher Carlos read a short story about a friend of him, and he asked to students to take notes. Teacher ask students to identify gerunds while he was reading the story. Students were participating providing sentences that they had listened to, and while teacher asked for details about the story, they were participating, even though they were not sure about the answers they tried to guess. For the clarify stage teacher Carlos introduced the topic that was present perfect continuos, he asked students if they know what present continous was, teacher asked students to pass to the board to write down sentences with present continuos from the story that they had already listened to. That was his participation, and then teacher Cristian continued with the class.

Teacher introduces structure for present perfect continuos, estudents were participaring a lot, because they had previous knowledge, the topic was not new for them. However, teacher continued explaining the structure: Subject + have/has + past participle been + gerund. Teacher explained the negative form of the tense, because teacher Carlos just explained the affirmative form. There were ccq's present, and students were clarifying their ideas. Teacher explained a little bit more about present perfect continuos, explaining how to create questions, using "have/has + subject..." Ccq's were present. For the remember stage teacher provided students pieces of paper to students with some sentences, they had to identify words like "since, for..." and he explained the function of them in present perfect continuos. Teacher passed the marker to studentd in order to select a student to provide possitive and negative sentences using present perfect continuos, then interrogative setences using in both "since/for." For internalize stage students had to work on their books, they had to write sentences using the present perfect continous, according to the pictures that were in the book. The class could not continue because they had a writting test. 

Second Day of Practice

The class started at 1:20 at the laboratory because teacher had planed present a video to students. We were asked to be there too. A video was presented and students had to take notes about it, because teacher was going to ask them for specific details of the video. The video was played two times, one to answer the names of who were speaking in the video, and the second one for specific details. Because of the time the activity could not be completed at the laboratory but it continued in the classroom.

Being in the classroom, it was my turn to participate and develop an activity with the students. As I said before in the previous entry, I was supossed to prepare a warm up activity. I had to take in account the previous vocabulary to make a short review. The warm up activity was a game called "Sharks are coming" and it was developed in the following way: Students were asked to stand up, and I provided them the instructions, I was saying the phrase "sharks are coming" and they had to ask me "how many?" then, I said a number and they had to form groups of that number, the one that had not a group had to take one piece of paper with a word or phrase of the previous vocabulary and with his/her own words explain the meaning. And the groups had to guess the word or phrase. Studets enjoyed the activity, but the only problem was the space, because the classroom is small, but the activity could be developed. I enjoyed that time because was a nice oportunity to interact with the class.

The topic for that day was "Gerunds after prepositions", and for the encounter stage teacher asked to students some verbs, then he explain the grammar part, in which he provide diferent verbs that could be followed by a preposition for instance: Plan on, and he provided diferent examples.

For the remember stage teacher asked to students which preposition belongs to each verb, students participated in this activity, they did not have problems with the topic, it was kind of easy for them. Then, teacher check the pronunctiation. Then, students had to work in the book, in exercice 7, they had to connect the pictures of the exercice with some pictures presented.

For internalize stage students were sked to work in pairs to discuss which prepositions belongs in some sentences presented in exercice number 8. They had to complete each sentence with the correct preposition and form of the verb that was presented in parentheses. Then they checked the answers together.

For the fluent stage students were asked to have a conversation with a partner on what they are onterrested in, terrible at... Etc. Students were doing the activity, then some of them shared what they are good and terrible at. Was a good activity to make them talk, and share their experiences, and also have fun with the sentences of their classmates.

After the break, we were in the classroom and now was the turn of my colleague Carlos to develop the warm up activity. "Usted to" was reviewed, Carlos started saying a sentence "When I was a child I used to..." and then students had to clap, then he selected one student to continue saying another sentence using "used to", when the student finished the sentence the other ones had to clap, then Carlos gave them a disc, which they had to pass to the person that they wanted to say a sentence. Then, teacher asked to combine both topics, the one that they were studying and the previos one, they have to say sentences using gerunds after prepositions, and "used to" in the same sentence. That activity was challenging for them at the begining was not completed clear, but with the practice they understood and they could developed properly.

Then, there were not activities, because they were supossed to do an oral evaluation. So we decided that while teacher was doing the evaluation we can monitor the students, and help them if they had any question. 

The second day was great, I had the oportunity to work with the students, and also developed an activity with adolescents. I have to thanks to teacher Chistian for the advices that he has gave us, and for make us part of the group.

