ERIC Number: EJ939873
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2010
Pages: 0
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0145-9635
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Maintaining Boundaries: Four Guidelines for Educators in a Teenage World
Porter, Susan Eva
Independent School, v69 n4 Sum 2010
Teenagers, and many preteens, can't get away from their hormone-filled bodies; therefore, they spend lots of time during school contending with issues of sexuality--from profound questions about sexual orientation and gender identity to more mundane issues such as whom a particularly cute classmate will choose to sit next to in English. Like it or not, these issues are as important--and usually much more pressing--to students than what is being taught in class. This does not mean teenagers can't focus on anything else but sexuality, but rather that they can never get away from themselves and their burgeoning sexuality during adolescence. This reality has huge implications for those who work with adolescents in the Teenage World, which is what the author calls middle and high schools. Adults who work in the Teenage World are immersed in adolescent sexuality all day long, and, therefore, if they wish to create and sustain healthy school environments for their students, they must understand how sexuality affects them. In addition, if they want to create and sustain healthy school environments for ourselves, they must also understand how adolescent sexuality affects us personally. It is impossible to work with teenagers and not be affected by their sexuality, and it's also impossible to work with them and not be affected by their own. In this article, the author discusses four guidelines that help direct adults' thinking and actions in their relationships with students in the Teenage World. When they consider and abide by these directives, they articulate and maintain the obvious and the not-so-obvious boundaries as they relate to teenagers.
Descriptors: Sexual Orientation, Adolescents, Guidelines, Sexuality, Sexual Identity, Adolescent Attitudes, Adolescent Development, Social Influences, Emotional Intelligence, Change Strategies, Personality Change, Personality Development, Teacher Role, Teacher Student Relationship
National Association of Independent Schools. 1620 L Street NW Suite 1100, Washington, DC 20036. Tel: 800-793-6701; Tel: 202-973-9700; Fax: 202-973-9790; Web site: http://www.nais.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Elementary Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A