Making Teaching the Terrible Teens Fun
16/01/2007

Engaging teenagers in an activity or conversation is renowned as a notoriously difficult task the world over. While hormones, peer pressure, new relationships and an emerging identity cause chaos in the world of the teenager, the lives of teachers across the land are turned similarly upside down by the sheer challenge of summoning up sufficient patience, creativity, courage and strength to deal with the resulting classroom confusion. According to Jeff Burns of Fifth Dimension however, while working with adolescents can be frustrating and stressful, it can also be the most rewarding and lively age group of all, as long as you bear in mind a few pointers that will help the process go as smoothly as possible.

Jeff has ten years' experience in working with teenagers in secondary schools throughout the north east of Scotland. With Fifth Dimension, the inventive and creative corporate communications and entertainment company, Jeff has conducted numerous team building and problem solving activities around the realm of magic, and over the years has built up considerable experience of teenage behaviour and how to handle it.

"Teenagers can be less motivated than other age groups, and are notoriously hard to please, so finding original techniques that will capture and hold pupils' interests is key for teachers," says Jeff. "While there's no question that magic is a very successful tool when it comes to engaging teenagers, there are a number of other resources that anyone who works with young people can draw on, which help attract attention and keep it."

Jeff reveals his top tips for keeping teenagers' eyes from the clock during his sessions:

A grown up's world
Perhaps one of the hardest balances to strike with teenagers is that between being firm and patronising. Teens tend to respond well to being treated as older than they are so treating them like adults while not forgetting that they are still in fact young people, should help when it comes to gaining their respect and keeping them motivated.

Group activities
Group activities are great because they allow insights into group dynamics, which are arguably as important as the teaching matter itself in a classroom full of teenagers. Organising group work reveals a lot about teenage behaviour in terms of relationships with others, and enables them to take responsibility for their own decisions, an autonomy most of them will appreciate.

Relate to them
Incorporating topics of current interest into lessons appeals to most teenagers because they are wired to appreciate all that is cool and up to date. Whether it's entertainment or IT, using examples from the language of teens will help keep them interested. Equally, where possible, encourage project work that is personally relevant to them - you'll be surprised at the encyclopaedic-like knowledge many teenagers possess when it comes to subjects close to their heart.

Laugh a minute
Structured games prompt interaction with others, and provide competition in a fun environment. More importantly perhaps, games help us to laugh - something we all enjoy and therefore find motivating.

The spice of life
With their notoriously short attention spans and unrivalled ability to daydream, today's MTV generation of teenagers depend on variety to remain tuned in to what is going on around them. Surprising them with humour and introducing variety to class plans and teaching styles will help keep them on their toes and liven up lessons no end.

Keep on movin'
Maintaining a slick pace to lessons ensures that activities don't drag on too long, and avoids the risk of boredom setting in. Being constantly on the look out for signs of agitation and lost interest also acts as a useful guide for timings of activities.

Keep it real
Many teenagers are turned off by speakers who are only there for themselves. When working with teenagers you need to be there for them - they are not there for you! By showing genuine interest in their views and opinions, you can help to build up a long lasting relationship that can benefit their learning and your development as a teacher.


<< Back