First Week of Practice

In the teaching practicum course we have to put into practice the knowledge, and the theory that we have acquired, we are practicing on saturday's afternoon, from 1:20 P.M to 5:40 P.M. We were assigned to different teachers, who we have to work with, I was assigned to work with teacher Christian Torres, and to be honest I did not know who he was before the practice started, but the first day of the practice I met him, and he was very nice since the first moment. I am also working with my colleague Carlos Alvarado, that is a good future teacher, and I hope to learn a lot from both of them.

The class started by introducing us to the students, I felt confortable with them, the enviroment of the classroom is really nice. Then for warm up activity, teacher Christian played a game in order to review vocabulary from the previous class. The warm up consisted in: teacher select a student to pass to the front of the class to take a piece of paper which has written a phrase that they had to mimic to their classmates without saying any word. The rest of the class had to guess the word, or phrase. Then, teacher asked for volunteers to continue with the activity, and what is surprising was that students wanted to participate, teacher did not need to force anyone to participate, or make another activity to select participants. 

The class was from unit number 9 that is called "Fame" lesson from vocabulary "award shows". For encounter stage teacher show pictures to students, and he was asking them what they know about it. Students were describing pictures, and providing ideas about what they might mean. The purpose of this activity was to active the previous knowledge, making asociation of words. Students were excited about the activity because they were sharing what they know, students were participating a lot in this activity. Also, CCQ's were present at this stage. That activity was really good, because students were really excited about sharing their opinions, they were talking a lot, but was about the activity. For communicative purposes that was really usefull. I would like to do this activity with my future students, and something that I would change is just the size of the pictures, because teacher Christian had to be really near to studets in order to they can see the image. But in general the stage was developed in a good way, the activity was nice for teens, and he introduced the target vocabulary for the lesson, he also encouraged the students.

In the clarify stage teacher explained the definition of the vocabulary. Then, he pasted on the board the images of the encounter activity and he asked students to match the consept with the picture that correspond. As in the encounter stage, students were participating a lot, CCQ's were present in the stage, and they were really interested in the topic. Students were talking a lot, but that did not interfere with the class. Teacher could take advantage about this topic in this stage because students could talk about what they like. Students were talking about their favorite solo female/male artist, their favorite group, album, actor, actriz, etc. Students were excited about the topic. 

Then, for remember stage, students were asked to talk to 4 different people in the classroom using the new vocabulary in a sentence. The activity was a good idea to make them talk, and how it was about a topic that they really like. Teacher take us in consideration, and he asked us to help him monitoring the students.Then, students were asked to share their sentences with the complete class. they were participating in every single activity. The activities that were developed in every single stage was working for comunicative purposes. 

Practice vocabulary and concepts was part of the remember stage. Students had to work in pairs in exercices number 1,2 and 3, they had to match the vocabulary with some pictures. In excercise number 3 they had to read the question that was presented in the book, and they were written incorrectly and they have to say it in the correct form. 

There was no fluent use. It was the first part of the lesson, students had a break of 20 minutes. 

After the break, we started the second part of the lesson that was focussed on listenning and conversation, combining both skills. First, teacher provided instructions, students need to listen and read the audio number 1 from unit 9. Pre-listening stage, the audio was played two times, and it was about answer general information (Gist) checking listening comprehension, and teacher was asking questions like: What did you understand from the audio? then, students clarify the information about what the audio was saying.

For during-listening stage students were asked to work in exercise number 2: "circle the correct word", they had to listen for details, and identify which word was the correct in each sentence, it was an activity that took in consideration the skeletal outline listening for details. But, there were two activities in during stage, also, teacher asked to studets to work in exercise number 3 "Talking about past and present favorites" in which they hhave to put the dialogues in the correct order. That exercise also worked to introduce the grammar part from "used to".

For the grammar part of the class, teacher presented a video about a ranking of popular songs of the year from Vevo, obviously, students were excited because the video was about the music that they liked, teacher take in consideration their likes, and that is the reason why the activity was working properly. Then, teacher started asking them if they were agree with the ranking, or what they would change from the ranking, changing possitions. Students were participating a lot, asking and answering questions about the video, and giving their opinion about it. Then, teacher Christian started to introduce the grammar part of the lesson trying to active the previous knowledge of students by asking them questions about the use of "usted to", and students were familiar with the topic, they asnwered the questions and they were participating to answer what the function of "used to" is. Then teacher gave a short explanation of the use, and the grammar from general to specific in the clarify stage. 

