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Why Do They Act That Way? A Survival Guide to the Adolescent Brain for You and Your Teen by
David Walsh, Ph.D.
Alexandra Esser
Saint Marys University of Minnesota
Schools of Graduate and Professional Programs
Portfolio Entry for Wisconsin Teacher Standards 2 and 5
Independent Book Study
James Sauter, Advisor
August 23, 2015

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Selected Wisconsin Teacher Standard Descriptors

Wisconsin Teacher Standard (WTS) 2: Teachers know how children grow.
The teacher understands how children with broad ranges of ability learn and provides
instruction that supports their intellectual, social, and personal development.
Knowledge. The teacher is aware of expected developmental progressions and ranges of
individual variation within each domain (physical, social, emotional, moral, and cognitive), can
identify levels of readiness in learning, and understands how development in any one domain
may affect performance in others.
Dispositions. The teacher appreciates individual variation within each area of
development, shows respect for the diverse talents of all learners, and is committed to help them
develop self-confidence and competence.
Performances. The teacher accesses students thinking and experiences as a basis for
instructional activities by, for example, encouraging discussion, listening and to group
interaction, and eliciting samples of student thinking orally and in writing.

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Wisconsin Teacher Standard (WTS) 6: Teachers communicate well.

The teacher uses effective verbal and nonverbal communication techniques as well as
instructional media and technology to foster active inquiry, collaboration, and supportive
interaction in the classroom.
Knowledge. The teacher understands how cultural and gender differences can affect
communication in the classroom.
Dispositions. The teacher is a thoughtful and responsive listener.
Performances. The teacher communicates in ways that demonstrate sensitivity to
cultural and gender differences (e. g. appropriate use of eye contact, interpretation of body
language and verbal statements, acknowledgment of and responsiveness to different modes of
communication and participation).

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Book Study
I have now taught high school students for two academic years and although I once was a
teenager I still struggle with understanding why they act the way they do. I selected Why Do
They Act That Way? by David Walsh for this book study with the hope of better understanding
teenagers and chose to connect this book study with the Wisconsin Teacher Standards 2 and 6.
My goal is to gather an understanding of how adolescents brain development can affect their
physical, social, emotional, moral, and cognitive development, and how this affects learning.
In addition, I hope to learn more effective verbal and nonverbal communication techniques and
become a more sensitive and responsive listener.
Chapter 1: Make Sense of Adolescence
According to the first chapter the window of adolescence is slowly but surely widening.
Not only are kids starting puberty earlier than before, but the period of adolescence is reaching
for some into their early twenties. I can understand how kids are starting puberty at earlier ages,
but I am not sure I understand what exactly marks the end of puberty. The only thing I am sure
about is that my students are definitely adolescents and I do not always understand them.
The suggestions made in this chapter for someone to better understanding teenagers are
to draw from ones own experience as a point of reference and to not treat teenagers like aliens.
They are already uncomfortable trying to understand themselves and it only makes their behavior
worse if they are not treated like regular human beings. I hope there is more advice about
understanding teenagers, because there are two students in particular about whom their parents
and I both have concerns. One student claims to only have two friends in the entire school and
another student appears to not get much attention from her mother and newly blended family
situation. I vaguely remember feeling miserable as a teen and could not articulate why I felt that

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way even today. I do not think my experience alone can give me the tools for talking to these two
students.
Chapter 2: A Guided Tour of Their Brains
The first thing that stood out to me in this chapter was the window in every childs
development between birth and three years old where children are aware of and develop their
ability to differentiate between different phonemes of the language(s) around them. As a world
languages teacher I was surprised to read how early Walsh claims this window closes. This
window of opportunity is something I will note, but I will not let it become an excuse for
students poor pronunciation in the target language (TL).
The second thing I found interesting in this chapter were the five processes adolescent
brains go through before they become adult brains. They are in order: use it or lose it,
blossoming and pruning, the window of opportunity, the window of sensitivity, [and]
myelination (insulation of nerve cells) (Walsh, 2004, p. 32). While each process has a particular
purpose in brain development, the bottom line is that adolescents are developing the way their
brains handle impulse control, relationships, and communication (p. 37). They should be
shown and encouraged to make good choices, maintain relationships, and get involved in social
activities.
Chapter 3: Why Adolescents are Impulsive
Adolescents are constantly scolded or reprimanded at home and school after they make
impulsive decisions. Technically, it is not their faults for being so impulsive, but neither is it an
excuse. Walsh explained that an adolescents prefrontal cortex, or the part of the brain that
controls decision-making, is still developing and even the most responsible teens will make
impulsive decisions. I have seen this more with my male students when one, for example,

