Introduction The goal is to highlight the key differences in boys and girls as they experience hormonal changes and how these changes can affect them. Background Literature Hormones-Regulatory substance produced to stimulate cells into action Hormones kick-start puberty Puberty = body growth + sexual maturation Androgens-male hormones (testosterone) Estrogens- female hormones Growth hormone-referred to in the book as GH Development in boys: Testes release a lot of testosterone and a little bit of estrogen; fat decreases on arms, legs, and trunk; shoulders broaden relative to the hip; end up bigger and with proportionally longer legs than girls; growth spurt starts around 12 ½ years; ends by 17 ½ years; dramatic spurt in strength, speed, and endurance. Development in girls: Ovaries release estrogen, adrenal gland releases androgens; fat increases on arms, legs, and trunk; hips broaden relative to shoulders; typically taller and heavier during adolescence; growth spurt around 10 years; complete by 14 years; gradual increase in strength, speed, and endurance. Self-esteem: Hormones affect self-esteem in adolescents. Early maturing girls typically have lower self-esteem. Early maturing boys typically have higher self-esteem. Athletic competence is strongly related to peer admiration and self- esteem in boys. Body image is strongly related to peer admiration and self-esteem in girls (American Association of University Women) Methods My observations have taken place over the past six weeks, every Tuesday morning at Hughes High School from 10:45-11:41. It is a freshman algebra class. The class is fairly well-behaved. They seem (for the most part) to be engaged in what their teacher is teaching and they show Ms. Miller (their teacher) respect. I sit in the back and take notes. For this assignment, I picked out two male students and two female students to observe more closely. I picked out the students based on my background knowledge of puberty and chose students that looked like they are a bit more developed than their other peers. The girls that I chose to observe more closely had more fat around their arms, legs, and trunk and they had broad hips relative to their shoulders. You can visibly tell they are farther along in development. One girl was much taller and slender than the other, but they both still looked much older compared to the rest of their peers. For the guys it was the same thing; they visibly looked much older and farther along in development than their peers. One boy had a chin strap, the only one in the class with facial hair he was a bit chubbier, but his shoulders were still broad. The other boy was thin, muscular and had very broad shoulders. He stood at least a head taller than all the other boys. I paid close attention to their behavior to see if I could obtain some relatable results. Research Question How do hormones affect adolescent development? Professional Implications This shapes me as a professional because it allows me to be aware of the hormonal changes kids this age go through and how it can affect their behavior in the classroom. It brings up some more questions such as: What is the best way to address/deal with/react to these developmental differences as an educator? References Berk, L. (2010). Exploring lifespan development. (2nd ed., pp ). Boston: Pearson Higher Education. ) Croll, J. Body image and adolescents. (p. 155). Retrieved from Results The girls I observed didn’t give me too much to work with. They behaved much like their peers which meant I couldn’t connect their differences in development to their behavior. There were no signs of either one having higher or lower self-esteem than the other girls. They were fairly quiet and conserved. No behavioral issues that I saw in the six weeks I was there. The boys on the other hand behaved noticeably different than their peers. The boy with the chinstrap literally raised his hand for every single question. When he got a question correct he would congratulate himself and look to his peers for affirmation. The other boy had some disciplinary issues. Once for not having his shirt tucked in, another for walking around the room talking to one of the more mature girls that I was observing also, and another time Ms. Miller talked to him in the hallway. Despite discipline issues, he was intelligent and also frequently raised his hand in class. It seemed that these two boys had a ton of confidence; they wanted their voices to be heard, and they were quite comfortable being the center of attention. In fact, they seemed to love it. I think their confidence has a lot to do with their stage in development and their physical superiority among their peers. Why I Chose This Topic I chose this topic because I think it is extremely important for future teachers to be aware of the changes adolescents go through, when it happens, and how it can affect their behavior. Although self-esteem is not a predictor of academic success, having good self-esteem is very important in an adolescent’s life. Low self-esteem can lead to depression and suicide, which are both extremely common in adolescents today. Being aware of students that are prone to lower self-esteem due to the hormonal changes they may be experiencing can help to prevent depression and suicide.