Then, students had to take a test, and they went to the laboratory to take it. We were helping teacher Christian to monitory the students while taking the quizz. When we came back to the classroom it was almost time to finish the day of class, and teacher just gave them the grades of a previous evaluation.

My first day in the practice was great! I really enjoyed be there, and I was anxious to continue working with teens, and also I had something to plan for next saturdar. I had to plan a warm up activity for the class, and that would be a good idea to interact more with the students. I have learned important things about teaching to adolescents, I realized about their behavior in classes, and how important it is to take in consideration their likes to plan a class. 

Error Analysis 

What error analysis is?
There are different ways to correct errors and mistakes that students might commit, and that is called Error Correction. Error correction is seen as a form of feedback giving to learners on their language use. Before answer the question "what error analysis is?" we need to know what an error is, and how different is from a mistake. 

Error: An error is what learners commit and incorrect utterance when they do not have the knowledge to utter it correctly.

Mistake: A mistake is when learners know the correct utterance of something in a second language, but they make the mistake anyway when speaking or writting. Learners understand the rule, but they have not commited the form to internalize the rules.

Now that we have clarified the concepts of error and mistake, and how they are different, we can answer the question of what error analysis is. According to Abisamra (2003) "error analysis can be viewd as a type of lingüistic analysis that focuses on errors commited by learners", as the article An Analysis of Errors in Arabic Speakers English Written explains, errors are seen as a deviation made by learners who have not yet mastered the rules of the second language. We have to keep in mind that lerners cannot self correct his or her, because they are reflective of his or her current stage of second language development. 

Know that we have an idea of what error analysis is, I am goint to explain an activity that we developed in our Teaching Practicum course called "error analysis chart", that consist in the following steps: First, our teacher checked out our previous entry in our blogs, she provided us feedback if we have any spelling mistake, or other types of mistakes. Second, we have to check our mistakes and correct them, explaining which the mistake was. Then, we had to correct the mistakes in our blogs, it was not just something for us to keep it in mind, we had to correct every single mistake that we presented in our entry, if there were mistakes. Finally, we had to share the chart with the corrections in this entry. I had 13 mistakes, and most of them were mispelling mistakes, but I have corrected them in order to present it in this entry. I am sharing my error analysis chart in the next images: 

This exercise helped me a lot, because sometimes I do not realize about my mistakes, sometimes I am just writting without checking the information, and by doing this activity I have learned that I have to verify the information that I am sharing, the spelling, apply some rules, ect. And after developed this activity I feel intrigued, I have different questions about the error correction, the different ways in which I might correct my future students. I have different questions, for instance: Should errors be corrected? When should errors be corrected? and I have investigated about error correction to help me out with those questions. 

Should errors be corrected? 

I have read different articles to answer this question, and according to the second language acquisition theory, when error correction works, it does by helping the learner change change his or her consious mental representation of a rule. It affects learner competence by informing the learner that his or her current version of rule is wrong. Second laguage acquisition theory implies that when the goal is learning, error should be corrected.

When should errors be corrected?

While reading information about this question, I realized that this topic is controversial. Concerning to this problem I have to make emphasis in weather treat them inmediately or to delay. But we are confronted with a dilema, fluency vs accuracy. Since my point of view, for communicative purposes, make delayed corrections is prefered. When to correct mistakes is determined by the type of error commited, for instance: pronunctiaion and grammar errors, inmediate correction is preferable. For post correction cannot maje learners remember anything. Overall situation in the classroom is also important. 

Keeping in mind what I have learned with this activity, I would like to do it with my students too, because it is a different way to correct mistakes, a way in which they can check their incorrect utterances and look for the correct form to utter it. It seems to be a self correction activity, and it is a really good way to help students to internalize some rules of the second language. 

References:

Nada AbiSamra. (2003). An Analysis of Errors in Arabic Speakers’ English Writings. 2016, de TRIPOD Sitio web: http://abisamra03.tripod.com/nada/languageacq-erroranalysis.html

Teenagers and Education.

Teaching Practicum II

My name is Fernando Canales, I am 21 years old, and I am studying Teaching of Languages at Universidad Don Bosco, El Salvador. This is my fourth year in this carreer, and I have learned lots of important things during this period of time, not only in academic terms, but important things to help me out in my daily life, and learning to give priority on what deserve it. I did not learn English in an academy before started the University, but studied it by myself, because it has been something that I really wanted and liked to do, learning and mastering Enlgish and other languages. During these four years at Universidad Don Bosco I have to thanks to some special teachers that have trusted in me, helping me out in my carreer, guiding me and giving me advices to become a good teacher. 

