Teacher-Student Relationships

In realising the significance of the student-teacher relationship for adolescents one must comprehend what is adolescence. Adolescence is defined as the developmental period of transition between childhood and adulthood; it involves biological, cognitive, and socioemotional changes. A common view of adolescence depicts it as a period of “storm and stress” to the extent experts have branded adolescents as inconsistent, unpredictable, erratic, emotional, and self-centred. In considering adolescence one has to explore a range of factors which can place demands on many levels and in turn stimulate or obstruct psychosocial and intellectual development. Adolescence is not structured by a timetable it can depend on sex, genes or nutrition and diversity

Teachers might display their negativity through snide and sarcastic comments toward the student or describe the feeling that they are always struggling or in conflict with a particular student. Often, teachers will describe a specific student as "one who exhausts them" or "a student who leaves them feeling drained and burned out Negative teacher-student relationships can amplify when teachers show irritability and anger toward several or many of the students in the classroom. In these types of classrooms, teachers may find themselves resorting to yelling and harsh punitive control. Teacher-student communications may appear sarcastic or disrespectful. Student victimization or bullying may be common occurrences in such negative classrooms. This in turn shows a lack of understanding by the teacher of the situation he finds himself

Puberty marks the onset of the capabilities of reproduction. Most girls reach puberty between the ages of nine and sixteen. Boys lag behind girls by a few years enter puberty between the ages of ten and nineteen. The timing of puberty whether one matures early, late, or on time with respect has been shown to play an important role in whether pubertal changes are a positive or negative force in adolescent’s lives. For boys, maturing early has some social benefits. Early maturing boys are perceived as adult like and may be given more leadership roles. Moreover their increased strength and speed are appreciated by their peers in athletic arenas. Still, research has demonstrated psychological costs for early-maturing boys in terms of depression, anxiety, and feelings of hostility. For girls, maturing early seems to carry more substantial costs. These girls often feel awkward around their peers, tend to hang out with an older crowd, begin dating earlier than their peers, and may be pressured into sexual experiences before they are ready .Maturing late may actually be advantageous for girls in terms of protecting them from negative body image issues associated with the naturally occurring weight gain of