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decided to through a pen across the room. The student thought it is a good idea to avoid walking
across the room, but the pen hit somebody and the student had to deal with his consequences.
Instead of brushing this mistake aside and chalking it up to a developing prefrontal cortex, Walsh
suggested following through with explicit consequences. If students know exactly what will
happen if they execute an impulsive idea, they are less likely to do it if they already know the
consequences, but only if the consequences are followed. My school does a good job of making
the school rules and guidelines transparent for students, and I always go over specific classroom
rules at the beginning of the school year. So far it has been effective in controlling adolescents
impulsive behaviors.
As with any group of adolescents there will always be a select few whom the
consequence do not deter. For this reason, it is best to have a back-up plan in place if an
adolescent decides to fully embrace the rebellious teen persona. Although this rarely happens, it
is a relief to know it is not anybodys fault and it can be navigated through. I do not foresee
myself having to deal with any particularly difficult teens in the near future, but it is reassuring to
know there is support available if needed.
Chapter 4: Risky Business: Helping Teens Put on the Brakes
As mentioned in the last chapter, teens will act without thinking because of hormones and
other chemicals changing in their brains. Since the prefrontal cortex is still developing and the
brain is learning to regulate these hormones, responsible adults or parents often take on the
prefrontal cortexs responsibilities for the teens. The comparison Walsh used was that adolescent
brains are like high octane cars with bicycle brakes, and the required brakes are on back-order.
Teens are not always able to slow down or control their emotions and behavior, and parents need
to help guide them through this. Again, by putting firm and fair consequences in place and

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following through, this structure will help teens continue to make good choices and cut down on
unacceptable behaviors.
Teens rollercoasters of emotions can be even more difficult to handle. I have seen in one
class period where a girl seems to be enjoying her friends and the lesson, and the next moment
she is crying. For some girls, it may help them to explain that different chemicals are changing in
their brains and that it is perfectly normal to feel confused about their emotions. Just knowing
they are not abnormal for crying at school can help make a girl feel more confident in herself
despite her crazy emotions.
Chapter 5: What We Have Here Is a Failure to Communicate
I would say that teens do not really fail to communicate, but rather fail to communicate
well. They are still learning how to effectively communicate with adults and their brains are not
always able to separate rationally thinking from emotionally reacting. Their brains also are not
good at interpreting others emotions and often misinterpret their parents emotions as anger. As a
result, teens respond as if they are being yelled at when the adults are just trying to talk
peacefully. A few tips Walsh suggested for improving teens communication are to remain calm
and begin conversations with your own emotions, explain why specifically you feel this way, and
avoid generalizing the teens behavior. This immediately deescalates the situation and models
good communication. Teaching teens about why they act the way they do and react so
emotionally helps them understand why they lash out at others and why situations quickly
escalate. Finally, actively listening to teens when they are talking (not swearing or yelling)
develops mutual respect and sets a more positive tone for the conversation.
In my classroom when I have had to speak with teens privately I realized I do almost all
of the tips Walsh suggested when talking to teens. I remain calm and give teens a chance to

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explain to me why I asked to speak to them. From what I have seen I do not think any of my
students have misinterpreted my emotions as angry, but I am their teacher and not a parent. I
know the teacher-student relationship is different from the parent-student relationship, but
because teachers and parents both want what is best for their students the two relationships are
similar. Now that I realize teens are also sometimes surprised by the way they react or overreact I
do not think I will be as surprised when I see it my classroom.
Chapter 6: Male and Female Brains: Sexual Stereotyping and Sexual Identity
This chapter seemed to summarize the book I read for the last book study on gender
differences. Some of the main points from that book were in this chapter such as encouraging
girls and boys to join athletics and other social activities, helping girls talk about their feelings
and find positive ways to deal with potential depression, not tolerating aggressive behaviors from
boys, and finding activities for boys to safely channel their aggression and risk-seeking desires.
One reason many adolescent girls are depressed is because of the unbalanced spikes of estrogen
and progesterone in their brains and fixation on the negative when talking about their feelings. It
helps prevent depression for girls to steer these kinds of conversations towards the silver lining
and away from constant negativity.
The other issue addressed was sexual orientation and identity. If a child grows up hearing
negative or derogatory comments about homosexuality he or she will have a much harder time
accepting him or herself and coming out to his or her loved ones if he or she is homosexual. The
only way an adolescent will eventually feel comfortable with him or herself is to figure out who
he or she is in an honest and loving environment. While I strive to create an accepting and
comfortable environment and relationship with my students, I have no control over what happens

