Yesterday, she was a sweet young girl. Today, you swear aliens have abducted her and put an evil twin in her place.

To know your kids is to love them. In this course, an experienced social worker will help you gain a deep understanding and appreciation of your adolescent's development and behavior. You'll uncover the secrets of the adolescent mind and gain valuable information on how they think, how they feel, and how their identities develop.

Parents, family members, child and youth workers, counselors and the like will all benefit from the information shared in this course.

You'll learn about the many physical, emotional, and cognitive changes that affect the teens in your life, and you'll understand the significance of these changes both for you and the adolescent. You'll look into relationships both in and outside of the home and the development of a teen's identity. You'll explore personality, moral development and the role of faith.

Finally, you'll gain an understanding as to how teens are affected by stress, including common defense mechanisms, coping techniques, and common mental health issues.

By the time you finish this course, you should be very well-prepared to understand, appreciate, and meet the needs of the teens in your life.

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Syllabus:

All courses run for six weeks, with a two-week grace period at the end. Two lessons are released each week for the six-week duration of the course. You do not have to be present when the lesson is released, but you must complete each lesson within two weeks of its release.

A new section of each course starts on the second or third Wednesday of each month. If enrolling in a series of two or more courses, please be sure to space the start date for each course at least two months apart.

Week One

Wednesday - Lesson 01

In our first lesson, I'll explain the term adolescent development and familiarize you with some terminology. I'll also provide you with an overview of the three main stages of adolescence to help you become familiar with the tasks and milestones inherent in each stage.

Friday - Lesson 02

Adolescence is a time of change. These changes occur on the outside as well as on the inside. For this lesson, we’re going to focus on some external changes, and one of the things we'll look at is puberty, the impact it can have on the adolescent, as well as how these changes can affect how you treat an adolescent.

Week Two

Wednesday - Lesson 03

In this lesson, we'll start looking at some of the internal changes kids experience during adolescence. As children's bodies take huge leaps forward, so do their brains as they learn and discover new ways of thinking and reasoning. This is cognitive development, which means how someone thinks, and that'll be our focus for this lesson.

Friday - Lesson 04

The dreaded peer group. During today's lesson, we’ll take a close look at socialization, peers and peer groups, friends, intimacy, and social changes in your adolescent's behavior.

Week Three

Wednesday - Lesson 05

One of the things that changes most during adolescence is a child's family relationships and how family members interact with each other. In this lesson, we'll take a look at some of those changes and the impact this may have on both the adolescent and the family.

Friday - Lesson 06

Emotional development is one of the internal changes that evolves during adolescence. During today's lesson we’ll take a look at some aspects of emotions and their development, and the significance this may have for adolescent development.

Week Four

Wednesday - Lesson 07

This is the “Who Am I?” lesson. Today, we'll explore how we think about ourselves, how our identity develops, what might influence our identity, and our self-concept.

Friday - Lesson 08

Today's lesson is all about moral development and faith separate from religion. We'll look at how the changes to the adolescent play a role in their moral development. You'll become familiar with the overall thoughts, ideas and processes that seem common to adolescent moral development.

Week Five

Wednesday - Lesson 09

In this lesson, we're going to take a close look at stress, anxiety, frustration, and defense mechanisms. We'll explore how these things affect all of us and how some of this is demonstrated during adolescence.

Friday - Lesson 10

For this lesson, we'll adopt a slightly different format. Today, we'll look at four separate things: nature versus nurture, temperament, personality, and resiliency. The main thread carried throughout this lesson is how a better understanding of ourselves can help us to better understand others.

Week Six

Wednesday - Lesson 11

Similar to the last lesson, today we'll look at a few more distinct topics. First we'll review some of the adolescent needs that we've discussed prior to this lesson, then we'll discuss chronic illness, gay and lesbian youth and the issues these individuals may be faced with, and finally a chapter highlighting parenting the adolescent.

Friday - Lesson 12

For our last lesson, we're going to stray from the normal to the abnormal part of adolescent development. The focus of this lesson will be a brief overview of disorders or conditions that are consistently viewed within the adolescent population.

This course includes a knowledgeable and caring instructor who will guide you through your lessons, facilitate discussions, and answer your questions. The instructor for this course will be Sonya Jodoin.

Sonya Jodoin has been involved in social work and youth work for over eighteen years. She holds a diploma in Social Service Work and has had continual education in psychology. She brings to the course both professional and personal experience in the field of adolescence, along with training in a multitude of treatment modalities, approaches, and therapies. She has worked on the front line in mental health settings with individuals and their families, primarily with teenagers. Ms. Jodoin has developed and implemented a specialized joint educational/mental health treatment program for children whose behavior has resulted in school expulsion.

Requirements:

Internet access, e-mail, and the Microsoft Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox Web browser.

Student Reviews:

"Amazing instructor and amazing course. Sonya has been so helpful throughout this course and I just loved this course. The best course I have ever taken!"

