they tend to be disruptive, less motivated and less lively Puchta and Schratz, 1993: 1
2. Characteristics of High School Students in Common
In this education level, students begin learning more serious subjects in which they also begin dealing with these elements: organizational characteristics,
academic demands, and competitive culture. These characteristics expose students to experience school that do not meet their particular needs. Furthermore, the
literature indicates that there is a limited capacity to meet the needs of adolescents because of the reduced resources available in middle schools e.g., large class
size, weaker relations between schools and parents. Therefore, Addi-Raccah, Biran and Freedman-Goldberg 2011 stated that this incompatibility makes
adjustment to middle school more difficult, and is associated with declines in achievement and learning motivation, and increased behavior problems among
students. These conditions will be much worse if the schools and teachers do not have a good solution to solve problem and help the students. Dealing with these
conditions, Jeremy Harmer suggests that teachers must provoke students’ engagement with material which is relevant and involving. At the same time,
teachers also need to bolster students’ self esteem and always realize students’ need for identity Harmer, 2001: 39.
3. Strategy to Cope with High School Students
Considering the problems and also the benefits of students at this age, Jeremy Harmer suggests several things that teachers may do in conducting the
teaching and learning activities, those are, raising students’ self esteem by respecting students and avoiding boring teaching and learning activities.
Respecting students means that teachers should not humiliate students although they behave disruptive because there are many good ways to lead students
involved in teaching and learning activities. In terms of avoiding boring activities, teachers may choose appropriate and interesting topic in teaching and learning
activities. In this case, teacher should also find a way to handle students who for example finish a certain activities earlier than other. To avoid disruptive behavior,
Jeremy Harmer also suggests the teachers make a code of conduct in which teachers together with students discuss several things what teachers should do and
what students should do. Then, if the students make a problem in a class, teachers can remind the decision they have made. This code of conduct can also be used to
ask students’ opinion about homework and activities that students’ expected Harmer, 2001: 127.
When teachers talk to students they also have to be careful. Jeremy Harmer suggests teachers to use rough-tune, which is simplification which both parents
and teachers make. It is usually done unconsciously. The simplification of certain statement is the effort to make a comprehensible input so that the information in
understandable. This rough-tune is used based on students’ level as teachers’ partner of conversation. The other ways is by adding gestures, expression, and
mime when teachers talk Harmer, 1998: 3. Similar with Jeremy Harmer about treating students at this age, H. Douglas
Brown also suggests several things include: avoiding embarrassment of students
Kategori