Story Name:  You will be a teenager soon – Common teenage problems and how to handle them

Teacher’s Notes:

a.  Key topic

Teenagers face real concerns on a daily basis, as this is the most awkward growth stage of their lives.  Through our story we go over the different types of struggles that teenagers face, both internal and external, and we offer guidance in handling and dealing with these struggles positively.

b.  Concepts Introduced to the kids through the Story

v  Explain how their teenage years will bring on a number of challenges

v  Go over the different types of challenges they may face as teenagers

v  Demonstrate how their reaction to the different types of challenges will determine whether the outcome will be positive or negative

c.  Learning objectives for the Kids

• Understand the challenges they will face in their teenage years
• Discover ways to handle the problems they will face as teenagers
• Create conditions that will help them transition into teenage life as smoothly as possible
• Seek support from trusted adults

d.  Tips for Teaching through Storytelling

When teaching youngsters we need to use a slightly different approach than when teaching adults, meaning that youngsters relate better to visuals, examples and stories (real life examples/stories are even better) and interactive technology.  Also, young kids do not need a lot of jargon, they need a much simpler vocabulary that they can understand.  In addition, the teacher has to figure out a way to relate to the kids and there are a number of things that can be done in this direction from the type of clothes the teachers wear, to the language they use, the way they move about in the class, etc.

Storytelling is more than just reading the words of a story out loud.  It takes other skills as well.  It is important for teachers to use different tones in their voice when they are telling a story.  If the teacher’s voice stays at the same level it becomes boring!  The teacher will want their voice to go higher and lower, louder and softer.  Teachers should try to use different voices for different characters and make sure that they speak loud enough so that everyone hears them, and say the words clearly so that everyone can understand them.

Teachers should also have in mind that storytelling is not just words; it is motion as well.  They will have to move around when they tell their story; they should use their arms, legs, hands and their face to tell the story.  In addition, they have to make sure to maintain eye contact with their audience.  Eye contract is one of the most important non-verbal ways to connect with other people.  It helps keep the attention of the audience and it also conveys a sense of confidence and truthfulness.  It is best that teachers always look directly into the kids’ eyes; they will connect with them and keep their attention longer.

e.  In-class discussion after the storytelling

• Explain the different types of bullying and ask the kids for some examples of bullying that they are aware of.  Follow with a discussion of their examples.
• Explain why it is good for teenagers to take up a sport and ask the kids for some examples from their life.  Follow with a discussion of their examples.
• Ask the kids the following questions and discuss their answers.  Usually there is time to take and discuss the answers of 2 to 3 kids.

• • Why did Fiducius’ mom call his sister’s teenage years ‘a time of turbulence’?
  • Do you look forward to your teenage years and why/why not?

The Story

The Soccertopia Eagles kids were very impressed with the discussion they had with Mr. Soccerball about peer pressure and they talked about it a lot both with their friends and their parents.  They felt that it was a more grown-up, teenage subject and they wanted to continue the discussion on this topic and find out more about the challenges they may come across as teenagers.  After they finished their practice and settled for their weekly chat with Mr. Soccerball, Madya took the lead, stood up and said:

-Mr. Soccerball, we all thought that the discussion we had about peer pressure was a real eye-opener for the whole group and we were wondering if we can talk some more about what lies ahead for all of us, in our teenage years.

-I am glad you all found that conversation useful, said Mr. Soccerball.  The truth is that I was planning to have a discussion on what to expect in your teenage years and how to handle things as best as possible.

-I hope that we should expect good things, said Lucius.

-Not according to my mom, said Fiducius with a smile.  She keeps saying that my sister’s teenage years were a ‘time of turbulence’ in our house!

-Well, said Mr. Soccerball, to set the record straight, yes you should all expect great things because your teenage years will prepare you for your transition into adulthood.  Both your brain and your body will be developing with the speed of light and it is during this time that your identity will be shaped.  But at the same time, there will be a number of issues that you will have to deal with.

-Like what kind of issues, asked Lucius.

-Can anyone tell us what these issues could be? asked Mr. Soccerball.

