Today’s teenagers have been stereotyped as adventurous and harebrained individuals.  They are generally fond of experimenting with things until they get in touch with drugs, sex, guns, alcohol among others. According to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention figures, 16,000 young adults die each year from unintentional injuries and accidents.  The most common justification for teenagers’ care-free attitude is that their brains just aren’t developed enough to know better. However, recent research shows that in some cases the fact is just the opposite, the brain matures not too slowly but perhaps, too quickly.

According to a psychiatrist, an adolescent who engages in more dangerous activities have white-matter pathways that seem to be more mature than those of risk-averse youths.  White-matter is the brain’s wiring, the neutral pathways that connect the various gray-matter regions of the cerebrum that are independent of one another.  Having a mature white-matter is necessary because it allows faster brain processing speed.  Nerve impulses also travel faster in mature white-matter. Experiments also reveal that the more mature the look of the brain, the more adventurous the teenager tended to be.
Another possible explanation is that some teenagers whose brains develop more rapidly than others become uncomfortable and a little confused owing to the gap between their biological capabilities and the social norms they must follow as kids. Precocious development of these neural tracts may make some adolescents more susceptible to engage in behaviors that society considers too adult in nature for their chronological age. It is also a common notion that teens make dumb decisions because their brains are immature. In other words, having a more mature brain may actually motivate some teens to try out new and potentially harmful experiences.
For now, these theories are mere speculation, and the researchers concede that the interaction of white and gray matter is so complex that hard conclusions remain elusive. The results of the study are relatively bare and by no means conclusive. The human brain is so intricate in nature, and one has to consider the fact that there are other factors that come into play such as the environment and certain genetic predispositions that are equally complex to study.

These Categories are in our new Specialty Boarding School category.

Red River Academy was born out of the founder’s desire to create an outlet, where values and education can turn lives around. Bearing this principle in mind, Red River Academy follows a progressive, competency based curriculum. Why? Because in Red River Academy, they simply do not assume your teens have learned something. They make sure they do. And this is where their unique policy of progressive, competency based curriculum becomes particularly useful.

How does Red River Academy make this possible? Teachers closely work hand in hand with students. They make sure it is meaningful, not just some disposable incident. Even the school support staff assist in the character development program. They will coach your child regarding school standards, responsibilities, and positive citizenship.

The respected academy is located in near a red river that runs through Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana. The environment is rural and serene. Can call it ideal for learning. But more than that, if you share the same ideals and philosophies in education as they do, then this might just be the perfect place for you to enroll your teen in.

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