Kimberly E Northrup
ED 227
Professor Williams
7 December 2011
Image of a Learner Reflection
Young Adolescents are Tornadoes
Thinking of a tornado and the destruction it can cause, it might be frowned upon to compare such a thing to young adolescents in middle and high school. Thinking of twisters from the perspective of a storm chaser, it is a work of art created by nature, and that is the way I intend to compare them to students. Although tornados are often seen as something negative, I am considering them a masterpiece for the sake of this analogous reflection.
One element of a tornado that I find similar to that of a student in middle or high school is the utter chaos that is perceived. Just as a tornado is a mix of strong winds, thunderstorms, and debris, a student going through the different developmental stages appears to be a random collection of emotions, behaviors, appearances, and thoughts. Once you take the time to sort out all of the different elements of a student, and you dissect their progress at each developmental stage, you see that there is some method to the madness that manifests itself in this life of an adolescent. Students may not all be at the same stages of intellectual, emotional, physical, and social growth, but they are going through similar changes to their minds and bodies.
Another aspect of a tornado that I find extremely relevant to the life of an adolescent is the circumstances needed in order for a twister to occur. A tornado is begotten from the collision of a cold front and a warm front. Looking specifically at the radar, it is usually a pocket, or “hook”, on the east side of the precipitation. When thinking of a middle school student, try to imagine that the two different fronts represent the student-teacher relationship, or the relationship the student has with his environment or peers. In order for a twister to form, both sides are needed. Similarly, in order for a student to perform well, there needs to be effort from both the student and the teacher/school/environment. All aspects in creating a successful school for a student need to be in full-force in order to get the desired results.
Finally, I would like to bring your attention to the usual path of destruction a tornado may create. Think of the tornado as a student, and the path being his or her learning experiences. Given the right circumstances, a young adolescent can easily devour any lesson in front of him or her, especially if the material is appealing and relevant to a student’s life. Tornados aren’t so picky in their path of destruction, but if a student is given the proper attention, and a strong relationship exists between a student and his or her school, the educator should easily find what material to leave out for a student who is hungry for knowledge.