Adolescent Plane of Development
West Wind Junior High
The West Wind Junior High (WWJH) curriculum encompasses the foundational core elements central to Montessori programs;
- Multi-age grouping
- Focus on grace and courtesy
- Hands on, theme-based learning
- A balance of individual and group learning
- Self-construction
- Environmental and peace education
- Service learning
The Four Planes of Development
Adolescence is a time of rapid development and growth. What happens during these critical years shapes a lifetime ahead for children, and determines the path taken into adulthood.
Montessori observed four distinct phases of development that all children go through as they mature. Students at aged twelve enter into an acute stage of development, in which their learning helps them to achieve social independence. During this key plane students take their prior knowledge and use it to form themselves. As they develop, they question and explore who they are as a person and how they fit into society.
Characteristics of Adolescents
Immense Physical Change
With the exception of infants, adolescents are growing more than any other time of life. This rutted path leads them to sexual maturation, but takes them through periods of both exceptional energy and lethargy. Their need for adequate food and sleep is paramount at this time. All of the changes to their bodies leave teens feeling self-conscious and vulnerable. They constantly feel judged by others, and are open to hurt and humiliation.
Need for Moral Dignity and Social Justice
Adolescents feel passionately about justice, and feel personally impacted when they perceive injustice. At this time they begin to question beliefs and rules that they previously just accepted. They are drawn to social causes, and feel empowered when they are able to help others. During this plane they also tend to seek or create heroes in an effort to counter all the imperfections they see in the world.
Ability to Visualize and Idealize Perfection
For the first time in their lives, adolescents are able to imagine what perfection is. They can visualize what the ideal family, flawless school, and perfect world would look like to them. As a result, they can become preoccupied focusing on the problems around them. Adolescents often blame those closest to them for life’s imperfections, which can cause tension in home and school.
Need for Creative Exploration and Self-Expression
The adolescent has a huge task of taking all of their separate identities and amalgamating them into a new self-identity. Previously they have viewed themselves compartmentally. They were a sister, a son, a guitar player, an artist, a friend, etc. Now they are taking all of those different roles to view themselves as a whole person. As they are very judgmental of others and themselves, this also tends to be a time of dissonance. This change of behaviour is a normal part of the passageway to maturity.
Ability to See Self as an Individual
For the first time in their lives, adolescents are able to imagine what perfection is. They can visualize what the ideal family, flawless school, and perfect world would look like to them. As a result, they can become preoccupied focusing on the problems around them. Adolescents often blame those closest to them for life’s imperfections, which can cause tension in home and school.
Need for Peer Group
Peer relationships are of utmost importance to adolescents. They identify strongly with their peers and have an innate need to belong. It is important for teens to feel that they can help others and add value to their community. They are motivated by working with peers, and often need time to “just be”. This time alone and together with peers aids in the formation of their identity.
Opportunities for Meaningful Experience:
Community Involvement
Our students participate in career days, mentoring younger students, working around the school, volunteering in and out of school, and event planning.
Field Trips
Off-site activities vary from short experiences to several days at a time. Trips allow for students to have real world involvement that supports and expands their curriculum.
Great Lakes and Canadian Heritage River Curriculum
This program focuses on the geography, history, and science of important Canadian waterways and watersheds, recognizing our unique location and the associated wealth of our Canadian ecological heritage from a Global perspective.
Model United Nations
Our students participate in an intensive course and then attend a conference at the United Nations in New York. This initiative brings Montessori students together from all over the world to act as country delegates and debate on international issues.
Why Our Program is Different?
The rapid development of adolescents creates a winding path to maturity, often full of ups and downs. It is vital that a Junior High program is aware of the very specific needs of adolescents and is able to provide an appropriate environment to allow students to thrive. We recognize the unrest that adolescents are prone to feel, and our awareness of this helps us assist youth moving through our program. We value a strong classroom community, which helps to assist all youth feel a sense of belonging. This frees their minds up to be able to focus more on academic growth.
Keeping in mind the characteristics of adolescents, our program aims to provide authentic, purposeful work that engages the mind and body. We focus on projects that require action and put practical life skills into action. WWJH offers an academically rigorous program that challenges students. Our individualized goal setting and group work encourages accountability for each student. The session topics we offer are interesting and relevant to students and interdisciplinary by nature.
Having a prepared environment at this plane of development requires allowing for meaningful experiences. We focus on hands-on learning opportunities and projects, helping students feel that their work is necessary and relevant. We aim to have students learn through experience.
The things we have to learn before we do them, we learn by doing them.
– Aristotle
Learning Retention
This illustration shows the best methods for learning retention. The nature of our program allows us to work on the bottom half of the pyramid, focusing on discussion, practice and teaching others.
At WWJH , we feel strongly that students need to be prepared for life beyond school. As part of this youth need to be equipped with the skills and information that will inspire and motivate them, while giving them the flexibility to tackle some of the difficult problems society will no doubt continue to face once they mature into the world. Environmental and peace education is embedded into every aspect of our curriculum and remain the strongest themes in our program. Our hope is to empower our youth to know they can make a difference in the world. That is the tangible and lasting benefit of their time at WWJH.