Before adolescence, kids generally like school. But I think it’s fair to say that if each household were to create a pie chart titled “Stuff Our Teen Complains About,” the biggest slice in most homes would be labeled “School.” To be sure, there’s plenty about school that teenagers do like, such as being with their friends, enjoying particular courses, and spending time with devoted teachers and coaches who truly care for them and don’t try to hide it.
But the fact of the matter is that school, by nature, often cuts across the adolescent grain. Teens bristle at having to submit to adult authority all day long, and just when they are working to develop their own freestanding and well-defined identity, they’re herded into classes that often don’t align with their rapidly crystalizing sense of themselves. Teenagers crave independence, but they often have loads of homework that prevent them from spending their evenings and weekends the way they want to.
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