Rigoberto Rivera is a teacher from Ilobasco, Cabañas, who in espite of strugless and adversity could became a Literature teacher. He is a teacher from Canton Cerro Colorado, I lived with him for a period of time, and while I was at that place I figure out how difficult it is for rural teachers to be working in a school where they have to teach not only the subject of their speciality, but all of the basics subjects, inclunding English. I realized that there were not English teachers for those schools, and the principals was fighting to get the only one that was available for that area. Teachers, inclunding Rigoberto Rivera had to teach English classes, even if they did not know English, without any material, without any capacitation, without nothing. Being aware of that situation, in a period of time in which I was deciding what I wanted to do with my life, I decided to try to change that situation, starting helping to him to prepare his classes, teaching him some basic things that might help him in the teaching of English process. I felt proud of myself when he was greateful for my help, because even if it was not something very professional, or with all the knowledge that I have now, it worked for him. For that reasson, for the satisfaction that I felt while while seeing that it had worked for him; for the opportunity to help Rigoberto, my uncle; for the feeling when you are transmiting and teaching something that really could help someone else in their real life, I decided to study Teaching of Languages. I want to be a really good teacher, and I am working on that, and I am going to achieve it.

I have had the opportunity to teach in different places, and I cannot explain how I feel at that moment, I have learned to love my carreer, and I have learned to love teaching. The very first time that I taught an English class was in the teaching practicum I. I did not have any experiene, but I was anxious to teach, and my first class was the one that I have enjoyed most, the one that I remember with some special feeling. Of course, I continue teaching, and continue enjoying the very moment of teaching. Then, I had an opportunity in a project of Universidad Don Bosco and the "Departamento de Arte y cultura" in which I was teaching to children from the area of Soyapango and Ciudad Delgado, I was there for 3 months, 3 months in which I acquired experience working with real students, and the real enviroment with children, it was a really nice expirience. Now, I am working by my own as a particular English teacher, I have 10 students now on weekedns, I am teaching them, and at the same time I am practicing what I learn at the University, putting into practice the knowledge that I am acquiring in my Teaching classes. I want to start this new Practice with adolescents, because I know that it has some difficulties, but I want to get experience, and I want to know how to deal with those difficulties.

I have introduced myself, sharing some of my experiences in teaching and learnning English, and the reason why I decided to study Teaching of Languages. Now we are going to focus our attention in the course "Practice with adolescents" and the future activities that we are going to develop. Keeping in mind the activities that we are going to develop, we should have an clear objective for this course, and I have my objective for this course:

"By the end of this course I will be able to use the theory based on teenagers learned during the semester, dealing with adolescent students in my Teaching Practice taking in consideration they needs"

The theory I have learned about adolescents.

Before to continue, we have to explain what adolescense is. Adolescense Is a period in which biological, psychological, sexual and social development is taking place, and is consider as the beginning of the puberty, the developmental stage between childhood and adulthood. It is characterized by cognitive, psychosocial, and emotional development There are some authors that explain the individual development in different stages in their theories, based on the physical, psychosocial and cognitive development. I knew a little bit of each stages about the development of adolescents before started an investigation about them. For instance, physical changes that affect adolescents during the puberty, the "end of childhood". Is well known that puberty is triggered by hormonal changes, which may affect moods and behavior. During puberty, boys and girls undergo an adolescent growth spurt. Primary sex characteristics (the reproductive organs) enlarge and mature, and secondary sex characteristics appear.

Physical development in adolescents have different effects in their behavior, they could be possitive and negative effects. Adolescents might not mature all of them at the same age, and there is a theory that explains that Studies reveal that youth who mature earlier or later than their same-age peers are vulnerable to at-risk outcomes such as problems with coping, antisocial behavior, and emotional distress (Brooks-Gunn, Peterson & Eichorn, 1985) adolescents who are “off time" (earlier or later) in the development in the puberty experience more stress than the ones that are "onn-time" (Susman & Rogol, 2004, p. 30) At the moment of teaching we have to take in consideration different aspects that could be affecting the teen students, not pressuring them to make the activities. 

If we talk about teenagers development we have to consider introduce an explanation about Cognitive Development, and how it affects adolescents. Cognitive development is the progression of thinking from the way a child does to the way an adult does. I know just a little bit of this topic, but as far as I know there are two areas of cognitive development that occur during adolescense: First, adolescents develop more advanced reasoning skills. Second, adolescents develop the ability to think abstractly. 

