BRAIN FOG - Everyone Needs a Mrs. Wiggins!
July 18, 2016 - Who remembers Mrs. Wiggins from the 1970's Carol Burnett Show? What a fiasco she was at her job. Yet, Mr. Tudball still needed a secretary.
I sometimes think we could all benefit from a personal assistant or secretary. Especially those forgetful middle schoolers or high schoolers. Teaching in the middle school I had to take the course THE MIDDLE SCHOOL LEARNER to keep my 6-12 grades teaching certificate current for five years. While teaching Gifted students and learning more about brain development because of my classes, I became convinced it might be necessary to help those who are "in a fog" have some kind of personal organizer.
Our county gave our students an AGENDA to write down due dates for assignments but if you lost things, like most did at that age, then losing the AGENDA was one of those items at the top of the list. I had an entire collection of left-behind AGENDAs in my room at the end of the day. Believe me, I remember many excuses from even the most gifted students about why their homework wasn't turned in on time (or at all!).
The teen brain - in a quick rundown - is still under construction. A teen is much more drawn to the immediate reward of a situation than adults are. They are much less likely to think ahead and think about the future. The future can be just an hour later. And the male brain takes a LONG time to work it's way into an adult version. Most recently I read - hold on to your seat - around 27-29. (I still have a child that is 22 and holding out hope for a quicker entry into adulthood.)
My family just got back from the lake where my oldest brought along one of his best friends since middle school and visiting with him again after not seeing him for a few years, the memories of his middle school behavior flooded back because I was also his teacher. "J" has been the topic of several of my conversations and stories over the years because he is certainly HIGH VOLTAGE and his mind NEVER shuts off. He is also a delight.
I fondly recall one day when he was in 6th grade. I have no idea the discussion going on in the classroom but I do remember "J" politely raising his hand and when called upon he said, "Last night when I stayed up past bedtime reading the 'M' volume of the Encyclopedia Brittanica, I noticed...." I do not recollect a thing after that preface. This brilliant student read FOR FUN volumes of the encyclopedia.
We would take "J" on vacations with us during his middle school years and one time the conversation going on in the back seat of our car was the discussion between two 13 year old boys and "J's" analysis of the different war fronts during WWII...where and what the Germans, the French, the Americans, etc. did in their respective theaters. I mean, 13! And my husband would listen in and turn to me and say, "He's right." I thought middle school boys might discuss fishing or video games. "J" was a history resource.
But he rarely turned in his homework, even when he used the school AGENDA for organizational help. I called his mother, a friend, and told her I had an idea. Let's get "J" a secretary. Maybe she could pay some really organized GIRL to call "J" and remind him outside of class about the assignments that were due. It would be a win-win! A middle school girl would have some extra money. "J" is reminded of what is due in school. MOTHER doesn't have to have a heart attack when he doesn't turn in his work and gets a ZERO in the teacher's grade book and has to have to have a parent conference with TEACHER a zillion times during the school year. MOTHER doesn't have to be involved AT ALL! I mean, if both of my children had needed help like this, I'd have done it. Mine were just mildly forgetful (worrisome enough). But "J" was one of those genius students (still is) who on our lake trip, thought during his visit he had lost 1) his only pair of prescription glasses (that if he HAD lost them, he really could not see and was leaving in a couple of weeks to work in China for a year and would have a tough time trying to secure another set before then) and 2) couldn't keep up with his phone the entire weekend.
And his age? 30. I still LOVE this man/boy! But God, please bless him in China.
I sometimes think we could all benefit from a personal assistant or secretary. Especially those forgetful middle schoolers or high schoolers. Teaching in the middle school I had to take the course THE MIDDLE SCHOOL LEARNER to keep my 6-12 grades teaching certificate current for five years. While teaching Gifted students and learning more about brain development because of my classes, I became convinced it might be necessary to help those who are "in a fog" have some kind of personal organizer.
Our county gave our students an AGENDA to write down due dates for assignments but if you lost things, like most did at that age, then losing the AGENDA was one of those items at the top of the list. I had an entire collection of left-behind AGENDAs in my room at the end of the day. Believe me, I remember many excuses from even the most gifted students about why their homework wasn't turned in on time (or at all!).
The teen brain - in a quick rundown - is still under construction. A teen is much more drawn to the immediate reward of a situation than adults are. They are much less likely to think ahead and think about the future. The future can be just an hour later. And the male brain takes a LONG time to work it's way into an adult version. Most recently I read - hold on to your seat - around 27-29. (I still have a child that is 22 and holding out hope for a quicker entry into adulthood.)
My family just got back from the lake where my oldest brought along one of his best friends since middle school and visiting with him again after not seeing him for a few years, the memories of his middle school behavior flooded back because I was also his teacher. "J" has been the topic of several of my conversations and stories over the years because he is certainly HIGH VOLTAGE and his mind NEVER shuts off. He is also a delight.
I fondly recall one day when he was in 6th grade. I have no idea the discussion going on in the classroom but I do remember "J" politely raising his hand and when called upon he said, "Last night when I stayed up past bedtime reading the 'M' volume of the Encyclopedia Brittanica, I noticed...." I do not recollect a thing after that preface. This brilliant student read FOR FUN volumes of the encyclopedia.
We would take "J" on vacations with us during his middle school years and one time the conversation going on in the back seat of our car was the discussion between two 13 year old boys and "J's" analysis of the different war fronts during WWII...where and what the Germans, the French, the Americans, etc. did in their respective theaters. I mean, 13! And my husband would listen in and turn to me and say, "He's right." I thought middle school boys might discuss fishing or video games. "J" was a history resource.
But he rarely turned in his homework, even when he used the school AGENDA for organizational help. I called his mother, a friend, and told her I had an idea. Let's get "J" a secretary. Maybe she could pay some really organized GIRL to call "J" and remind him outside of class about the assignments that were due. It would be a win-win! A middle school girl would have some extra money. "J" is reminded of what is due in school. MOTHER doesn't have to have a heart attack when he doesn't turn in his work and gets a ZERO in the teacher's grade book and has to have to have a parent conference with TEACHER a zillion times during the school year. MOTHER doesn't have to be involved AT ALL! I mean, if both of my children had needed help like this, I'd have done it. Mine were just mildly forgetful (worrisome enough). But "J" was one of those genius students (still is) who on our lake trip, thought during his visit he had lost 1) his only pair of prescription glasses (that if he HAD lost them, he really could not see and was leaving in a couple of weeks to work in China for a year and would have a tough time trying to secure another set before then) and 2) couldn't keep up with his phone the entire weekend.
And his age? 30. I still LOVE this man/boy! But God, please bless him in China.
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