Parents of Teenagers Need to Start “Rethinking Adolescence”

It’s the eyes rolling, the word “whatever” that is spit out like an insult, the house-rattling slam of a door during the heightened moments of an argument. What is a parent to do? The teenage years can be a trying time for parents. Even if their adolescents are not displaying this type of behavior, parents know that their children’s bodies and minds are changing. Teens are experiencing societal and social pressures to figure out who they are. Fortunately, parents can now gain insight into what their teens are experiencing and can learn how to form strong connections with them just when they are beginning to pull away.

Jay D'Ambrosio, Ancient Civilizations teacher at Seneca Valley Middle School, authored the book Rethinking Adolescence: Using Story to Navigate Life's Uncharted Years (Rowman & Littlefield Education, 2006). 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 the book, Jay D’Ambrosio shares what he has learned from his years as a middle school teacher and family/relationship mediator with North Way Counseling Services. Gary Solomon, M.P.H., M.S.W., Ph.D., the author of Cinema Parenting, The Motion Prescription, and A Psychiatric Diagnostic Primer, stated about Jay, “You will quickly appreciate his intelligent insight and wisdom.” I wholeheartedly agree. In Rethinking Adolescence, he examines the realities of what students are going through internally by linking key elements to myths, movies, and songs. He encourages parents and teachers to find ways to be the character Mr. Miyagi from The Karate Kid or Obi-Wan Kenobi from Star Wars as they gently guide the teenager through a new and sometimes bumpy journey in life. The clever and intelligent references in the book range from The Odyssey to the songs of singer Sting. This, in combination with the powerful and modern day explanations of what teenagers are experiencing (from Instant Messenger bullying to the age-old pressure to succeed), provides parents with a unique perspective on what their child is going through.

Jay explained to me that we prepare a teenager’s mind and body through academics and physical education; “However, the heart of an adolescent is left to wander on its own, searching for meaning in the midst of chaos. That is why we see so many depressed, confused, and desperate circumstances during the adolescent (and adult) years. The way to connect on the level of the heart is through story. It is the language of the heart, the way the heart understands truth. It is the way our lives are unveiled, a page at a time.”

Pick up Jay D'Ambrosio’s latest book:
Rethinking Adolescence: Using Story to Navigate Life's Uncharted Years
(Rowman & Littlefield Education, 2006)
Or check out his Rethinking Life Blog: http://eteaching101.blogspot.com

Dr. Shellie Hipsky:
Dr. Shellie Hipsky’s career includes teaching students from kindergarten to graduate school in the U.S. as well as in Rome, Italy. She presented at an international conference on educational leadership at Oxford University. Dr. Hipsky’s drama background includes performing since the age of five, teaching drama at an International Baccalaureate Academy, and serving as the Director of Education for the Gemini Theater. She has been published in: The Northam Centre for Leadership Studies Monograph, Educational Review, and writes lesson plans for the International Reading Association’s readwritethink.org. Shellie is a frequently requested speaker by educational organizations, conferences, and school districts on educational leadership, special education, and the arts in the classroom. As a recent Assistant Principal in charge of curriculum and supervision at a school for students with emotional/behavioral disabilities, she is acutely aware of teacher and student needs. Dr. Shellie Hipsky is currently an Assistant Professor of Education at Robert Morris University.