Identity Development:
- Trust: I will try to establish trust at the beginning of the year by always being straightforward with all my students. I will always try to keep in mind how I would like to be treated as a student. I will be fair when I can, be kind always, but always professional. My father always told me: “Be polite, but firm.” I hope by keeping that motto in mind, I can build trust with my students
- Autonomy: I will then help my students establish autonomy by allowing them to make choices about their homework/schooling as often as possible. I have read many articles stating that when students have the ability to incorporate something they are interested in into their schooling, they are more intrinsically engaged. I want students to feel that they are active participants in their learning.
- Initiative: Then I will allow students to take some initiative by not hand-holding them through every assignment. I will implement scaffolding, so that students can take more and more responsibility for their assignments.
- Industry: This will prepare students to develop industry as they have practice using the skills I help them develop in the classroom, out in the real world.
- Identity: I will engage students in exploring aspects of their identity by exploring alongside them, as we have discussions in class. I never want to tell students what to think, and if possible, I would not even want to tell them what I think. I want to help students realize how to think, and perhaps help them explore areas of beliefs and thoughts they have never encountered before. I want to help produce students who are active civilians of the world.
- Intimacy: I will help my students learn to develop true intimacy by creating a positive classroom community, where students feel safe to discuss, and share their true thoughts and feelings alongside their peers. I want to create a classroom community free of contention and judgement, and instead create a community of discussion and friendship.
- Generativity: I will provide my students with an opportunity to feel generativity by helping them to become active participants in their community, state, nation, and even the world. I want to help show students that individuals can have a massive effect on the world around them. That’s what history is after all, stories of women, men, and groups who vastly changed the world around them. Every student has the ability to change the world for the next generation. I want to teach students how to change the world for the better.
- Integrity: I will help my students feel a sense of integrity by making sure they always do their best. Another motto from my dad has really stuck with me all my life. “You will never regret working too hard, but you will always regret not working hard enough.” I want this to be a quote displayed in my classroom. Sometimes, even the smallest amount of effort can make the difference between a win and a loss. I want to help my students realize their own potential, and to always encourage them to try their hardest.
Moral Reasoning:
When discussing history, it is impossible to avoid discussions about political parties and issues that may be controversial. I would like to engage my students in multiple discussions about the differing political parties, about their ideologies and beliefs, and encourage (but never dictate to) the students to consider how their personal beliefs and ideologies fit in with the various political parties throughout history, and even the common ones today. I also want to show students how to engage in discussions with people of the differing opinions, because that happens all the time in the real world.
The Model of Instruction I like to use, and I think is very effective in helping students to learn critical thinking skills as well as learning to think objectively, would the Academic Controversy model. I know this would take quite a bit of practice with students, but it would help them develop their own thoughts and opinions, while being able to appreciate and accept that others will have different views, opinions and reasons for their feelings.
Social Development:
This will be one of my favorite areas in Educational Psychology to watch the students grow and develop as learners!
I want my students to understand that as their teacher, I don't expect them to know everything and be perfect. This will not only be in relation to the content and subject matter that I am teaching, but as human beings as well.
I will be teaching Geography to 9th graders. They are still very much developing as young humans and trying so hard to find themselves. I expect in every way that life for them is difficult and confusing. The first year of high school can be exciting and scary at the same time. I take it as my responsibility, at least within the walls of my classroom, to help and guide them along. I want to teach them to develop their own abilities and find their own strengths that will help them in my class, and every other class they take throughout high school and into their adult lives!
I will also be teaching US Government to 12th graders. Social Development is going to be critical in this age group. They need to develop critical thinking skills. If they don't know how to do it when they walk into my class on the first day, we will work together, and I will ask them how I can help them, at the same time, being careful to not do the work for them. At the end of the process, we will all look back at they can do on their own, and help them carry that out of my class, into the college classroom, and into their adult lives!
