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As a former administrator and teacher of students in their adolescent years, I witnessed first hand the struggles that adults have with understanding what adolescents are going through in today’s society. It is this framework that often determines how these children who are entering into the adult world react and interact with their peers and authority figures in their lives. An insightful new book helps teachers and parents to garner a deeper understanding of adolescent experiences and learn how to make real connections with adolescent students.
The author of Rethinking Adolescence: Using Story to Navigate Life's Uncharted Years (Rowman & Littlefield Education, 2006) is Jay D'Ambrosio, an Ancient Civilizations teacher at Seneca Valley Middle School. This master teacher had his website recognized by USA Today as one of three "Best Bets" in education. Jay was also nominated for a Pennsylvania Teacher Excellence Center Award in 2005, and in 2002 was nominated for Disney’s American Teacher Awards. In his book, Jay D’Ambrosio shares lessons learned and stories from his years as a middle school teacher and family/relationship mediator with North Way Counseling Services.
Wendy Camus, my student who is a parent and an aspiring teacher, introduced me to D’Ambrosio’s work. She explained that, “His assertions in the book add a new tool to the parenting and teaching toolkit. Children learn from stories. I remember stories told to me when I was growing up. Stories such as the fables of Hans Christian Anderson, fairy tales, and family legends give children a background to understand acceptable behavior. These stories also give children a sense of history in their own lives. As role models, if we do not use stories we lose an important teaching moment with children.”
In Rethinking Adolescence, he examines the realities of what students are going through internally by linking key elements to myths, movies, and songs. Jay explained to me an example of how he utilizes this technique in his life skills group at Seneca Valley Middle School. In this group, students watch clips from a movie, such as the Empire Strikes Back. They then discuss characters from the movie to see who identifies with the situation of which character. By allowing students to identify with characters from a story, they can more clearly see their own lives and the meaning behind them. He said that sometimes it simply involves allowing a student to share a challenge, while you listen. The teacher can then in response, share a story, movie, or myth in which a character faces a similar challenge. During our interview D’Ambrosio stated that, |
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“Facing your fears about a bully or a troublesome situation can almost feel like slaying a dragon. Myth and story speak to the reality behind what we see. Like the great stories that tell of an epic war between good and evil, we are engaged in a fearsome battle for the hearts of our young people. That's why movies like the Lord of the Rings or Star Wars have the potential to move us so powerfully. They tell us about something real that we normally don't see clearly.”
Through this book, teachers can gain a perspective on what their students are going through from modern day experiences of Instant Messenger bullying to the age-old pressure to succeed. The intelligent media references in the book range from the movie The Karate Kid to the songs of singer Sting. Rethinking Adolescence: Using Story to Navigate Life's Uncharted Years is a book that certainly should be experienced and utilized by educators of adolescents.
Pick up Jay D'Ambrosio’s latest book: |
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Rethinking Adolescence: Buy the Book by Dr. Shellie Hipsky |
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About the Author: Shellie Hipsky, Ed.D. Dr. Shellie Hipsky’s career includes teaching students from kindergarten to graduate school in the U.S. as well as in Rome, Italy. She has been published in: Curriculum Review, The Northam Centre for Leadership Studies Monograph, Educational Review, and Kappa Delta Pi Record. Hipsky’s books include: The Drama Discovery Curriculum: Bibliotherapy and Theater Games for Students with Emotional and Behavioral Challenges. Shellie is a frequently requested speaker by educational organizations, conferences, and school districts on differentiated instruction, educational leadership, special education, and the arts in the classroom. Dr. Shellie Hipsky is currently an Assistant Professor of Education at Robert Morris University and an Educational Consultant for the Tri-State Study Council at the University of Pittsburgh. She can be reached at: hipsky@rmu.edu. |
