Setting out on the journey of adolescence is like taking a boat into turbulent waters, not knowing where one will end up. Will the boat capsize or find its bearing? Where is the rudder?

The community of adults in a high school environment is a community of trust in which we need to foster hope, belief in positive change, and commitment to serve the highest good. This is a teacher’s charge, and one must never forget it.

Teachers are responsible for believing in adolescents’ capacity for change and maturing and for transformation. When these qualities live in the souls of teachers in a high school community, adolescents are able to thrive and to face their own dark night of the soul and to pass through it and into the light.

This is an invaluable resource for teachers, as well as for parents and homeschooling. It offers the possibility of offering order and guidance for adolescents as they navigate the chaos of being teenagers on the verge of adulthood.

C O N T E N T S

Introduction

The Story of Parzival–Summary

1. The Role of the Family in Childhood and Adolescence 2. Relationships, Expectations, and Boundaries 3. The Path of Childhood 4. Adolescents and the Awakening of Sexuality 5. Adolescence is a Dangerous Time 6. It Is Hard for Adolescents to Wake Up 7. Honor, Jealousy, and Innocence 8. Mixed Messages and Repercussions 9. The Adolescent’s Spiritual Life 10. Eroticism Rules, Confusion Reigns 11. The Adolescent Gains Self-control 12. Awakening the Thinking 13. Having a Good Time 14. Integrating Feeling and Thinking: The Adolescent in the Community 15. Integrating the Will: Boys without Fathers, Girls without Fathers 16. Each Person Has Masculine and Feminine Qualities

Conclusion Bibliography