During my undergraduate studies
last year, I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to take a course on growth
and development. In this course, I learned about human development from the
point the zygote enters the uterus all the way to death. Although we covered
the entire lifespan, I found that in this course we spent a lot of time
studying development during childhood and adolescence. Which is because the
majority of human development takes place during this time. We went in depth on
theories of human development, such as Freud’s psychosexual theories, Piaget’s theory
of cognitive development, and Erikson’s psychosocial theories. I was able to
comprehend that development during childhood/adolescence is very complex and
sensitive. The social, emotional and physical support a child receives during
development has a direct effect on how they evolve into an adult and their overall
well-being. As an aspiring elementary school teacher, I know that my impact on
children during this time in their life is huge. After getting a head start on reading
for chapter 1 of the textbook, I know that development is both biologically
determined and a function of the environment (Pressley et al., 2007). As an
educator, I play a large role in the environmental impacts on development of
the children that I teach. From the standpoint of Bronfenbrenner’s ecological
systems theory, as an educator, I am just two rings away from the individual in
the mesosystem (Pressley et al., 2007). Which is why, as educators, careful
thought needs to be placed on the way we instruct and interact with our
students. I’m very thankful to have a background understanding of
child/adolescent development as I enter this course.
Pressley, Michael, and Christine B. McCormick. Child and
Adolescent Development for
Educators. New York: Guilford, 2007.
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