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When Tweens take it Too Far

In my developmental psychology class last week, I got asked an interesting question. The student asked me why tweens (meaning 10-13 year olds) seem to be so much older now than when she was a tween herself. She went on to explain that when she was younger, she didn’t worry much about how she looked and whether she was thin enough or her breasts big enough (which actually is the typical developmental expectation). She said she noticed that the tweens now seem to be going thorough what she did when she was about 15-16.

It dawned on me that she was right. I explained that the role of modern technology and media’s influence, for example, has influenced that a lot. Take for example young teen shows now and compare them with the ones before. Very different. The tweens of today deal with much more. They are consumed with finding fat burners, getting plastic surgery, and in some cases, wanting to be pregnant because they think its cool. All misread messages.

Don’t get me wrong: I don’t blame media completely. It’s a vicious cycle.And so I explained in class that as we continue to grow and change, and as the generations pass, the needs and experiences vary. When we went on to discuss the next phase of the human life, we also saw how there are changes too, like now a college degree doesn’t seem to be enough anymore, right?

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Something to Think About…

I recently attended an Open House at the Bannister Academy and I came across this sign in their campus. It got me to thinking: what would my answer be.

Hmmm…

Those who know me well will say I value outside opinion way too much. I would definitely agree. I tend to operate on the idea that if others approve of it, then its good. In the same way, I am a stickler for rules. In fact in college, I never once cut a class the way the typical college student does….with that meaning signing attendance than sneaking out. Haha.

So…this sign made me realize one thing: authenticity. How authentic a person are you?

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A Whole Lot of Things To Celebrate

It dawned to me that it’s been a while since I last really updated my blogs because I’ve been so busy with so many things. Sure, I get to cram several posts in a day, but that’s usually because it’s the only free day I get, so I end up writing three to five posts in a row. When I first started, I was kinda able to post at least one daily. *sigh*

But then, I have to take pause and recognize that I am not able to post not only because I’ve been so busy with work, but also I’ve been so busy with celebrating life’s great miracles (oh…and mysteries at times hehe!)…these include

• welcoming new friends and opportunities
• touching base with friends from way back
• saying goodbye to people and things that no longer have a place in my life
• trying on new “hats” and “stilettos”
• being able to witness so many changes in the lives of people around me, such as friends getting married, having babies and all

See…too many things going on. So much so I am contemplating hording on little presents and tokens like those little toy silver spoons or bubble gum cigars to hand out to all my wonderful friends and loved ones who have so many things to celebrate

As for me, one thing I am ready to celebrate is the coming of summer What are you celebrating? Care to share?

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Countdown to Summer

For many schools, summer break has begun but because I teach in a school that uses a trimester-system, I still have about two weeks to go before I can actually say I am on break. Not that I’m complaining, but, yeah, I kinda wish the break was here already. On my Facebook wall are many of my friends posting pictures of themselves on break, in the beach and so on and so forth, so there’s that little part of me that wishes I, too, were there. Since I can’t, I will satisfy myself with some cyber-vacations instead (I read this word somewhere today, I think on Plurk or something hehe). In short: I will go on a cyber vacation by scouting various sites that offer great vacay deals and packages. The upside to my cyber vacation…it goes beyond borders meaning I can go anywhere in the world. So, I checked out a vacation in Paris and looked at some Outer Banks vacation rentals in the US. Yes, I will go around the world via the world wide web. Teeeheeeheeee…..

Okay, Teacher Ria, break is over, go back to checking now

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Posted by Teacher Ria in College, Reflections | 0 Comments

Higher Learning

As I was making my final exam for the developmental psychology class I am teaching this trimester, I was suddenly reminded of the movie Higher Learning. It’s been quite a long time since that film was released, but it dawned on me that the movie was still relevant to many of the concepts I was teaching.

The story revolved around three college freshmen who realized that going to school was more than just a quest to getting their college degrees, rather, it is really a stop in one’s life journey. The learned that the important lessons in life were not just taken from within the four walls of the classroom but that it really went beyond that.

In my class, we did talk about the changing dynamics of education, especially in the past few years. As an educator, I  have seen an influx of very, very young students in masters programs in various universities. In fact, some of my old students ask me to fill up endorsement forms and letters of recommendation for graduate school immediately after they graduate. This lead us to questioning how these decisions influence later life choices and developmental needs and goals. Suffice it to say, these class discussions have really given me a new perspective on the way my students think and how different things are from the time of the movie I mentioned earlier. While there may be differences, however, I think the core components of this life stage still remain: this is the period where adolescents and young adults really search for their identity and step on a path that leads them to their future.

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