Some of the children I teach a little less or even more than a decade ago are still with me. Some are not with me anymore though the years we’ve spent together are not forgotten.

I’ve seen them grow.

I’ve been with them through their ups and downs.

I’ve been all ears to their joys and tears and I perceive myself as a friend they can trust.

Now that some of them are in college and some are on their way to college, I sometimes ask myself if I had done the right things for them, encouraged them enough to do what I know they can do best and told them how much I appreciate that they are a part of my life.

I didn’t just “teach” them, they also taught me a lot of things: patience, learning more about my craft and improving what I already know and what I can still do, and being positive about life.

I also practiced being a parent with them, long before I became one myself.

Among the many thing we discuss these days, especially with my students who are about to become young adults, are issues that they may face, or are currently dealing with, and how they can cope and learn from it.

Among the teenage issues are:

• Dealing with rejection, be it a college application, a young love proposal, a broken friendship, rejection of any kind is difficult with teenagers who are trying to fit in and have their own identity.
• Issues on college courses and if their skills match with what they like to study further. Discussing several career options is a good start.
• Dealing with bullies and people who they feel are letting them down. Just like rejection, bullying is considered as a rejection and this is a big part of a teenager’s life wherever they may be.
• Family issues. Because they are now more mature and more aware of the family dynamics, they are more involved with the issues their families face. and sometimes, these issues add further complications to their quest to find “their own place under the sun”
• Health issues. Hormonal changes bring about a lot of health issues to both the young ladies and gents. From hormonal changes come a lack of control which may lead to dire consequences. For serious health issues, it is best to consult with a doctor who will discuss about pregnancy, complications with weight problems, even herpes simplex.
• Love issues. They get into a relationship and at times they have difficulty controlling their feelings which in turn affect several aspects of their life like their studies, family dynamics and even they daily routine. I am not speaking about my students, I am referring to a lot of the teenagers out there.

The list could go on and on. What matters most at this time though is that they need more parental support, even if it looks like they show otherwise.

Hug your teenagers and talk with them. Spend time bonding with them and they will feel special and loved and these will help a lot in boosting their confidence to face more challenges ahead of them.

This entry was posted on Friday, November 19th, 2010 at 10:05 pm and is filed under Being a (Special Ed) Teacher, Challenge Yourself, Lessons in Life, Me, Parenting, special education, Teaching Techniques. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.