SIGNATURE PAPER 1

Fredy Rodriguez

April 12, 2018

HD417

Signature Paper

Professor Juan C. Herrera

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We are witnessing one of the greatest epidemics in history, more than 142,000 people

died last year from drug or alcohol related deaths. Much has been said, but little has been done to

stop this epidemic. Much of the government funding goes into what they call war on drugs,

which much of its funding’s are allocated to the illegal drugs trade. This means most of the

money goes to the justice system. Police enforcement, jail system, and military are waging this

war on drugs every day with many people arrested every year. It cost tax payers more than

$100,000 per year to keep one inmate in jail. “According to a 2012 Vera Institute of Justice

study, the number of those incarcerated has increased by over 700% over the last four decades.

The cost to the taxpayer? $39 billion.”. In comparison on average government spend per student

per year about $10,000 and $100,000 per inmate. Less is spend in education, than in our justice

system. Most of the crimes committed are drug related an average 12.2 million arrested were

made in 2012 with the number increasing by the year. About 80 percent of people who are in jail

at this moment abused drugs or alcohol. With this staggering numbers I will like to focus my

lesson in drug and alcohol prevention as I believe the government should focus more in

prevention, and education.

Through my life experience I have had the chance to work with adolescents and adults

alike in different treatment settings. In 2016 I have the privilege to work with adolescents at a

place call Action Family Counseling. I work at this place for about six months, twenty hours a

week. My title at this place was counselor trainee, and my job was to engage with each of the

adolescent on one on one sessions, and I also facilitated groups once a week. I also worked in

creating progress notes for each of our clients. Most of the groups that I facilitated were on

relapse prevention. Although these groups were done in a group setting, the construction of the
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lessons were close to a class setting. We spend one hour doing check in, one hour developing a

lesson, and one and a half hour in self-reflection. In 2017 I have the privilege to start working

with adults at Iris Healing Retreat another treatment center, which I am still employ and I am

currently working on finishing my internship hours. At Iris my job title is counselor and my job

is to help our clients with one on one sessions, facilitating groups, creating homework

assignments, taking clients to outings, keeping the clients safe at all times, make observations,

and creating progress notes for each of the client. Although groups are only for one hour they are

run almost as a classroom setting. I prepare the lesson and questions before hand. With a quick

check-in I give an over view of the topic, and give the clients questions which they get to answer

during the group.

Based on these experiences I have observed how adolescents and adults learn. There are a

lot of differences on how the different age groups respond to the lessons provide. At each stage

of our development we tend to find different developmental characteristics which influence the

way we all learn. I will like to construct my lesson on drug and alcohol prevention to cater the

adolescence and adults based on the three different developmental characteristics physical, socio-

emotional and cognitive.

How Adults learn is from life experiences base on some of my observations and the

construction of those groups I observe that adults like to share their life experiences with others,

especially those they feel comfortable around with. These impacted how the lesson plan was

developed as we base our group on more sharing and less lecturing. During groups we made the

adults feel comfortable so they are able to open up about the different undelaying issues that

brought them to the treatment center. One of the most important characteristics I saw is that

adults learn from each other’s experiences. They need to find meaning to what they are listening
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to their needs to be a connection between what they have experience in their life to the lesson

plan. So we give them the opportunity to express themselves and also constructed a safe

environment and give them some personal space. By creating autonomy and empowering their

opinions by empowering I as counselor became an active listener, clients were able to share their

experience and have a sense that someone care about their stories and experiences. Physically

adults have fully developed. They are also willing to build relationships and have learn through

their life experiences a sense of what is acceptable to them this to include relationships, “Upon

transitioning from emerging adulthood, young adults work to gain a sense of independence while

continuing to build stable relationships. Identity formation is a significant element of this life

stage, and much emphasis is placed upon answering the question, Who am I? An additional

focus of young adulthood is relationship-building with a romantic partner, which can also lead to

the exploration and pursuit of marriage or cohabitation.” (Schnyders 2017). The development of

identity is very integral and can be observe in the depth of their conversations. Physically most

of the adults were looking for some affection, and emotions were observed during their

conversations. As they felt safe to be in groups emotions flow high and the nonverbal

communication in the form of facial and hand gestures was observable, “Learning to have clear

boundaries can allow individuals to experience intimacy along with a sense of independence,

thereby preventing enmeshment or disengagement from taking place in relationships.” (Schnyder

2017).

