Adolescents are influenced by the many people around them whether it be parents, siblings, peers, teachers, etc. Adolescents are at a period where they begin developing their own identity, developing their own beliefs, and making decisions for themselves. According to McMahan and Thomson (2015), teens shift from spending more time with their parents to spending more time with their peers. Thus, their dynamic relationships have an influence on their decision making.

 

This week we focused our attention to the relationships with family vs. peers. An adolescent’s relationship with their parents can be influenced by factors such as divorce, a parent losing a job, or a parent refusing to give their child more autonomy. This could lead to more frequent arguments and the likelihood of the teen to rebel. We also delved into the topic of peer relationships. From our class discussion we concluded that friends influence the clothes you wear, the way you act, or whether you conform to what others are doing. This may influence an adolescent because they may necessarily agree with or believe in what their peers are doing. However, to remain in the friendship circle, they must conform and make decisions they might once not have thought of doing.

 

The question asked of us this week is to describe two systems you would want to gather information from when working with a student you are concerned about and why each of those systems are important. Personally, I would gather information from parents and peers as those systems have the most influence over them, and we as teachers have the easiest access to those systems.

 

Family: I chose family because it is important for us as educators to build a relationships with parents. We as teachers only see students at school, therefore we do not know what is happening beyond the walls of the school. Maybe something is going on at home. Maybe there was a death, a divorce, or something tragic that is influencing our students’ grades. If we fail to reach out to the family, we may never have an answer. If parents are a strong support system, they will be concerned about their child’s grades and will be able to talk and input disciplinary actions. Carl Pickhardt’s “Surviving Your Child’s Adolescence" was a useful resource to understand how parents and children can make compromises as they transition into adolescents. I could use this as a basis when having a discussion with a parent who is being overly strict with a child. Another resource I found covered the complexity of blended families. I am fortunate enough to have both my parents together so my knowledge on divorce is limited. This resource is useful to understand the challenges these teens experience and how I could better relate to the student. By developing a relationship with a parent, I can better plan my lessons or assignments to meet my student’s needs.

 

Peers: I chose peers as the second system because adolescents spend the majority of their time with their friends. They are with them all day at school, and possibly in extracurricular activities, and may even hang out with them during the weekends, parties, etc. Adolescents begin to confide in their friends over their parents and look to them for advice. Having this in mind, they may know more about what is going on in their friend’s life more than a parent would. Getting to know the students peers may help to understand what is bringing up concerning issues with the student. One resource I found addresses how to deal with peer pressure. This may be a resource to provide to parents or students who are giving in to peer pressure. Another resource I found provides ways to encourage teens to make better decisions. Often adolescents want to act against what their parents say. If I as a teacher step in and encourage them to reflect on their actions, they may be more inclined to make some changes. Even having a simple conversation with your peers may result in some better outcomes.