Why teenagers are so miserable in the mornings

[beeswax]

Very interesting 30 minute slot from the radio with implications for both the worlds of work and edcuation. I believe that the Head of Monkseaton School in the north east is applying to the Education Department to try out some of the findings, such as starting school a couple of hours later for adolescents to take into account the altered circadian rhythms of teenagers. (School will also finish a couple of hours later for them).
I did put this to a couple of teachers today; the first one wasn't too fazed but did add the rider that if there wasn't a space in the car park then he'd go home (I'm never sure with him). The other said something along the lines of, "We'll see what the unions have to say about that"

BBC iPlayer - Type A Meet Type B!!

[Oops_my_bad]

yeah, I suspect the threat of a teacher not being able to finish work at bang on 3PM is enough to warrant getting the union in.

[Sylv3r]

The guy from Monkseaton is a bit of a maverick and likes to be the first to come up with brainwaves on how learners can learn better. This isn't the first idea he has come up with along these lines.

I think currently the lessons at the school only last 20 minutes.

[grumpy_git]

*shrug* I'm 19 and will happily get up at 5.30am and indeed on a couple of occasions have been at work before 7am; I've always been like that. I'm equally happy to lie in bed until lunchtime when I'm not working, though, just depends what I'm doing at the time.

[Andrew_C]

There are two types of people in this context. A and B, or Lark and Owls. The Owls circadian rhythm is out in relation to the rest of us. Teens tend to drift towards a later working day, and then drift back after early 20s. A good book on the developing teen is "[ame="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Why-are-They-Weird-Teenagers/dp/0747568480/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1238052384&sr=8-1"]Why Are They So Weird?[/ame]

[witch]

*shrug* I'm 19 and will happily get up at 5.30am and indeed on a couple of occasions have been at work before 7am; I've always been like that. I'm equally happy to lie in bed until lunchtime when I'm not working, though, just depends what I'm doing at the time.

I'm sure there are Larks and Owls but that applies to all of us, not just teens!
I think that, as grumpy_git says, teens CAN get up early if they need to or not if they don't. My lad is 20 and has gone to Uni after a gap year in which he got up to do early shifts all week but now is back to staying in bed until the very last minute!!
At school, all teenagers need is a first lesson that is stimulating and interesting to wake them up as a boring lesson will send them back into the coma

[beeswax]

The guy from Monkseaton is a bit of a maverick and likes to be the first to come up with brainwaves on how learners can learn better. This isn't the first idea he has come up with along these lines.

I think currently the lessons at the school only last 20 minutes.

BBC NEWS | England | Tyne | Head urges lie-ins for teenagers

[Andie]

I think some schools are getting desperate to explain plummetting levels of enthusiasm for the education system! I've got two teenagers, 15 and 18, and both are able to get up very early when necessary. My 15 year old got up at 6.30am through the school half term because he got himself some volunteer work experience, and needed to get up to catch the bus to get there. He's less keen to get up for school...says it all, really!

[jcollings]

This isn't that new an idea is it. I thought in parts of Europe they already ran schools at a different time for similar reasons. I maybe wrong - it's some half remembered conversation with one of our French French teachers.

[apoth0r]

It isn't just teenagers, I'm 25 and to be honest I'm just the same as the teenagers, although perhaps I do get up earlier then I used to when I have a day off or the weekend for example. That is just because I want to make use of the day. I agree with Witch entirely, think back to when you were at school. There would always be one day of the week where you'd have such a miserably boring lesson first thing, guess what..... the rest of the lessons in that day suffered because of it.
Enthusiastic, vibrant and of course INTERESTING lessons are of paramount importance first thing! Always enjoyed science first thing on a Thursday when I was a lad because we'd do something practical. I'm not a qualified teacher but if we can hit the nail on the head with a single forum thread, what the hell are these people being paid for?

[Miggy]

i'd have to agree with apoth0r there. the lessons that you looked forward to were always the best, be it media with a teacher that really makes the lesson interesting...or french where your teacher was fit!!
i don't think time has any bearing on it though. In Cyprus, the kids have to start school at 7am and finish at 1pm because it's too hot to spend any more time in school. The solution?? Lets all move to Cyprus

[gwendes]

I'm 24 and definately a B! My girlfriend is a definate A and we're at completely different ends of the spectrum.

She tries to wake me up in the morning and I try to wake her up in the evening!

I genuinely think that I would have performed better at school if I'd had the chance to timeshift my day by 2 hours! It isn't laziness - I'm probably awake for longer than most people... I just always feel out-of-sync, exactly as described in the programme.