Brainergy - Optimal Learning - Workshops - The Hidden Curriculum of Adolescence

"We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are." -Anais Nin



					The Hidden Curriculum of Adolescence How do children, usually so full of promise and vitality, turn into adults who are either confident and productive, or disillusioned and bitter? - Mihalyi Csikszenmihalyi The Hidden Curriculum of Adolescence is learning how to allocate one's limited attentional resources in ways that are both appropriate to the demands and responsibilities of adult society and fulfilling, even pleasing to the individual. Learning how to make gratifying choices among conflicting instincts, habits, and values transforms the adolescent into a well-adjusted young adult. A viable, coherent, and resilient identity is formed in the process of this transformation. These developmental processes not only require cognitive effort and growth, but also the activation and coordination of the emotional, social, and intra-personal realms of human experience. The difference between vital, conscientious adults and disillusioned ones is found in how they have learned to experience their day to day activities. Several bodies of research on adolescence indicate that the achievements of emotional and practical intelligence, as well as the ability to navigate conflict and overcome frustration are signal milestones of the transition to adulthood. This compelling and important workshop explores how parents and educators can create ingeniously blended "holding environments" of challenge and support to teach teenagers the benefits, requirements, and rewards of making smart choices about time, effort, and activity.