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at home. I hope my students realize I am more than happy to be a first point of communication
for them when dealing with difficult feelings about sexuality.
Chapter 7: Love, Sex, and the Adolescent Brain
I was really surprised to learn that in 2004 the teen pregnancy and STD rate in the United
States was significantly higher than any other country in the Western world. One way Walsh
suggested to prevent both of these from steadily climbing is to give teens more and accurate
information about sex in school. The abstinence-only method of sex education is flawed because
neither sex nor abstinence is clearly defined for students. The thought that teaching students
about sex will make students more curious to try having sex is wrong. Students are already
curious about sex. They will learn about sex and sexuality from their friends and other media
even if it is not discussed at home or at school and there is no way to prevent this. This is why it
is best that students learn about sex in a safe place instead of when they encounter the situation
for the first time.
As students learn from reading Mark Twains Tom Sawyer, the only way to make
somebody covet something is to make that thing unattainable. Simply telling students to not have
sex at all and withholding information that could protect teens from pregnancy and STDs is only
going to increase teens desire to have sex. Teens should obviously not be encouraged to engage
in sex or sexual activities until they are physically, psychologically, and morally ready, and
giving them accurate information will help them make the right choices when the time comes (p.
132).
Chapter 8: Monkey Wrenches in the Brain: Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drugs
Throughout the book Walsh has described stories about different teens to exemplify the
topic or issue for each chapter. For this chapter, he included that the alcoholic teen in the story

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attended a private school. Realistically, this detail is probably insignificant, but it stuck with me
because I teach at a private school and many of the students there drink. This made me wonder
why so many of the students parents either buy alcohol for their teens or deny that their teens
drink. One argument I have heard is that by buying alcohol for their teens, the teens will be in a
safe place and will not drink and drive. From what Walsh described, parents should have bigger
concerns for their teens than drinking and driving. Adolescents brains are still developing and
maturing, and adding alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs causes more damage to their
neurotransmitters than on adults brains. My schools student handbook explicitly addresses the
consequences if students use alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs, but because some parents do not
uphold the same or any consequences, drinking continues to be a problem. It seems that
educating the parents is as important as educating the students about the effects of alcohol,
tobacco, or other drugs on the adolescent brain specifically. Parents need to know the warning
signs to look for if they suspect their teens are drinking or using other drugs.
These include drops in grades and school performance, unusual secretiveness, a habit of
borrowing money or being broke in spite of having a reasonable allowance or income
from a part-time job, changes in friends, loss of interest in previously enjoyed activities,
resistance to any conversation about alcohol or drugs, mysterious phone calls, and some
telltale physical signs. (p. 153)
Chapter 9: Adolescents and Media
One problem that has increased dramatically since this book was written is the amount of
screen time teens experience or require each day. Teens are so attached to their smartphones that
I believe they are addicted to the technology. In my classroom, instead of fighting the issue with
smartphones, the students are required to place their phones in a designated pocket on the door.

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The phones must remain there the entire period unless students ask permission to use their
phones as a translator. The older students are better able to control their urges to use their phones
during class so I allowed them to have them in their pants pockets as long as students did not
take their phones out of their pockets. This has helped my personal classroom management, but
there is nothing I can do about students probable addictions to technology. I hope that the
novelty of smart technology will eventually wear off and that students will be less-dependent on
social media for maintaining friendships.
Chapter 10: The Story Behind Tired Teens
This chapter fully supported the ideas I have had about switching the school start times of
grade school and high school students. I have witnessed and heard first-hand from teens that they
do not get enough sleep and stay up late at night. They have even asked if they could sleep
during class and received the obvious answer: no. I was aware that teens had trouble falling
asleep at night and often slept until noon, but did not know why. There are changes occurring in
their circadian rhythms. Since teens have so many chemicals and hormones already changing in
their brains, a teens circadian rhythm is somehow also affected and shifts about four hours later.
This means that teens are tired when adults are awake and alert, and awake and alert when adults
are tired. There was one day when I talked to my eighth grade students about difficulties falling
asleep and they all were surprised I knew this about them. If they knew why this happened and
that it was normal for students their age they would probably not stress as much about not being
able to fall asleep. Since sleep deprivation also increases the stress hormone cortisol, which
causes teens to get sick more frequently, I think a little less stress in their lives would be good for
everyone.

