Teen Talks about Life Lessons and Education: What it Takes To Be a Teen in 2008.

Choice Assignment #3 Interview with a Teenager & Analysis

When asked to define what makes an educated teen, we must ask ourselves what does it mean to be a teenager growing up in 2008? In our growing society today, one could say that the “mores” or morals of society can be traced back to Freud’s psychological beliefs of the “superego” helping to develop what society should thinks is morally appropriate. The classroom becomes a model of society, diverse of all ages and races. For my third and final choice assignment, I would like to share with you an interview with my teenage friend Leigh (an Irish, Catholic, White, 17-year-old female).

As her confirmation sponsor, we have met several times throughout the course of this year sharing conversations about the ways in which we define ourselves in the Christian faith tradition as well as within our surrounding world. This entry developed from a conversation that began with Leigh’s definition of education for teens today and what education means to her? As she began to tell me about her beliefs I found myself wanting to speak up and share my own, but I quieted down and listened closely. She filled the time by sharing her interesting experiences and what she has learned as a teen growing up in 2008. As a senior in high school, Leigh began the conversation by saying, “I believe a teacher and each student should form a partnership sharing ideas with each other. The classroom should be a safe place to learn but sometimes I get distracted.” When I asked Leigh to share why she felt so unable to concentrate at times she opened up about issues surrounding teens like body image, relationships, gossip girls, sports teams, peer pressure even getting good grades.

What I learned from this interview reinforces so much about what we have learned to be the many concerns with teens living against the negative dominant ideologies that society has set up for them with many unexplainable pressures. Just by looking at the intension of the media, our world targets teens to look, feel and act a certain way. Christensen reminds us that T.V. and movies “teach teens how to love, how to buy, how to conquer, how to forget the past and suppress the future. We are taught more than anything else, how not to rebel” (Christensen). The world and society are continuously changing, but we must continuously question who should take the role to decide what morals and beliefs define a “normal” teenager in 2008.

Education today is “nourished on the milk of American culture” and has been a huge debate by educators and higher leaders in government (Christensen). Financial funding is reaching public and private institutions across the United States to build an educational framework making history part of the curriculum, but what about a crash course of how to survive the teenage years today?! As Leigh and I talked, she shared the many pressures she is feeling within the public school setting itself, “high school should not divide people but unite them, to think together, and encourage diverse open-minded skills an exchanging of ideas.” Ferguson writes in her book, “Don’t Believe the Hype” that “school [is a place] to create cultural and racial awareness.” My response to her comments and Ferguson’s ideas was to think about private verses public institutions and what they mean to her? Is a student from a private high school more educated than a student from a public institution? How are they different or the same? What do they teach us about ourselves and other people?

The setting to which a person learns is extremely important. As a transfer student myself I shared with Leigh how I have embraced the diverse public college environment. I have actually found that the public institution best defines the environment and supplies the tools to help define a well-rounded educated person. Christensen reminds us of the work of Chilean writer Ariel Dorfman and his idea of “secret education” (Christensen). We learn how “social blue prints [fostered in the educational curriculum often depict the domination of one sex, one race, one class, or one country over a weaker counter part” (Christensen). A public college much like a public high school is a fine model of reality, if embraced properly. Leigh agreed that a “public high school best defines the qualities of diversity.” Leigh added, “I really think that education begins in the classroom.” We both agreed that the student should gain an open mind so when they enter the “real world” of “real people” they will be prepared to listen to others opinions, ideas, beliefs and traditions of cross-cultural families. Going along with this idea, Leigh shared her struggles at times to fit in within the school environment. While juggling many hats as a violinist, golf pro, student, girlfriend, prep, and daughter “it has been hard to be myself without anyone judging who I am. I find myself worrying about what other people think about me.” I shared with Leigh, Danah Boyd’s thoughts from her piece “Identity Production in a Networked Culture: Why Youth Heart My Space,” and that “all teens engage in identity production as they turn from their parents to their peers as their primary influencers and group dynamics take hold” (Boyd). I encouraged Leigh to think about safe places in school and safe people confide in when she has a problem.

