Under Pressure...

I find myself pondering the obstacle of pressure that Molly talked about in her blog.  I know just from listening to my 13 (almost 14!) year old daughter, the huge range of pressures she is contending with all the time.  School work, figuring herself out, finding friendship, organizing her life, handling moments of self-doubt, alternately craving privacy and sociability, managing changes in her body... the list is long.  Watching her, and being her ally (as much as a can be) brings me back to my own adolescent years with a hard thump.  And it's interesting to me that when she was little I was so deeply invested in ensuring that her life would always be happy while now I feel a much stronger need to let her know that getting by in life in part of learning to manage all the inevitable difficulties that come our way.  What an incredibly difficult moment in life!  To come to terms with the fact that so many things--though challenging, gratifying, at times exhilarating--are just not easy. 

So the idea that pressure is a major obstacle to learning comes as no surprise.  Then, I add the insights and concerns of various teens from The Freedom Writers Diary, and it's clear that the level of pressures can range from "my hair looks weird" to "My father is a drug dealer" to "I'm a lesbian and I'm terrified that no one I care about will accept me when they find out."  Then, as a teacher and a person, we come into the classroom with our own pressures.  Our own life concerns that extend beyond the classroom, pressures to teach in a certain way, pressures to handle students that aren't easy to engage..."  Our list can be daunting as well. 

Where to go with this?  In part, I think a good teacher needs to be mindful of these pressures and realistic about the ways in which that will effect every student in the classroom.  Being compassionate and empathetic can help.  Also, creating a safe space, where, at least in some cases, students can leave some of those pressures behind--if only for a class period.  But also, thinking about ways to engage the uniqueness of the adolescent struggle with identity, belonging and fitting in and using those concerns as teaching points.  Middle school teachers are doing a lot--but they cannot forget that they are also dealing with students who are managing a slew of issues emotionally and physically.  Otherwise pressure may be too great an obstacle for many students to overcome.