Uncategorized – Child of Nurture

May 9, 2023

Adolescence – What Parents and Caregivers Need to Know

THE ADOLESCENT BRAIN

The child you once knew, who was interested in your descriptions of how the world works and loved your explanations of things past and present, who was courteous, confident, friendly and fascinated by the things you showed them, is gone.

Who is this new person who seems distant, different and hard to know? What can you do to get your them to go back to being your loving child? How did this happen?

The answer is that your child, if they have entered into puberty, is no longer a child (although they will always be YOUR child). Your child is now an adolescent. This is the stage of development, which spans roughly from the onset of puberty (age 12ish and often earlier) through the age of 18. This stage of development can be split into two substages, from 12-15 and 15-18. It is a stage of development that includes rapid growth, dramatic changes and more than a little vulnerability. It is also a time of identity formation, a challenging time when the brain changes from cognitive mode (in the prefrontal cortex) to emotional mode (in the amygdala); when neurons (the brain’s nerve cells) slow their exponential growth and start to prune and mylenize. This will eventually improve the efficiency of information processing, and help the prefrontal cortex be better at connecting to other parts of the brain. However, this process takes time and the growth is uneven and sporadic.

According to a 2021 study by UCSF Researchers Shawn Sorrells and Arturo Alvarez-Buylla, the at the same time that the cognitive brain is slowing down to do some Marie Kondo style tidying up, the emotional part of the brain is ramping up. “During childhood and adolescence – long after most of the rest of the human brain is finished growing – the amygdala continues to expand by as many as two million neurons, a late growth spurt that researchers believe is likely to play a key role in human emotional development” Link to UCSF Study by N. Weiler. This leads to a somewhat bumpy road for some adolescents and of course, their parents as well. The mood swings, and often early childhood-like behavior is a function of this brain development and can be as frightening and inexplicable to the young teen or pre-teenager as it is to you. Combine this with a dip in executive function, an increase in self-consciousness and a lot of changes in one’s own body and we can have a dramatic storm of behaviors, attitudes and emotions.

So what’s a parent (or caregiver) to do? Stay tuned for more details, but it all boils down to this…hold on (not too tightly) and enjoy the ride. This is not a time for panic. Take comfort in the fact that this is natural human development and has been happening for umpteen millenia. This is also something that we, as adults, have experienced and may remember ourselves (unlike the parallel rapid growth we did from birth to three). We can help our teens and pre-teens by offering information or access to information about their own bodies (including their brain development). We can share our own stories (but don’t expect an immediate and friendly response) and we can reassure our adolescents that this upside-down roller coaster ride of feelings is a temporary and necessary stepping stone to adulthood. This is time for grandparents, aunts and uncles, trusted family friends (think godparents) or other adults who have love, a bit of distance and perspective to get more involved. It is a time when creative and physical self expression, access to nature and periods of solitude and reflection can have a calming effect.

Your adolescent needs you and is looking at you (albeit sideways) to show reassurance and confidence in their ability to weather the storm. You need to build your own network of support and then be there for your young person until the butterfly emerges from the cocoon. Yes, your loving child is gone, but see the hope and promise of the amazing emergent adult that your adolescent is about to become. Believe in them even when they do not believe in themselves. And then, help your adolescent to see and believe in that amazing person too.

February 12, 2020February 12, 2020

Student Engagement: Motivating Students toward Real World Success

Authentic engagement is something that all teachers strive for with their students. This can be difficult, even with students who are not experiencing significant headwinds (i.e. too tired, worried, or otherwise unable to access their full potential due to circumstances beyond their, or our control). Most of us “got through” our school day and did as we were told, That meant completing tasks that were done out of context and with no sense of relevancy. I memorized the quadratic equation, figured out which axis was the “y” and learned the dates of the Battle of Hastings but was not quite sure what any of this had to do with life or solving any real problems.

Granted, some things just have to get learned (i.e., times tables and spelling rules – “I before E except after C” is a good thing to know). However, it was not until college that I discovered that if I knew enough math, I could explore the world of aerospace or that our English language represents the mixture of Germanic and Latin languages and that this is important to know in order to understand our art, culture and politics.

Montessori challenges us to think of learning in a different way. We want our students to be purveyors of mastery and to see themselves as scientists, artists, mathematicians and writers. The Early Elementary classroom students gather for a writing lesson and their teacher sends them out with the message that, as writers, they can capture their own reality, or make up a new one, and communicate that reality to others. As scientists and engineers, the students build weight bearing structures, discover which solutions can crystallize or which plants need less light and water. As mathematicians the Upper Elementary students solve the complex problems of the week and then share and compare their methods, which may or may not be the same. Adolescents grapple with real world social problems from grappling with global warming to greening up food desserts. In their work, science and math have relvance while the humanities help them to gain perspective and express their hopes, desires and aspirations.

In all of this the teacher is the coach, not imparting knowledge but providing and guiding experience. The role of the Montessori teacher is to set up the environment and encourage the child to explore. These children spend years doing this and in the process draw conclusions about their world (and themselves) based on their own evidence. The science fairs, portfolio presentations, and writing and math journals are evidence of the students’ learning and provide an authentic way to assess student progress.

How can parents help in this process? It IS difficult without textbooks, worksheets or assigned homework to even know what your student is doing. The best way to help is to provide your child with experiences that give real life context to their growing skills. Can your child read a recipe, measure a shelf and put paper on it that fits? Can he or she triple the recipe, determine the mileage of your car on a road trip, determine how much something will cost if it is 15% off? Do they know the names of the clouds, or in which direction the sun sets, the phases of the moon or the names and roles of their local legislators? Can they tell you how sound travels and how it differs from light? These are the types of “story problems” that need skills AND critical thinking. These are the important things that can be reviewed and revised at home.

The biggest and best contribution you can make for your child’s learning is to get them out into the world, the real world. A walk in the woods, a trip to the beach or lake, listening to music together, running errands (where they have some responsibility) an experience in the city or historic site, attendance at a cultural event – these are important to expanding your child’s sense of wonder and engagement with the world. Sharing the things you love, your values and your own childhood memories is the best thing you can do to help your child’s teacher work with engaged, interested and motivated learners. Consider using this next week to explore the real world with your child or adolescent.

February 12, 2020February 12, 2020

Science Connects Students to the Universe

Silhouette of Boy Reading Book at Sunset by Aaron Burden (Unsplash Photos)

The small child is directed to observe seeds. One seed coat splits and a root appears. The seed sprouts a shoot and leaves appear. Why does the seed with light and water thrive? What happens to the other seeds? This is the beginning of the development of scientific thought.

The elementary child has what Montessori called “The Reasoning Mind” full of questions (How? What if? Why?) The five great lessons provide the framework for the elementary curriculum, exploring the secrets of the universe. The impressionistic charts provide follow up as do the experiments with real life materials. As the elementary children grow and they continue to ask these questions, they develop the skill of creating hypotheses, making observations and drawing conclusions. Montessori students’ questions become their hypothesis and through the power of observation, they come to their own conclusions about the laws of the universe.

In Upper Elementary, children have developed the concentration to focus on in-depth research. They are able to actively engage with what interests them and conduct experiments based on scientifically formulated hypotheses. They are good at collecting and interpreting data, and presenting their results. This is a time when our students participate in our elementary science fairs.

The middle school students have a lot to learn and work hard to meet state standards. Life Science and Physical Science are the focus of Middle School standards. There are Science and Engineering skills like using models to describe, test, and predict abstract phenomena. Disciplinary “Core Ideas” include the ways in which matter and energy flow in various organisms and how carbon dioxide and water combine to form carbon-based organic molecules and release oxygen. They also explore “cross-cutting concepts” that transfer across all science disciplines about patterns, cause and effect relationships and stability and change. The middle school students benefit from being part of the wider educational social community which is why they spread their wings and compete in Science Fairs, robotic challenges, and science odyssey groups.

When students are encouraged to learn about what interests them, they are more actively engaged and thoughtful about their own learning. The students are presented with the wonders of the universe in carefully designed, brief lessons. Curiosity comes alive and the students are free to explore and learn. As our children grasp the interdependence of life around them they are better prepared to understand their places in the universe.

December 2, 2017May 9, 2018

The Power of Observation

Take a minute…no, take five minutes, just five minutes, to observe your child or
adolescent. This needs to be while he or she is unaware or so engrossed in what they are doing that they don’t notice you are watching. Watch while your child is engaged in something (not screen related) that they like do. This can be powerful, especially if there is dialogue involved.

Note the child’s body language (if they are speaking – is it in complete sentences, are they animated, expressive, respectful with peers or siblings?) How do they sit, move, maneuver, what is their physical attitude? Are they engaged, frustrated or present or absent? Talk to them about what you saw. For instance, “I was watching you draw and you seemed really into what you were doing. Can you tell me about that?”

Maria Montessori’s early 20th-century method was based on observation of children. She was among the first to try to create an “empirical”, scientific method for education based on data. She discovered many things (i.e. children work better when they can position themselves on child-sized furniture or the floor). She also found that the concentration levels that carry us through our lives are set up in childhood and that the skills of concentration, focus, and perseverance are as important to learn as any facts or knowledge that we can teach a child.

See if your child’s school or program has opportunities for parents to observe and learn more about their daily routine. Many schools offer invitations to new parents to tour classrooms and existing parents to come and spend time in their children’s learning environments. If your child is having trouble at school, academically or socially, this can be a very enlightening process and can help you form a cohesive team with the educators who spend their day with him or her. However, as we know, the whole world is a learning center so take a
moment and observe your young learners wherever they are. You will come away “schooled.”