Adults love their sense of independence and are more open to talk about their

experiences. One thing I understood was that all these adults come from different backgrounds

and different experiences which made the learning experience very diverse, but they also have a

common denominator which was the need to get better. These two aspects help the construction
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of the lesson easier and the conversations more fluent. As stated before adults love the sense of

autonomy, meaning, and feedback from others in the group “ Feedback, for example, is an

important part of learning, as is the yearning that most of us have for ongoing support. The

Learning Designs standard reminds us of the importance of differentiating the ways in which we

offer feedback and support to adults with different ways of understanding and experiencing

learning environments.” (Severson 2004). The importance of feedback during the group was very

essential, respectful crosstalk was allowed, as to keep the other members in the group engaged in

the conversation. These crosstalk and feedback from the counselors help to better understand the

lesson from a diverse perspective. Socio-Emotionally adults get to connect with others at a

different level than adolescents. Adults come from experience life so the development of identity

although still lingers most of these adults were able to set their own tone and create some good

boundaries on what they were able to share or not, they know what is comfortable for them and

they will verbalize it or use their nonverbal communication to let everyone know how they are

feeling about the topic. Cognitive adults are able to make connection they are able to express

their needs and concerns. Adults also have a sense of responsibility, and acceptance of their

consequences. Based on these aspects, adult learners come from choices they like to be taken in

consideration on the way they learn, they like to be part of the lesson planning and the

construction of the lesson, “The third strand of the Learning Designs standard speaks to the

importance of giving adults choice in their learning and to the power of working collaboratively

with others.” (Severson 2004). In the other hand adolescents learn differently from adult’s base

on their physical, socio-emotional and cognitive characteristics.

How Adolescent Learn base on my experience is by observation, by active listening and

challenging what is been said. Adolescents prefrontal cortex at this stage of life is not fully
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develop. Prefrontal cortex is the risk-taking assessment part of the brain. Many of the adolescent

that come to treatment were because they challenge their social system, parents, school and at

sometimes the justice system. Physically at this stage in their development adolescent and

transcending through puberty. Hormonal and physical changes happen fast these can be

accounted as why adolescent engage in risk taking behavior “Furthermore their physical

development may open doorways to older peer groups and expose them to a riskier array of

activities.” (Gehlbach 2014). The way adolescent learn is about the same from young adults “For

the most part, scholars who adopt this general view of cognitive development see adolescence as

a continuation of normal development. In other words, for adolescents, cognitive development

occurs in much the same way as it does for younger students and adults. These scholars tend to

find that development occurs differently in different domains— adolescents with substantial

knowledge or experience in a domain may be able to perform much more sophisticated cognitive

tasks than adolescents with little prior knowledge in the domain.” (Gehlbach 2014). This means

adolescent will learn as long as there are instructions on what to do. Although independence and

autonomy is necessary for the development of the lesson, what adolescents requires is a solid

foundation and direction in their learning experience, “One of the hallmark tasks of adolescence

is that of identity development. According to Erikson’s stage theory, a core issue for adolescents

to work out is that of identity versus role confusion. In other words, adolescents should strive to

begin to define themselves in terms of their values, vocational interests, political and religious

views, and so on through the exploration of the “Who am I?” question.” (Gehlback 2014).

Adolescent are looking for the sense of autonomy and identity that characterize them, but they

are also open to suggestion and still live under direction from their parents, “An adolescent in

foreclosure status has insufficiently explored this question and, instead, usually adopts the views
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of parents or friends without questioning them in a meaningful way.” (Gehlback 2014). The

construction of the lesson plan will be around these fact that adolescents need more direction in

the lesson. Autonomy will be consider and self-reflection on life experiences will be allowed in

the classroom.

To develop a lesson plan for adults I will have to consider four goals that need to be

achieve. The first goal I am looking to achieve is understanding of the lesson. The second goal I

consider important is processing the lesson. The third goal will be learning from other

experiences. The fourth goal will be giving meaning to the lesson and applying it to own life

experiences.

Understanding the lesson is one of the focal points of the lesson plan. To accomplish this

goal, I will need to utilize three techniques that will serve as backbone to stablish the lesson

planning and development. The first technique will be to develop a positive classroom

environment. As I stated before adults love to share their stories as long as there is a safe

environment for them share. To accomplish these, I will set some ground rules on which the

upmost be respect for each other. The second technique I will utilize be give clear instructions of

the lesson plan. Each of the adult’s students will be provide with handouts with clear instructions

on the lesson plan. Respecting some of the findings on how adults learn, I will allow for the adult

students to read the handout first and construct some questions base on what they read this will

give the adult students a sense of autonomy and pick the direction they want to take the lesson to.

The third technique will be providing good feedback. This will help the adult students know that

they are understanding the lesson and give them a sense of direction to where to take the lesson

next. This will lead me into the second goal which is processing the lesson or information given.

By being an active listener and understanding each of my adult students I will have a clear idea if
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the lesson was understood, and how the lesson was perceived by each student. This is an

important goal as this is part of how effective the lesson was. Active listening technique will be

applied to achieve this goal. The third goal is learning from each other. To achieve this an open

conversation will be stablish and questions will be given to students. Students will also have the

opportunity to construct their own questions, and ask the instructor their question and share with

the class. These three goals will lead us into the fourth and final goal which is giving meaning

and applying the lesson to life experiences. At the end of the lesson students will be engaged in

their own narratives and they will be given the opportunity to shared and applied the lesson to

their own life by giving life or imaginary examples on how this lesson could possibly be

applicable in their own life.

