Middle Years Education in Manitoba: Improving Student Engagement

Changes in Adolescence

Each adolescent is unique, and experiences the changes of adolescence in different ways. These changes can happen early or later, a little at a time or all at once.

The developmental changes that are part of adolescence include:

  • physical changes
  • changes in thinking and understanding
  • emotional changes
  • social changes
  • moral and spiritual changes
  • behavioural changes
  • school changes

“I am twelve years old and I am growing up.”
~ Middle Years student
“Sometimes it’s best to keep your sense of humour close by to get through it intact!”
~ Parent of Middle Years student
“They know that they’re changing, either in how they look or how they feel or how they think about certain things, but they don’t necessarily know that that’s OK or normal.”
~ Parent of Middle Years student