-My mom says that our hormones are changing during our teenage years, said Madya.  She also says that hormonal changes can be overwhelming and may lead to impulsive or risky behavior or even experimenting with the wrong things!

-I think this is the reason my mom called my sister’s teenage years ‘a time of turbulence’ said Fiducius.  My sister had always been quite rebellious, even more so when she was a teenager, always arguing with my mom and every month she wanted to change the color of her hair to the point that her head looked like a rainbow!

The whole group started laughing and Mr. Soccerball smiled and said:

-Both what Madya and Fiducius described, is typical teenage behavior.  Your hormones are fighting to take control of your emotions which can make you feel overwhelmed.  But know this:  You should never act on impulse.  Whatever you feel, no matter how strong of a feeling it is, do not act on it immediately.  Give it some time to settle, try to think things through, discuss it with a friend or a trusted adult before you do anything.  Believe me guys, you will avoid a lot of unpleasant situations this way!

-That sounds right, said Lucius.  But what should we do if we are stressed or bullied?  There is bullying going around at every school, even at ours.

-Bullying is something that should be brought immediately to the attention of your parents, your school teachers, or any other adult that you trust.  You should remember that getting help from an adult is not a sign of weakness, but a show of courage.

-What you should know about bullying, continued Mr. Soccerball, is that it can have many forms.  It can be online cyberbullying, in-person through physical or verbal attacks or indirectly through exclusion, spreading rumors, etc.  As soon as you see any form of bullying, even if it does not concern yourself, you have a duty to do something about it.

-There was this older girl at school sir, who was being bullied by a group of other girls, said Madya.  They were making fun of her because she was a bit heavy and they were calling her all sorts of names.  When I realized what was happening, I went straight to our school counselor and reported it.

-This is exactly the thing you should do guys, and congratulations to you Madya for doing that, said Mr. Soccerball.  What Madya just said brings up another major concern for teenagers which has to do with their body image, feeling that they may be too fat or too skinny, too tall or too short.  Your body will be changing a lot during your teenage years , so your main concern should be to keep it healthy, eat the right things, hydrate, and of course do some form of exercise, like we do here at practice.  When you do all that, you will feel good about your healthy self and your body image will not be as much of a concern.

-Sir, I have read somewhere that when you engage in sports you release a lot of stress, said Madya.  So I guess it’s good for us to come to practice because it helps us release stress.

-This is very true, said Mr. Soccerball.  In addition to that, when you exercise, your body releases these hormones called ‘endorphins’ which are the ‘feel-good’ hormones and help you deal with stress and pain.

-Wow, said Lucius, so this is the reason I feel so good after practice?

The whole group started laughing with Lucius’ reaction and the kids started commenting on the exotic new word (endorphins) they had just learnt and how it makes them feel pumped up after practice.

Mr. Soccerball was pleased with the way the discussion was going so he decided to take it a step further and said:

-You know guys that when you are into a sport, it doesn’t only make you feel good, it helps you make new friends and it takes up a good chunk of your free time which helps you stay away from a lot of trouble.

-What kind of trouble Mr. Soccerball, asked Madya.  I overheard my dad saying the same thing in a discussion he had with my mom and I was wondering what he meant.

Mr. Soccerball turned to Madya and said:

-I was just getting to that Madya.  When you have a healthy and physically demanding hobby that takes up your time, you have little time left to get involved with activities that are not good for you.  When you are a bored teenager, looking for excitement, you may end up trying things you should not, like alcohol, smoking or drugs.  Alcohol, smoking, drugs and other substances are harmful and they can take a serious toll on a teenager’s developing brain.

-This is really something, said Madya.  She turned to the rest of the kids and said:

-I don’t know about you guys, but I feel that I have learnt so many new things today, an awful lot of useful things.

The kids started cheering as they loudly confirmed Madya’s point of view.  And Madya, of course thought it was the perfect time for a song and started singing happily.

We will all be teenagers soon

But our transition will be smooth

We know there will be challenges ahead

And we are ready to face them with strength

-You are all such great and brave kids and I am sure that you will deal well with whatever teenage life brings you, said Mr. Soccerball.  You all make me very proud and I feel privileged to be your coach!