When it comes to adolescent the goals and the techniques will remain the same with the

exception base on what I have learn and observe on how adolescents learn I will keep them more

engage in the conversation more alive by asking them more questions. The attention span for

adolescents sometimes is shorter as they get distracted easily. Understanding the lesson is one of

the focal points of the lesson plan. To accomplish this goal, I will need to utilize three techniques

that will serve as backbone to stablish the lesson planning and development. The first technique

will be to develop a positive classroom environment. Based on my experience with adolescent it

is hard for them to share, sometimes this comes from the fear of rejection or the fear of being

wrong and being make fun of. To accomplish this I will set some stricter ground rules on which

the upmost be respect for each other and respect of self. The second technique I will utilize be

give clear instructions of the lesson plan. Each of the adolescent students will be provide with

handouts with clear instructions on the lesson plan. Asking questions will be allowed, but this

question will be written in a piece of paper and put in a hat and ask anonymously as to respect
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the identity of who is asking this question, so the students can open up more. All the students

will be allowed to participate and answer the questions. The third technique will be providing

good feedback. Adolescent love to be challenge as they are finding their own identity. When

given feedback the students will be ask question which will help them stablish identity and

understand better their position with the lesson. This will be accomplished by asking the students

questions on self-reflection of the lesson and if they have experience in their community

anything from what they learn from the lesson. This will lead me into the second goal which is

processing the lesson or information given. By being an active listener and understanding each of

my adolescent students I will have a clear idea if the lesson was understood, and how the lesson

was perceived by each student. This is an important goal as this is part of how effective the

lesson was. Active listening technique will be applied to achieve this goal. What I learn and how

I perceive the lesson time will be applied to accomplish this. Students will gather in groups and

talk to each other. They will be given a set of questions which they can discuss amount their

group. This lead me into the third goal which is learning from each other. To achieve this an

open conversation will be stablish and questions will be given to students. Students will also

have the opportunity to construct their own questions amount their groups. The instructor will

only stand as monitor that the ground rules are followed. Students will have the opportunity to

ask the instructor their question and share with the class. These three goals will lead us into the

fourth and final goal which is giving meaning and applying the lesson to life experiences. At the

end of the lesson students will be engaged in their own narratives and they will be given the

opportunity to shared and applied the lesson to their own life by giving life or imaginary

examples on how this lesson could possibly be applicable in their own life. At this time of the
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lesson students will be allowed to speak to everyone, none of the students will be forced to share

but they will be encouraging to participate.

The two lesson plans although similar will have some differences as I’m trying to target

two different populations the adult population and the adolescents. Similar because they both

utilize the same techniques to accomplish the lesson and I also believe that I will not change the

tone of the lesson nor the wording I will keep the lesson simple and understandable so the

message can be understood by all ages. Different because I am dealing with different ages and

adult love to learn and have a sense of autonomy in their lesson plan, so the plan will be

constructed in their choice where they choose to take the lesson. Adults will have more time to

share but less time in instructions. In the other hand adolescent although are looking for identity

and stablishing this identity they need more direction. The students will spend half time in

instruction and half-time reflection answering questions. Adolescent students will also be

encouraged more to be critical about the lesson and to challenge what was presented to them.

How effective the lesson was will be measure by self-reflection, and further exploration

of the topic. As we have learned not every student learns the same way, and not every student

identifies with a lesson the same way. Respect of autonomy and self-exploration will be a key

factor in how effective the lesson was for each student. Adults and adolescents will be given

homework on self-reflection, and further exploration of the topic, they will need to bring a

written paper on which they reflect their own critical consciousness of the lesson. They will also

be given investigative work base on their communities and find what others think in their

communities about their lesson. They can formulate their own questions and present their

findings to the class.

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In conclusion when teaching adolescents and adults there are many developmental

characteristics to consider. The most important of them all is the search for identity. All students

regardless of how old they are, find better understanding and meaning of a lesson when there is

respect for autonomy as part of the lesson plan. Self-reflection and self-exploration of the lesson

is the best way I as instructor can help my students engage in a lesson about drug and alcohol

prevention.
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References

Hunter G. (2014). Encyclopedia of Educational Theory and Philosophy. SAGE Publications, Inc.
Thousand Oaks, CA. http://dx.doi.org/10.4135/9781483346229.n15.

Christina S. (2017). The SAGE Encyclopedia of Marriage, Family, and Couples Counseling.
SAGE Publications, Inc. Thousand Oaks, CA. http://dx.doi.org/10.4135/9781483369532.n14