Development Readiness Benchmark for high school students

Development Readiness Benchmark for high school students

Benjamin Samuelson

My students:

At-risk, inner-city students ages: 14 - 21

Have many developmental lags because of life experiences

Indicators Related to Developmental Lag

DepressionSuicide attemptsSense of isolationLonelinessImpulsivenessExtreme rebellionDenial of feelingsPoor hygieneFantasy as an escape form problemsDrug/alcohol abuseAnorexia & bulimiaObesitySexual activity to provide missing nurturanceProstitutionStealingPathological lyingPsychosisFire settingViolent assaultTruancyRunning awayPregnancyJuvenile delinquencyEarly marriages that are likely to failHatred & rejection of family

Social Development: Ages 16 - 19

Normal CharacteristicsCharacteristics I see in my studentsRelationships with parents range from friendly to hostileFor most of my students, the parent relationships are lacking or non-existent for most of my students. Hostile student-parent relationships are very common.Sometimes feels that parents are too interestedFor many of my students, the parents are focused on younger siblings and not the teenager. Many friends, but few confidantsThis is true. My students have many friends, but do not trust them because trust leads to vulnerability.Begin to date actively, romantically involved.Many of my students are sexually active and have children.

Social Development: Ages 12 - 15

Normal CharacteristicsCharacteristics I see in my studentsBoys usually resist any show of affection.This is very true for my male students population. They do not want to show weakness or what could be perceived as weakness.Needs less family companionship and interaction.My students need more family companionship and interaction because there is not a lot of this happening in a positive manner for most of my students.Has a whole gang of friends but start to show interest in the opposite sex. (Girls more than boys.)I do see more girls at this age more interested in boys than boys interested in girls.

Emotional Development: Ages 16 19

Normal CharacteristicsCharacteristics I see in my studentsWorries about failure.Many of my students are so afraid to fail that they never start something.May appear moody, angry, lonely, impulsive, self-centered, confused, and stubborn.I see all of these emotions from my students everyday.Has conflicting feelings about dependence/independence.My students struggle with this because they are afraid what will happen after they are done with high school.

Emotional Development: Ages 12 - 15

Normal CharacteristicsCharacteristics I see in my studentsCommonly Sulks; directs verbal anger at authority figureMost of my students result to these behaviors.Worries about grades, appearance, and popularity; is withdrawn, introspectiveMy students are not introspective, this is something our staff coaches our students. Typically my older students worry about grades, appearance and popularity, not my younger students. My younger students think grades do not count, just like in elementary and middle school.

Behavioral Development: Ages 16 to 19

Normal CharacteristicsCharacteristics I see from my students.Confused and disappointed about discrepancies between stated values & actual behaviors of family & friends.For this reason alone many of my students have trust issues because they have been burned in the past.May be interested in sex as a response to physical-emotional urges & as a way to participate in the adult world (but not necessarily an expression of mature intimacy.)This is very true for my students. The results are from the number of teen-parents in my school.

Behavioral development: Ages 12 - 15

Normal CharacteristicsCharacteristics I see in my studentsKnows right from wrong; tries to weigh alternatives & arrive at decisions aloneMy students know right from wrong, but when they choose wrong, they want someone to choose incorrectly with them or wait for someone to make the decision for them.Is concerned about fair treatment of others; is usually reasonably thoughtful; unlikely to lieAll of my students lie to get out of trouble and are very concerned about fairness.

Cognitive Development: Ages 16 to 19

Normal Characteristics:Characteristics I see in my students:May lack information or self-assurance about personal skills and abilities.Almost all of my students lack confidence because they have failed so many other times.Seriously concerned about the future; beginning to integrate knowledge leading to decisions about future.Many of my students are concerned about the future, but they are thinking of where am I going to sleep or where is my next meal going to come from?

Cognitive Development: Ages 12 - 15

Normal Characteristics:Characteristics I see in my students:World revolves around them, everything is about them, and no regard for others.This is the world all of my students live in.Thrives on arguments & discussions.My students love to argue to get a reaction out of their peers for entertainment.Believe no one else has experienced similar feelings & emotions.This is one of the reasons why my students refuse to open up and seek help.Exhibit a mentality nothing can happen to me leading to risk taking.Many of my students are naive to their consequences of their actions or they take the opinion of why worry about the future when they believe they wont live past the age of 40.May read a great deal.I would say 80% of my student HATE reading.Students get involved in hobbies or clubs to feel important.The hobbies or clubs my students are involved in are parties and street life.

What can I do as a teacher to help?

Build relationships with the students.

Engage them in their learning to improve their reasoning, abstract thinking and social skills.

Praise them for their efforts and abilities.

Hold them accountable: teach them failing and making mistakes is a part of life and learning from them.

Convince them to get help when needed.