Created for EDUC730 Introduction to Differentiation and Responsive Teaching by B. Samuelson

1. Benjamin Samuelson

2.  At-risk, inner-city students ages: 14 - 21
 Have many developmental lags because of
life experiences

3. Depression Suicide
attempts
Sense of
isolation
Loneliness Impulsiveness
Extreme
rebellion
Denial of
feelings
Poor hygiene Fantasy as an
escape form
problems
Drug/alcohol
abuse
Anorexia &
bulimia
Obesity Sexual activity
to provide
missing
nurturance
Prostitution Stealing
Pathological
lying
Psychosis Fire setting Violent assault Truancy
Running away Pregnancy Juvenile
delinquency
Early
marriages that
are likely to fail
Hatred &
rejection of
family

4. Normal Characteristics Characteristics I see in my students
Relationships with parents range from
friendly to hostile
For most of my students, the parent
relationships are lacking or non-existent
for most of my students. Hostile student-
parent relationships are very common.
Sometimes feels that parents are “too
interested”
For many of my students, the parents are
focused on younger siblings and not the
teenager.
Many friends, but few confidants This is true. My students have many
friends, but do not trust them because
trust leads to vulnerability.
Begin to date actively, romantically
involved.
Many of my students are sexually active
and have children.

5. Normal Characteristics Characteristics I see in my students
Boys usually resist any show of affection. This is very true for my male students
population. They do not want to show
weakness or what could be perceived as
weakness.
Needs less family companionship and
interaction.
My students need more family
companionship and interaction because
there is not a lot of this happening in a
positive manner for most of my students.
Has a whole gang of friends but start to
show interest in the opposite sex. (Girls
more than boys.)
I do see more girls at this age more
interested in boys than boys interested in
girls.

6. Normal Characteristics Characteristics I see in my students
Worries about failure. Many of my students are so afraid to fail
that they never start something.
May appear moody, angry, lonely,
impulsive, self-centered, confused, and
stubborn.
I see all of these emotions from my
students everyday.
Has conflicting feelings about
dependence/independence.
My students struggle with this because
they are afraid what will happen after
they are done with high school.

7. Normal Characteristics Characteristics I see in my students
Commonly Sulks; directs verbal anger at
authority figure
Most of my students result to these
behaviors.
Worries about grades, appearance, and
popularity; is withdrawn, introspective
My students are not introspective, this is
something our staff coaches our
students. Typically my older students
worry about grades, appearance and
popularity, not my younger students. My
younger students think grades do not
count, just like in elementary and middle
school.

8. Normal Characteristics Characteristics I see from my students.
Confused and disappointed about
discrepancies between stated values &
actual behaviors of family & friends.
For this reason alone many of my
students have trust issues because they
have been burned in the past.
May be interested in sex as a response to
physical-emotional urges & as a way to
participate in the adult world (but not
necessarily an expression of mature
intimacy.)
This is very true for my students. The
results are from the number of teen-
parents in my school.

9. Normal Characteristics Characteristics I see in my students
Knows right from wrong; tries to weigh
alternatives & arrive at decisions alone
My students know right from wrong, but
when they choose wrong, they want
someone to choose incorrectly with them
or wait for someone to make the decision
for them.
Is concerned about fair treatment of
others; is usually reasonably thoughtful;
unlikely to lie
All of my students lie to get out of trouble
and are very concerned about fairness.

10. Normal Characteristics: Characteristics I see in my students:
May lack information or self-assurance
about personal skills and abilities.
Almost all of my students lack confidence
because they have failed so many other
times.
Seriously concerned about the future;
beginning to integrate knowledge
leading to decisions about future.
Many of my students are concerned
about the future, but they are thinking of
where am I going to sleep or where is my
next meal going to come from?

11. Normal Characteristics: Characteristics I see in my students:
World revolves around them, everything
is about them, and no regard for others.
This is the world all of my students live in.
Thrives on arguments & discussions. My students love to argue to get a
reaction out of their peers for
entertainment.
Believe no one else has experienced
similar feelings & emotions.
This is one of the reasons why my
students refuse to open up and seek help.
Exhibit a mentality “nothing can happen
to me” leading to risk taking.
Many of my students are naive to their
consequences of their actions or they
take the opinion of why worry about the
future when they believe they won’t live
past the age of 40.
May read a great deal. I would say 80% of my student HATE
reading.
Students get involved in hobbies or clubs
to feel important.
The hobbies or clubs my students are
involved in are parties and street life.

12. 1. Build relationships with the students.
2. Engage them in their learning to improve
their reasoning, abstract thinking and social
skills.
3. Praise them for their efforts and abilities.
4. Hold them accountable: teach them failing
and making mistakes is a part of life and
learning from them.
5. Convince them to get help when needed.