"As a middle school teacher, I found this course very useful. If not for new information, to reinforce things that I learned long ago in college. I am so glad that courses like this are being offered for those of us who have full time jobs and not a lot of extra time to travel to a campus to take a course. I hope that there will be more courses offered as time goes on. I plan to take as many as possible."

"As a teacher switching from elementary to middle school in the fall, I signed up for this course as a review of adolescent psychology. I am so glad that I did. This course was a good review of the basics I studied back in 1983, but there was a wealth of new material based on research since then. The materials are clear and well-written. It was a very useful and fascinating course. I heartily recommend it to others."

"Congratulations, a great course."

"Even though I have grown children I found this course to be extremely helpful in understanding past adolescent behavior and how they have developed into the individuals they are now. It is a valuable learning tool that I will integrate in teaching students and has increased my tolerance and understanding."

"Even though I have worked with adolescents for over 23 years, have a degree in secondary counseling and have survived having two daughters go through this developmental "stage", this course taught me that there was still a lot to learn!- and made it enjoyable in the process. Thanks!"

"Excellent presentation of material. Great course!"

"Great information and very helpful for my present employment."

"I am really glad I took this course. After studying secondary education in college, I was amazed that a course like this was not required of all future teachers of adolescents. The psychological changes that these young adults go through really do impact their interaction and everyday emotions while in high school. It would help every teacher of young adults to know just what is going on inside their minds and bodies."

"I am very happy that I took this course. I will utilize this information in my teaching. I want to take more of these classes next summer designed to help classroom teachers."

"I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed this course! It's a refreshing change from all the technology that has nothing to do the little (and big) humans we teach and work with every day both here and at school. I would love to see more courses like this in your on-line selection for the following year!"

"I enjoyed all of the thought provoking information. It was very applicable to anyone who deals with children."

"I enjoyed the class and found it to be very ensightful. I feel this class gives invaluable knowledge to anyone who works or is around adolescents. I found myself looking forward to each lesson and waiting for it to be available to me. Thank you for the experience."

"I enjoyed the class... and will use what I have learned in raising a teenager and also in my classroom setting...thank you."

"I enjoyed the course. I found very informative and useful information and suggestions that will assist me in my teaching profession. Sonya has an effective and often humorous way of presenting her research. I highly recommend her as an instructor."

"I enjoyed this course very much. I think it should be a prerequisite for all parents with children about to enter adolesence. Thank you!"

"I expected this to be a rehash of old news, but I found it to be fascinating and full of new information. I think everyone who has a teen should take some form of this course! Wow! The instructor is blessed with a writing style that is informative and entertaining."

"I got some great information and plan to use all of it as I work with students, teachers, and parents this fall as a middle school counselor. This was my first on-line course and I would definitely take another one because it was a very good experience."

"I have a young teenager at home. This course has been a tremendous help to me in learning to deal with her actions and reactions."

"I have learned so much that was helpful to me in dealing with a child in my class who is dealing with anxiety in particular."

"I have recommended this course to my team of middle school teachers. Excellent course"

"I have suggested this class to others. It has been helpful on many levels: educator, teacher trainer, parent and grandparent. I regret not taking it sooner and will suggest it as a course for our staff to take this year. Not only was the research interesting but it was written in a style which provoked thought and discussion. The lessons were just the correct length and the quizzes and the exam correlated with the course material. Thank you."

"I have taken other online classes [from another provider] for a graduate degree program. Even though this was not for graduate credit, I found your syllabus challenging in terms of the ideas and information presented. It is apparent that you have invested a considerable amount of time in developing this course! Thank you. This was just the right amount of work for an online non-credit class. I enjoyed the format and found not only the articles you offered to emphasize the course content awesome but also the links to be highly relevant and informative as well. I hope that we will still be able to access them after this course is concluded by using the Internet address you provided. Those sources alone were valuable. I missed not seeing everyone in a traditional classroom setting but having the opportunity to go to class on my own "schedule" was important to me. I would definitely take another online class especially if your were the instructor."

"I have taken several online courses and this was the best yet! The lessons were interesting, easy to understand, and extremely informative. The assignments were thought-provoking and fun, and the instructor has a great personality which really shines through in the discussion area. The was a fantastic learning experience!"

"I learned a great deal from this course and it has already helped me in understanding the adolescent mind. I feel that I have gained a new light on the subject and my relationship, in terms of communication, has grown with my troubled 13 year old stepdaughter."

"I loved reading the lessons for this course. I found it very interesting. I am a little sad that the lessons don't continue. This was better than any summer novel... I would love to take another one of your courses."

"I really enjoyed this class. I printed everything and put it together in a binder to refer back to. I really enjoyed the resources--many will be helpful for assisting me with activities and information for the day program that I work teach. Thanks a lot."