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Chapter 11: When Things Go Wrong in the Brain: Adolescent Metal Illness
Adolescent mental illnesses such as ADD/ADHD, depression, eating disorders, and OCD
are definitely treatable, but sometimes easy to overlook or over-diagnose as with ADD/ADHD.
As a teacher it is not my job to diagnose or treat any of these mental illnesses, but I am obligated
to bring students to the attention of the guidance counselors if I suspect any students might have
a mental illness.
Of the four illnesses, the one I have most often seen in students is depression. Since I
went through depression as a teen I am probably more sensitive to the symptoms and more easily
recognize it in my students. The advice Walsh gave for handling students with depression was
great for parents, but I would have liked him to give advice for teachers who are in frequent
contact with teens. In the past I have asked students neutral questions about how things are going
in their lives and then how they feel or think about what is going on. Generally the students are
very forthcoming and have a lot to say. Thankfully I have not yet had a student whom I have
suspected of having suicidal thoughts. Since the guidance counselors at my school are trained to
handle students with mental illnesses I know I can always ask them for help, but it would be
helpful to have tips for teachers to talk to students with mental illnesses.
Chapter 12: The Psychological and Social Dimensions of Adolescence
This chapter summed up almost everything I witnessed this past school year in my class
of freshmen. So many of the students were very sensitive to their appearances and cared a lot
about the brands of clothing they wore. I had a number of parents tell me how their teens seemed
to care more about what their friends thought rather than their families. I think parents know that
raising an adolescent can be challenging, but because their teens shifts in attitude and desires to
be independent actually happens gradually, they dont realize adolescence is upon their teens

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until they are in the middle of it. Although many behaviors in teens can be explained by changes
in the brain, it is important to remember that some behaviors appear when teens are just trying to
figure out their own identities apart from their parents.
Since teens are hypersensitive to their appearances, this often becomes a target for
bullying. In the past couple years anti-bullying seems to have taken over behavior management
systems at schools to the point where any negative comment directed at another student is
viewed as bullying. I do not condone bullying, but kids should not let adults solve all of their
problems. Walsh suggested to a student who was being bullied to first try sticking around his
friends and not reacting to other students bullying. Even though this did not solve the problem
and Walsh had to intervene, I was glad the student made the first attempts at solving the problem
rather than letting a teacher discipline the bullies right away. If students do not learn to cope or
handle these kind of problems in a controlled environment like a school, I can only imagine they
will have bigger issues with problem-solving later in life.
Chapter 13: The Importance of Connection and Guidance
I have often noticed particularly with my older students that they seem to think they can
do whatever they wish and whenever they want. For some families this may be the case, but for
the most part I know this cannot be true. I have sometimes overheard students talking about how
unfair their situations are or how their parents are acting, and usually I brushed this off as teens
just talking together. I never thought, as a German teacher, that I could channel their frustrations
with their parents into a classroom exercise. I have done many role-playing activities with my
students, but not like the one Walsh suggested in this chapter. He paired students up and the
students took turns as playing a child or parent and had to discuss a situation the students were
likely and actually experiencing at home. The other thing was that the students could not actually

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talk, but rather wrote their responses to each other. I think this would be an incredible exercise
for my older students because it would not only help me assess their written communication in
German, but also their ability to do higher-order thinking in the TL.
One classroom management strategy that I think I am following well is staying calm and
never entering into power-struggles with my students. Growing up, my parents rarely let their
emotions factor into how they disciplined me and my brother and this probably played a role in
how I discipline the students in my classroom. The other factor is my appearance. I am much
shorter and smaller than most of my high school students and I do not come across as physically
threatening. I have had to learn how powerful and helpful my words and actions are and use
them to my advantage to maintain order in the classroom. I have also found that humor is
especially helpful when talking to my male students. Humor can deescalate the situation and
show the students that I am on their side when it comes to their learning, but ultimately they
realize misbehavior will not be tolerated.
Chapter 14: In Conclusion
Connection, guidance, and love were there three most important things stressed in this
chapter for adolescents to experience in order to safely make it to adulthood. Even if a teen
appears to want nothing to do with his or her parents, the teen still needs to have other caring
adults in his or her life to connect with. Teachers see teens every day and it is not uncommon for
teens to develop connections with favorite teachers, coaches, or counselors. I know I will not
connect with every teen I teach, but it is important to give them opportunity if they need it. There
are no hard and fast rules for raising or being around a teen and there are exceptions to every
generalization about them.

