Chapter 3 Learning Log

What?

Personal and social development are ideas covered in chapter 3. There are many factors which contribute to a person’s sense of self including previous performances, behaviors of others, and group membership. There are developmental changes that occur in our sense of self as we mature. During childhood, a child’s perception of self is concrete and optimistic. In early adolescence, self concepts and self esteem drop as students make the transition from elementary school to middle school. During this period, children have the belief that everyone is watching them, and that no one has ever experienced what their life is like. They are able to think of themselves in concrete terms as well as in some abstract terms such as awesome and cool. During late adolescence, children are able to come up with a general sense of identity of who they are, what things they like, and what they want to accomplish in life. The text discusses peer relationships such as cliques, gangs, and friendships. It touches on parenting styles, popularity and isolation and aggression and offers many suggestions for fostering and building pro-social and moral development.

Erikson presented an eight stage process in which he believed people developed their sense of self. Dr Cox presented a mnemonic method to memorize these stages. The first stage of trust vs. mistrust is represented by 1=bun. The idea is to imagine a delicious cinnamon bun in one hand and a baby in the other reaching for the bun. When you feed the baby, you are establishing trust, when you feed only yourself, you establish mistrust. The second stage of autonomy vs. shame and doubt is represented by 2=shoe. The idea is to imagine a toddler trying to put on his own shoes and tie them. This represents autonomy. However, the mom is in a hurry and ties the shoes herself. This establishes shame and doubt. The third stage of initiative vs. guilt is represented by 3=tree. The idea is to imagine a little girl in a pretty party dress is at a party. She sees an awesome climbing tree across the way and run over and begins climbing it. The little girl has initiative. She gets sticks in her hair and rips her dress. He mom sees her, gets mad, and yells at her. This establishes guilt. The fourth stage of industry vs. inferiority is represented by 4=door. We are to imagine our classroom with two doors in the back. On the first day you teach your students to go out and save the world through the first door. This establishes industry. On the next day, you tell them how stupid they are and send them out the second door which is a pit they fall into. This established inferiority.

The fifth stage of identity vs. role confusion is represented by 5=hive. Imagine a bunch of worker bees who are just buzzing about because they are not really sure what to do. This represents role confusion. Think next of the queen bee inside the hive busily going about doing what queen bee’s do. This represents identity. The sixth stage of intimacy vs. isolation is represented by 6=sticks. Holding out your hands with the sticks in them you bring hands together and rub saying “intimacy, kissy, kissy, kissy” to represent intimacy. Then pull the stick apart and say “isolation.” For the seventh stage of generativity vs. stagnation you think of 7=heaven. If you are generating good things in life, your life is in heaven. If you are stagnating and rotting you are going to hell. Finally for the eighth stage of identity vs. despair you thing of 8=gate. You are so old that you have come to the pearly gates. If you are pleased with your life’s accomplishments you have integrity and are looking in to go ahead. If you despair over what you have done, you are looking out thinking I wish I could have done better.

Moral transgressions are those which all cultures discourage. This is different from conventional transgressions which are things that are specific to a particular culture. It is important to look from the perspective of theories not from religious or personal experiences when determining moral development. Kohlberg presented a three level, six staged process which demonstrated the development of moral reasoning. The first level is preconventional morality and includes the punishment avoidance/obedience stage and the individualism/exchange of favors stage. Preschoolers, elementary school students, junior high students and some high school students are in this level. The second level is conventional and includes the good boy/good girl stage and the law and order stage. This level includes some older elementary students, some junior high students, and many high school students. The third level is the post conventional level and includes the social contract stage and the universal ethical principle stage. This level is not usually seen until students reach college.

Dr. Cox presented a developmental chart on emotional intelligence. We begin with knowing one’s emotions. Next, when a person moves on to managing their emotions followed by motivation oneself. Next, a person is able to recognize emotions in others. Finally, a person is able to handle relationships. Dr. Cox also told us an interesting study called the Marshmallow test which involved delayed gratification. Through the study, the correlation was made that if a child is able to wait for 15 minutes to get two marshmallows as opposed to gobble up the first marshmallow immediately, the child ended up having higher SAT scores, higher life satisfaction and was more successful and happier in life. This type of emotional tests is a better indicator of life success and happiness than IQ tests.

So What?

From the discussion of our individual concept maps we created with factors that contributed to our sense of self, it was determined that every person is unique with a diverse set of factors which make up our sense of self. Based upon our sense of self, each person in the classroom is different; and therefore, will behave differently based upon their unique sense of self. This can easily translate over into a classroom full of students. Each student in the class is different, has experienced different things, been exposed to different things; and therefore, will indeed react or act differently. As a teacher, it is important to keep this in mind and try to accommodate all the students as much as possible similarly to including Gardner’s multiple intelligences. Although a teacher cannot change the circumstances from which a student comes from, the teacher can teach the student to make better social and moral decisions. It is important that I as a teacher am aware of the Erickson and Kohlberg’s stages so that I can determine how best to help each student. It would be unproductive to push the student to achieve something that is several levels above their present developmental capacities.

Now What?

As I prepare to become an elementary school teacher it is important for me to understand that each student comes to class with a unique sense of self. Each one of these unique children will be dependent upon me to provide appropriate instruction to teach them. Some students might not come from ideal home situations and as a teacher I will be able to make a positive impact on their lives. I believe it is extremely important for me to establish a classroom environment which welcomes and celebrates diversity. I feel strongly that I am responsible to help each student develop a good working relationship with all the other students creating a positive environment in which no students feel neglected or rejected. There are many things which I can do to help develop students’ moral and social and personal sense. I can create small group projects, assign and change seating arrangements, and encourage and facilitate extra curricular activities. I can help students evaluate differing perspectives when reading stories. I can teach and model effective social skills. I can provide many opportunities for interaction and cooperation in the classroom. I can explain and establish appropriate classroom rules. I can encourage students to have empathy for others. I will keep the students’ zone of proximal development in mind as I consistently try to build students’ personal, moral, and social abilities. I will need to continue to learn about this topic so that I can be prepared to help my students’ development.