TEACHING TEENAGERS

Theo NavarroMethodologistStudy InnAstana

WHY CAN IT BE SO DIFFICULT?

Teenagers are going through physical and emotional changes – including changes in their brains

What do

these chang

es affect?

• Decision making• Planning• Control of their emotions

• Empathy• Understanding of other people’s facial expressions

• Teenagers are in a “transition age.” They are not young children (as they will so eagerly remind us) and they are not yet adults (though they sometimes think they are)

• The changing levels of hormones in their bodies make them moody and unpredictable

• They would prefer to be anywhere else in the world, as long as they are not in class

• Their peers affect them more than we do

• Their friends or family might see English as a “useless” subject

ARE TEENAGERS ALWAYS HORRIBLE?

HOW CAN WE IMPROVE THE EXPERIENCE OF TEACHING

TEENAGERS?

THE FIRST DAY OF THE SEMESTER It is in the

first few lessons that students make subconscious decisions about the teacher and the class

Make it very clear that YOU are in charge, but that you can also be relaxed and friendly

The students must understand what you expect from them, and what type of help they can expect from you

“Good Cop VS Bad Cop”

Research shows that teenagers prefer disciplined teachers, and get higher results in their classes. This does NOT mean that we should be evil dictators, though.

Teenagers need discipline because they are not mature enough to make responsible decisions all of the time. It is our job to decide when the class needs to work hard, and when we can have some fun.

We need to strike a balance. Teenagers need discipline, but they also need to feel happy, secure, valued and motivated to learn.

SET SHORT-TERM GOALSFor many of us a year can go buy very quickly, but this is

not true for our students

The goal is to, obviously, pass the final exam, but for many teenagers that goal will not feel “real” until 6-8 weeks

before

Using module checks, monthly quizzes, extended assignments and other techniques, we can keep them motivated and working hard. They should ALWAYS be

working towards a goal.

The goals we set must be VERY clear to the students, and we should negotiate with them. Giving them a tiny bit of

control can help them feel more motivated to complete the tasks

HOW CAN I MAKE THEM WANT TO LEARN?

Joke with them! It’s okay to have laughter in your class. If students work hard, then you

can relax a little bit together.

Be aware of what types of activities your students like and dislike. No course book will

be “just right” for your class, so adapt activities and get creative

For example, if your students HATE gap-fill activities, adapt the text into a jigsaw-

reading or running-dictation to make it more interesting

Make sure that you’re teaching them things that they can use in REAL life. If teenagers feel like their time is being wasted they

will become completely unresponsive.

Explain to your students WHY you are doing things. They are more likely to participate if they know and understand the

reason for doing certain activities.

Make sure to use topics that they are interested in. At the beginning of the semester ask them questions about their

hobbies and interests, and then use that information to help you plan your lessons.

TALKING TO YOU IS GOOD, BUT LET’S GET SOME REAL PRACTICE

NOW!

TEACHING TEENAGERS

Theo NavarroMethodologistStudy InnAstana