Question 1
Introduction
Adolescent is a process of changing from state of childhood to that of an adulthood. During
this changing process, there are big changes in young adult body and how they view and
behave around the community. These changes include physical, sexual, emotional and
social changes which can results in anxiety and stress for both the parents and the young
adults. (Brittany Allen, MD, FAAP & Helen Waterman, DO). During the adolescence you will
find teenagers locking themselves in their rooms and avoiding any interaction with parents
and that is when the parents portray their kids as rebellious, distracted and thoughtless. In
other communities this is the time where initiation school comes into play, it is believed that it
will assist young adults with transitioning into adulthood and also the community to celebrate
the young adults during the transition stage. (https://www.britannica.com/topic/social-identity-
theory: Mihalyi Csikszentmihalyi).
In this essay we will discuss in detail the three key changes in the physical development of
adolescents as they develop through puberty. Furthermore, we will explore the practical
applications of these key changes within the teaching practice, focusing more on how these
changes affects learners at school as well as how the teachers should teach/give advice to
student during these physical development changes.
Body
Growth spurt, Sexual maturation and skin changes are some of the physical changes of
adolescents as they go through puberty
Growth spurt
Growth spurts are periods of rapid growth and development, characterized by increased
appetite, height, and possibly clumsiness, and they are a normal part of child development.
For girls’ growth spurt occurs around the age of 9 and 15 years while for the boys it occurs at
the age of 12 to 17 years. Some of the signs of growth spurts includes decrease or increase
in appetite, fussiness or emotional outburst and sexual development such as voice change
in boys, pubic hair growth and menstruation for girls.
(https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/22070-growth-spurts). Example of growth
spurt is when suddenly your little boy is taller than you and speak with deep voice and the
rapid increase in appetite, and your little girl is spending too much time in their room, and
they fuss about everything they do, how they look, their weight and they are suddenly
emotional about lot of things.
As a teacher is your duty to teach/ advise your student about how it is okay to feel different,
that is normal to feel different and it just part of growing form one stage of your childhood to
that of the adulthood. Also, that the transition won’t be the same for everyone, it might be
easy for others and really tough for the others.
Sexual maturation
Sexual maturation is a period in which a human develops the necessary characteristics and
capabilities for reproduction, this happens around the age of 8-10 for girls and 15-17 for
boys. According to Nicole Arduini-Van Hoose, during adolescent phase teenagers tend to be
more comfortable and fascinated with their changing bodies and they often compare
themselves to other teenagers and what they see on social medias. For example, their
growing breast and hips for girls, for boys their growing facial hair and broad shoulders.
With sexual hormones causing biological change, this trigger sexual thoughts and with today
social media and internet its easy for them to access things like porn and how to masturbate,
also peer pressure plays a huge a role for teenagers to engage in sexual activities. Most
teenagers want to appear “cool” to their peers and that’s how they end up involved in sexual
activities which results in teenage pregnancy and infected by other Sexually transmitted
diseases. (https://courses.lumenlearning.com/adolescent/chapter/sexual-development/)
As a teacher it is your duty to explain to your leaners that yes, their bodies are changing and
sexual thoughts are there. However, they shouldn’t act on them, should they find themselves
in that situation, they should remember to use protection at all times. Also, should the girls
find themselves in a situation where they are pregnant, as a teacher remind them that it is
not the end of the world and should they think about termination, they should follow proper
procedure of going to an actual hospital or clinic instead of a back-door abortion that could
results in serious health complications or death.
Skin Changes
Hormonal changes can lead to increased oil production, resulting in acne breakouts. Skin
can become oiler leading o acne and other skin conditions. To an adolescent this could lead
to low self-esteem and becoming uncomfortable around other teenagers. As a teacher you
will notice that the students who usually participate in class suddenly, they don’t anymore,
this could be due to other students bullying them or discriminating against them due to acne
on their faces or any other skin condition. It is your job as an educator to advise the learners
that is part of puberty, and that the changes that are happening does not define who they
are, its just part of growing up. ( HealthyChildren.org)
Conclusion
During adolescent there are many changes that happens in teenagers’ bodies. These
changes can affect their self esteem and how they behave around the society. Parents also
go through a lot during this time as some do not understand how their kids suddenly act
different and are rebellious. It is very important for learners to understand this phase of their
lives and as teachers it is our duty to make them understand and boost their confidence
during this period. That can be done by fostering open communication, maintaining routines,
encouraging participation in activities and ensure self-care for both the teen and the parent.
While doing all to help them it is also important to remind them to protect themselves as
these changes will trigger sexual urges and there is high chance of pregnancy and getting
infected with sexually transmitted diseases. So open communication is very important
between the parent, teacher and the teen.