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Action Plan
Action Plan Summary Outline
The following action plan will be implemented with my German V class this coming fall.
All students in this class will be seniors. There will be approximately eight students in the class,
but the exact number is yet to be finalized.
1. Design a unit about negotiating students thoughts, feelings, or ideas in German
regarding relevant topics about which students and their parents in the United States and
Germany might disagree. Some topics may include observing curfew times, completing
household chores, use of the family vehicle, or applying to college. A consideration for this unit
is the possibility of students bringing up topics about sex, alcohol, or other drugs.
2. Deliver instruction that allows students to choose their partners, negotiate various
topics, and imagine a parents point of view. A consideration when demonstrating how to
negotiate is students wanting to use swears or harsh language in either role. Swearing and
disrespect will not be permitted in the exercise.
3. Assess students negotiation skills informally by grading their conversations with their
peers, and formally by grading their negotiation skills in an oral exam with me.
Targeted Student Learning Objective(s)
1. Standardized goal: Wisconsins Model Academic Standards for Foreign Languages
D.3. Beliefs and attitudes: Students will discuss and compare beliefs and attitudes within the
cultures studied and their own in relation to home, school, community and nation
2. Targeted learning objective: same

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Task(s) and Essential Proficiency Criteria for Targeted Learning Objective(s)

1. Task: Students will work in pairs to write out role plays in German between a teen and
his or her parent in the United States and Germany. At the end of the unit, students will write an
essay in German to compare the beliefs and attitudes within the German culture and their own
in relation to home, school, community and nation.
2. Criteria that Prove Proficiency in Meeting Targeted Learning Objective(s)
a. Students will address a common belief or attitude among their peers that would
likely conflict with their parents belief or attitude on the same topic.
b. Students use at least four different negotiation techniques discussed in class
during the different written partner negotiation assessments.
c. Students compare the beliefs and attitudes of teens in the United States and
Germany to their own in relation to topics commonly disagreed upon by parents and their teens.
Reflective Summary
I anticipate the information I have gathered from this book will impact my teaching and
as a result impact my students learning this coming school year. As mentioned in the concluding
chapter, students need to have a connection with a trusted adult, guidance from caring adults to
help their brains navigate through adolescence, and the knowledge that they are loved. Now that
I better understand why teens act the way they do and make bad choices, I will have more
patience when I explain why I have disciplined them. Even if I am not their first choice of adults
to come to if they need to talk, I will make it clear that they are always welcome to. Before I take
the students to Germany next spring, I will be sure to clearly dictate the rules they must follow,
and make sure they know exactly what will happen if they do not follow the rules. I believe all
teens genuinely want to stay out of trouble, but sometimes make poor decisions that get them

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into trouble. That is why it is important to encourage them to make good choices, make the rules
and guidelines explicit, model the desired behaviors, and anticipate some minor set-backs along
the way.

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References
Cronin, J., Heflin, C., & Price, A. (2014). Teaching teens about sex: A fidelity assessment model
for Making Proud Choices. Evaluation & Program Planning, 4(6), 94-102.
doi:10.1016/j.evalprogplan.2014.05.010
Friese, B., Grube, J. W., Moore, R. S., & Jennings, V. K. (2012). Parents' rules about underage
drinking: A qualitative study of why parents let teens drink. Journal Of Drug
Education, 42(4), 379-391. doi:10.2190/DE.42.4.a
Herman, K. M., Hopman, W. M., & Sabiston, C. M. (2015). Physical activity, screen time and
self-rated health and mental health in Canadian adolescents. Preventive Medicine, 7(3),
112-116. doi:10.1016/j.ypmed.2015.01.030
Walsh, D. (2004). Why do they act that way? A survival guide to the adolescent brain for you
and your teen. New York, NY: Free Press.