Tips About Physical Development

Dear New Teacher,

Depending on the stage of adolescence your students are in, they may be just starting the period known as puberty or much further in the process. Puberty can be a difficult stage in adolescence for a variety of reasons, from physical changes to an increase in hormone production. Unless you are teaching health, you probably won’t need to get into the nitty gritty of puberty with your students, but there is one area that all teachers should have knowledge of in regards to physical development: body image.

Adolescents, and many adults, make choices that are related to how they feel about themselves. “Those who feel good about themselves are likely to avoid harmful behaviors, whereas those who do not, may not” (Dolgin, 2011, p. 98).

One of the main issues that comes into play is the fact that adolescents are often measuring themselves against unrealistic ideals, most frequently presented through the media. Body image is tied to self esteem and self perception, low levels of both are tied to depression and poor performance in adolescence (Dolgin, 201, p. 99).

Teachers can help students develop positive body image in a number of ways;

• -       Be conscious of how you present yourself. I will never forget a high school teacher I had who constantly was commenting on how “fat” she was, though she was actually quite skinny. It doesn’t even have to be as overt as this example, just know that students hear every word you say, and sometimes the ones you don’t.
• -       Be mindful of the images you use in your classroom, whether it be in videos you use or images in presentations. Try to use a variety of “real life” examples.
• -       Watch for bullying in your classroom, and be pro-active about stopping it.
• -       If applicable, a lesson on critical media theory would be a great learning tool. Look at the images the media is constantly bombarding teens with and address how unrealistic these images can be. 
• -       Recognize that poor body image happens to both boys and girls. So much emphasis is placed on girls and their body issues that it is easy to overlook the fact that adolescent boys struggle with similar issues.

When it comes down to it, be open and willing to reach out to your students if need be. If you are uncomfortable talking with students about body image or other physical development issues seek out the expertise of the school nurse or a health teacher.

Can you think of any issues you had as an adolescent in regards to physical development? Did you feel that you had teachers who supported you, or that you could have gone to for assistance?

Best,

Mallory 

Source

Dolgin, K.G. (2011). The adolescent: Development, relationships, and culture (13thed.).Boston, MA: Pearson.