Leigh shared her feelings about teachers, “they encourage her to strive for her goals, study hard and serve as part of [her] support system at school.” Leigh and I agreed, that teachers and parents alike can be extremely nurturing and encourage us to think about what is important to us and makes us special.

Four café mochas later, we got to talking about education and diversity factor, the diversity of teachers and especially her peers. Leigh stated, “I look around the classroom to peers of different races, backgrounds, styles, hobbies. Students should be able to be themselves, even dress as they want.” Leigh expressed her fear about being judged by others for the “fear of being uncool.” She shared that because she likes “preppy clothes” some kids will make fun of her, “it is all about fitting in.” Leigh added, “heck, it is all about where you sit at the lunch table too.” Ferguson says it best, that teen life in school directly affects that of outside behavior, “[the traumatic and emotionally disturbing events outside of school directly contributed to children’s anger and troubling behavior in school” (Ferguson). Ferguson moves on to discuss society’s response to this overwhelming problem, “society is unwilling to deal with issues of race and a real, divisive social problem” (Ferguson).

When I begin to stream together topics Leigh and I talked about, I began to see a developing pattern. I began to piece together that in order to develop an education you must think about the necessary values that promote healthy living for teen survival today. The student should be encouraged learn about their own experiences and how they help them cope with life as a teenager.

This assignment has taught me that teenage years can be frightening, but a cohesive exchange of learning and teaching can begin with the parents at home. Leigh shares with me how her parents, “allow her to be open” and encourage her just like teachers at school. Teachers who extend their knowledge and support onto the student helps define a well-rounded educated teen. Leigh makes a great point that so “much of what she learns begins at home and in the classroom. Education is about building a respectful team both student and teacher.” By learning the respect of a teacher and speaking out among peers in the classroom, you not only share your ideas but also listen to others. This teen discourse builds values and teaches teens how to survive being pushed aside because of their age and the stereotypes against them. Perhaps this exchange of ideas can suppress the overwhelming stereotypes that strike against our teens and “pierce the surface” to break those barriers (Christensen).

Students should be encouraged not only to learn about diversity from literature, science and math but the world around them. They can learn from their peers about history, language, cultural philosophy and religion from all over the world. I have learned that as the world is changing, it is important to be open-minded. I can not stress enough how being open to others beliefs, traditions and ideas is essential today. We need to take a 21st century perspective on what it means to be a teen. Our culture must teach our students to respect themselves and peers, being open to the ideas both past and present. Our culture like Ferguson so carefully reminds us “that social structure and personal agency explains human behavior” (Ferguson). We can use the teachings of Freud’s model of psychology or the message of Odysseus’s journey home in the Odyssey to define for ourselves the journey of the teenage world today. However, I believe that education should take a liberal view and offer up a wealth of ideas from not only textbooks but also simply listening to what teens have to say. Ferguson reminds us that, “institutional norms and procedures in the field of education are used to maintain order” (Ferguson). Teenagers should be able to take the ideas within the classroom to foster being a worldlier person. This assignment has taught me that it takes just one person to listen and a lot to learn!

A special thank you to my dear friend Leigh. You have taught me so much! I treasure our friendship!


NB: This is a website I found with links that share a variety of other websites promoting diversity in the classroom, Entitled, “Resources for Awareness: Equity, Race, and Learning Support.” Enjoy!

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.seattleschools.org/area/equityandrace/images/adultreading.JPG&imgrefurl=http://www.seattleschools.org/area/equityandrace/awareness.xml&h=398&w=600&sz=198&hl=en&start=83&tbnid=LGiwDXl7VQaxGM:&tbnh=90&tbnw=135&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dteacher%2Band%2Bstudents%2Band%2Bdiversity%26start%3D80%26gbv%3D2%26ndsp%3D20%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN