Lesson 7 Post

After reading and pondering the debate about teens lacking adult reasoning capacity, yet being held to adult consequences, what do you think this means for you as a teacher?

Thankfully, as a teacher, I am not responsible for making those type of judiciary decisions in a courtroom.  All the while, in a classroom I do have to consider how to manage behavior in a meaningful way.  I think that while there is an understanding that the teenage brain is not fully developed, I don't think that this excuses harmful behavior. School-aged children understand the differences between right and wrong when taught certain principles.  In this same way, teenagers in a classroom have been given standards of behavior and conduct. When a teen is emotional and acts out, that behavior cannot be ignored or excused - it needs to be directly addressed.  Now, how that behavior is addressed is going to be utterly dependent on the teacher's understanding of the student and the actions that occurred.  So, each case must be handled in an appropriate fashion, but in no way can a teen be allowed to harm himself or others based on the pruning process of the brain. If the brain is learning at this time, which is is, then consequences must be enforced so that the brain learns its rights and its responsibilities.  Too often do we see crime and harm go unpunished in our society.  There is a culture of blame and accusation in our society.  Students are seeing and learning this in their own homes and communities. Therefore, it is the teacher's responsibility to set a culture of respect and explain the consequences for crossing those lines.  When teens "get away with" things because they may lack adult reasoning, it does not help them develop a brain that can become a mature adult. 

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