Trista
Roussin
Ecology
of the Human Experience
May
14, 2015
Course
Reflection
Guiding
Question: What is essential in child and youth development?
Over
the course of the semester I learned a lot about child development.
The project we did that helped my understanding of child development
the most was the developmental theory paper. I think that researching
and comparing the developmental theorists really helped my
understanding of all of the theorists and theories. Because of that
paper I decided to continue my research and do my senior project on
comparing developmental theorists. This paper gave me a head start on
a much larger project I had in mind. In addition to a research paper
I also collected drawings from children at different ages and I
interpreted them from the perspectives of each developmental
theorist. It was one of the most enriching experiences I have had at
college. The developmental theorist paper was a stepping stool for me
to a much bigger accomplishment.
I
also enjoyed how discussion based the class was. At first I was not
interested in the class at all, and I participated very little. After
a few weeks I started to open up more, and I am glad that I did. I
have learned a lot just from the class discussions alone. However,
there was a guy in the class who could have done a lot less
discussing and more listening. I also think that it was the same
people talking every single class. I would have loved to see more of
the class getting involved with the discussions.
I
also loved making the bioecological self-analysis. I thought the way
that I made mine was so creative and cool. I loved being able to
share it and talk about it. I also learned a lot about
Bronfenbrenner's developmental theory by doing it. Which was cool.
He's got some good ideas.
Getting
back to the guiding question: What is essential in child and youth
development? I have learned that there are a lot of essentials to
help children develop successfully. First and foremost children need
a good support system at home. They need parents who are encouraging
and engaging. The most important years of a child's life are the
first two years. They need to establish trust with their parents or
caretakers when they are infants. A bad infancy can set a child up
for failure in their future.
Another
thing that children and youths need for development is a
fan-fricken-tastic teacher. A teacher who is enthusiastic and
knowledgeable, and someone who can make learning fun and engaging. I
have learned that it is necessary to listen to what children have to
say. Children need to feel as if their opinions and ideas are
important, because they are! Children need to be heard and respected.
Also, they need food, water, and a place to sleep.
As
future teachers it is important to remember that every child is
different. Some children may live with their grandparents, while some
may have two moms. Some children may come from Korea, while others
might have lived in the same town their entire lives. Children come
in all shapes and sizes and each one with their very own talent. Some
children may have a deficit in math, while other children thrive in
that subject. As a teacher it is important to adhere to the needs of
the children. If they are not getting their needs met at home, then
it is a teacher's job to make up for it at school. Being a teacher
comes with a lot of responsibilities, but it is also a very rewarding
career. Being a teacher means having the power to impact many lives.
Not just the lives of the children, but their families as well.
