1. Students need to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Students’ bodies are changing during this time of development. According to This We Believe, students have increased energy during this period, and they need to remain physically active in order for their bodies to develop properly, and they also need to maintain a proper diet so their bodies and brains can properly develop. They also need proper education about sexual activity and substance abuse, as adolescence is a time of experimentation and they could develop bad practices or habits during this time.
2. Students need to have positive encouragement from a strong support system in their lives.
This time of development is crucial in shaping a students’ identity; this is the time where students figure out their passions and interests, possibly deciding how they want to live their life and what career they want to pursue. Adolescents are looking for approval and encouragement from others to pursue these passions, and if they don’t receive positive encouragement to find themselves, they may become discouraged. Students develop their moral beliefs and core life values from positive role models in their lives. Having a positive support system that will help instill these values in them is extremely important.
3. Students are interested in applying their knowledge to real-life situations.
Students during this time are able to make connections across many disciplines, and many are looking to apply their knowledge that they learn either in the classroom or on their own to real life. This We Believe explains that community service projects are popular for adolescents to experiment with their cognitive-intellectual development because it will engage them in their community and cause them to make those connections with other members of their community.
Mr. Chmura's Family Guide 