Feature Story

Mental, Emotional, and Behavioral Disorders Among Teens

Ensuring the academic achievement and success of a student is the primary goal of educators. However, as most educators will attest, there are many factors that can affect a student’s performance in the classroom. Mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders can have a dramatic effect on a teen’s academic achievement. Even though most children and teens experience normal development, the prevalence of disorders such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety, and depression is often underestimated within the classroom.
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Fitness Zone

Fitness Zone activities provide a good way to integrate fitness into your classroom. You can use them to give students a quick break between subjects, so students settle down to focus on new material more easily.

Brains in Balance

Brain research indicates that activities including balance, catching a ball, and processing information can improve brain functioning.

  • Have students find a partner and stand 5-8 feet apart.
  • Ask a question from the text.
  • While asking the question, partner 1 tosses object (scrap paper formed into ball) to partner 2 who answers question while standing on one foot.

You can find more energy boosters like these in FitnessZone.

Professional Development

Providing Care for Mental, Emotional, and Behavioral Disorders

For most teens, adolescence is a time of physical, mental, emotional, and social change. Teens experience hormonal changes as puberty begins. They begin to develop a unique self-image and establish their independence, making their own choices about friends, activities, and school. However, some teens also deal with mental health problems that interfere with their normal development and daily life. Mental health disorders can be mild, or severe, and range in duration.
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Teacher Tips—What Works!

Teacher tips are tried and true teaching strategies developed by health education teachers around the country. Take a look at some classroom activities that really work.
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