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Grounded in the semiotic thought of Charles Sanders Peirce, America's greatest polymath, Howard A. Smith's Teaching Adolescents addresses topics in educational psychology from a semiotic or sign-based perspective rather than a behavioural one. In this educational psychology textbook, Smith's main argument is that teachers must rely on signs of all kinds to understand students and to survive as teachers. This book is unique in applying a single unifying framework throughout.

Among the many concepts that Smith discusses in Teaching Adolescents are the nature of the sign and its basis in semiotics, and the use of signs in classroom management. Various signs of learning and thinking are highlighted, as are those signs derived from local culture that have an impact on the lives of students and teachers, such as adolescent preoccupations with drugs and sex. In addition, Smith discusses what teachers can do to ensure their physical and emotional health in the classroom. The theoretical continuity and practical application of semiotics makes Teaching Adolescents both an indispensable resource for students in pre-service teaching programs and teachers working with teens, and a fascinating and real world study for anyone interested in the science of signs.