Understanding and Engaging Adolescents

Jeffrey Miller spent eight years teaching middle school in urban Los Angeles and four years designing student success programs at Santa Monica College. Currently, he teaches courses in educational psychology and classroom management at California State University, Dominguez Hills. Miller is the managing director of the Miller Consulting Group and provides consultation and professional development to schools within Los Angeles and across the country, where he delivers keynote addresses and facilitates schools through organizational change. He completed his PhD in 2001 with a focus on motivation and learning in adolescent classrooms. Peter Desberg is a professor of graduate education and coordinator of the Technology Based Education MA Program at California State University, Dominguez Hills. He is also a licensed clinical psychologist. Desberg is the author of 20 books and is a frequent presenter and keynote speaker at national conventions. He was the host of "Introduction to Computers" on the Los Angeles Unified School District's cable channel for ten years and has appeared on many television shows and been written up in many newspapers and magazines, including Psychology Today, The Wall Street Journal, Cosmopolitan and Reader's Digest.

Preface Acknowledgments About the Authors Part I. The Theory 1. In the Beginning 2. "This Is Stupid" or Why Adolescents Quit Trying 3.The Classroom Management Toolkit 4. What We Know About Learning 5. What We Know About Motivation Part II. The Activities 6. Maintaining Your Activity Level 7. Teaching Them to Study 8. Understanding Themselves Better 9. Culture-Based Activities 10. The Technology Mismatch References

"The book is engaging, appealing, humorous, and relevant to my situation. Nice job!" -- David Callaway, Eighth-Grade Language Arts Teacher "This book addresses key issues and presents ideas on how to solve those issues." -- Kathryn McCormick, Seventh-Grade Teacher "This book is funny, entertaining, well written and well documented, and informative." -- Jolene Dockstader, Seventh-Grade Language Arts Teacher "This book should be on every middle and high school educators desk and be required reading each summer. Miller and Desberg clearly discuss many of the challenges that face our students and give teachers, counselors, administrators, and parents real tools and knowledge that should be implemented in every classroom." -- Reginald Sirls, Director of Secondary Education "As a president of a nonprofit organization that stresses financial literacy, I was impressed with the information in this book. I read it as a service and knowledge provider to secondary students, but found multiple applications to motivating and understanding my own employees." -- Gary W. Hickman, President "As a principal, I am always concerned that my teachers are looking at and discussing the central issues of learning and motivation. Not only does this book give them what they need, it gives them several practical exercises to engage our learners. Good work." -- Donna Jacobson, Principal "Miller and Desberg have produced a resource that educators will turn to again and again as they encounter the day-to-day challenges of motivating and teaching adolescent learners. It is one of those rare books that effectively integrates theory, research, and practice. Utilizing these methods will go a long way in helping educators gain or regain the skills they need to make teaching the gratifying experience it should be." -- Judson H. Taylor, President Emeritus