Jean Piaget's theories have provided a starting point in the study of the changing nature of cognitive processing in the development from childhood to adolescence. Piaget described how adolescence brings forth the capacity to think logically and abstractly (Piaget, 1955) adolescents, in contrast to children, become more aware of their surroundings and able to direct their own thinking, learning, and problem solving. suggests that adolescents are cognitively different from their childhood counterparts in that adolescents have the capacity to see and understand the world as others see it. This means that adolescents (both early and middle) are more generally prosocial in thought and action than their childhood counterparts (Eisenberg & Morris, 2004). Further, it suggests that for adolescents, fostering and maintaining relationships become more complex as the ability to imagine multiple roles for themselves and multiple perspectives of others deepens.

Knowing this information we might focus on some areas during the teaching process to help out our students, focusing our attention in mental abilities and process related to knowledge, such as: thinking, understanding, learning, and remembering. We can take advantage of this stage in our classes, because they are always arguing for the sake of arguing, and as teachers we have to look for some strategis or activities in which we can take advantage of it. 


Talking about the different situations that affect adolescents, we could not forget the Psychosocial develpment, as I concern this is the one that most affect adolescents during the puberty period, because of many reasons, for instance: Peer pressure, confussion, the necessity to belong or be part of something, aspects of the society, etc. As a teacher, and as a student I can figure out of this situation while teaching classes, or remembering my adolescense, when I experienced this stage. 

Erik Erikson's 1950 theory of identity development has had a significant impact on the understanding of adolescent social and emotional development. According to Erikson, the sense of people of who they are display throughout their lives and is driven by the struggle between their “internally defined selves and those selves that are defined, confirmed, or denied by others” (Nakkula & Toshalis, 2006, p. 19). The constant negotiation between these two selves shapes who a person is and who he or she will become. There are eight stages in life during which certain struggles are primary. During adolescence, the primary struggle is over the central question of “Who am I?” Adolescents yearn to be themselves both in relation and reaction to others, and they need relationships in which experiments with identity will be embraced.

But as we have studied, in this period of time, there are different aspects that affect teen students, they also present changes and madurations in their brains that affect their behavior in many aspects. Teenagers are constantly confronted with decissions, and their brain is not completed mature, is still developing the frontal cortex that is the one in charged of taking decisions with criteria. They generally use the limbic area to take their decissions, teens base their decissions in emotions. There are plenty of aspects that we have to take in consideration when teaching to adolescents. An example of that is: Students require a sense of safety and belonging to feel confortable in the classroom, and teachers are responsible to help them create that enviroment for the acquiring knowledge process.

There are some videos that you can visit to learn more about the brain of adolescents. We are going to share the links if you want to visit them:

• The Teenage Brain Explained: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hiduiTq1ei8&
•  The Teen Brain: Under Construction: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9Ya0mHsIgM&
• The Teenage Brain: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIqVvyHeSiY&

• Sarah-Jayne Blakemore: The mysterious workings of the adolescent brain: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zVS8HIPUng&

• Adolescence: Crash Course Psychology #20: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzyXGUCngoU&

• Identity vs. Role Confusion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70yDo6cexyY&

After finished presenting this information we can conlude that Teachers play a significant role in the lives of adolescents, and knowledge of adolescence equips them to be sensitive to the diversity in youth's experiences and the competing forces in their lives. Armed with this knowledge, teachers can offer safe spaces for youth to explore and test their emerging ideas of who they are and who they want to become.

References

Brooks-Gunn, J., Petersen, A. C., & Eichorn, D. (1985). The study of maturational timing effects in adolescence. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 14(3), 149–161.

Eisenberg, N., & Morris, A. S. (2004). Moral cognitions and prosocial responding in adolescence. In R. M. Lerner & L. Steinberg (Eds.), Handbook of adolescent psychology (2nd ed., pp. 155–188). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

Nakkula, M. J., & Toshalis, E. (2006). Understanding youth: Adolescent development for educators. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Education Press.

Piaget, J. (1955). The language and thought of the child. New York: Meridian Books.

Susman, E. J., & Rogol, A. (2004). Puberty and psychological development. In R. M. Lerner & L. Steinberg (Eds.). (2004), Handbook of adolescent psychology (2nd ed., pp. 15–44). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.