"I thoroughly enjoyed this course. I think that I finally understand my KIDS!"

"I thoroughly enjoyed this experience. I would be interested in other courses taught by this instructor."

"It was a great course. I learned a great deal that I will put in to action right away!"

"I was not sure what to expect in this course, and enrolled with some skepticism. When I read the instructor's bio, and the syllabus...my interest level rose a bit, and when the class started, I can say that it was probably more insightful and impacting, than many of the classes I took in my graduate and undergraduate work. A really good job - I am impressed, and feel I learned quite a bit."

"I would want this instructor again. I found this course very useful to me. Thank you very much!"

"Received a lot out of this course. I recommend this course to anyone. It was very informative."

"The course was extremely helpful to me as a counselor, parent, and step-parent. Even after 8 years in the profession, I learned things that made complete and total sense looking back. I have already begun incorporating things that I learned when I talk with teachers, parents, and kids. And I am using things at home as well. Extremely helpful and well written."

"This class is so packed full of useful information. Anyone that works with adolescents really needs to take this class!"

"This class was a pleasure to take on many levels. Our instructor was excellent. The lessons were just the right length. I looked forward to each on-line class day. The topics we covered have opened my eyes and ears to my classroom of middle school students. I think my stress level has gone down and even improved my sense of humor in the classroom. I would recommend this class to my colleagues at school and to both H.S. and M.S. teachers. Probably the best part was not having to get in the car and go to class! This was my first on-line class. What a great choice for the first one this has been."

"This course had lots of excellent information for parents and professionals who want a better understanding of pre-teens and teenagers. A lot of food for thought and very challenging!"

"This course helped me to understand adolescents and their roles in society. I recommend that individuals who are planning to work with juveniles should consider taking this course. I feel that individuals who have teenagers, or children should also enroll."

"This course helped to freshen up my knowledge on the subject of adolescent psychology. I found much of the information to be quite useful in dealing with my students at the junior high level as well as my 14-year-old daughter. Thanks."

"This course surpassed my expectations, I'm very pleased!"

"This course was an excellent choice. The information was so interesting and useful, both professionally and personally. Thank you!"

"This course was a pleasure to take and very informative. As a parent of three, it has provided a helpful base from which to view and understand adolescence. Thank you!"

"This is an incredibly good course. I came away with so much information and insight. I am sorry it is over. The instructor did an incredible job of effectively conveying complex and broad material in a way that was interesting and completely manageable. Thank you so much!"

"This was an excellent class, and a very convenient format for me. As a full-time teacher, and mother of 2 toddlers, I have to find opportunities for professional development that meet my needs. This course certainly did just that! The price was right, and I am happy to be able to earn SB-CEU's in such a short time."

"This was an excellent course that I have already recommended to several of my colleagues. I enjoyed all of the readings and found them to be very useful in both my professional and my personal lives. I very much liked the format of this course. If I needed to take more courses, I would certainly consider taking more of this type."

"This was my fifth CEU course and one of the best yet! The instructor had a wonderful way of presenting information that was useful and entertaining. I will use the knowledge I gained in my classroom and with my own children!"

"This was my first online course and it was a very pleasant experience. The lessons were interesting, informative and easy to complete. I have used the supplementary material section already for job related discussions with teachers, students and parents. Thank you for a wonderful experience."

"This was my first on-line course and it won't be my last! I thoroughly enjoyed it and feel that the information is very useful. The instructor is interesting and knowledgeable. Thank you for such a great course."

"This was my very first on-line course and I found it to be excellent. I look forward to my next online course and only hope that the instructor is as excellent as this one was. There was a lot of in-depth information, but she presented it in a manner that was at my level."

"This was my very first time taking an on-line course. I was apprehensive at first but when I saw the format and selections I thought this would be a great way to see if it would work out for me. I loved it and the instructor (Sonya Jodoin) was wonderful, helpful and very, very accomodating and thorough in her lesson format. What a wonderful opportunity to get an education and self-enrichment right from your home. Thank you so much for this wonderful learning and growth promoting experience. I will keep these materials for a ongoing reference library. Awesome!"

"This was the most informative and challenging course that I've had since college. I would highly recommend this class for parents and teachers who interact with teens."

"Very helpful! I have three teenagers. Need I say more?"

"Very informative course, I wish that there were more of this form and nature. Very helpful in real life too! :)"

"very thorough and comprehensive in light of the huge amount of information to cover on this broad topic. Very well organized and easy to follow. I would take the time to do this again with this instructor on another area of study."

"wonderful course!..I was taking this class to gain CEU's and I think it has helped some of my discipline problems in the classroom and at home!!"

"Wow, what a wealth of information! Now, I don't dread my pre-teen's next few years as bad. I would recommend this course to anyone that has children soon to be teens and to anyone that works with teens. I even had my mother read the info and now she understands why I was the way I was:) Thanks!"