McGuire Week 4 Chap6&7 Thoughts

After reading chapters 6 and 7,  I learned that both Early and Middle Childhood development focused on physical, social, cognitive, language, and gender development of a child. Also, that both used the repercussions of social interactions as a sort of base to define what the correct behavioral patterns should be. A few specific examples would be Vygotsky's theory in which he believed that a child constructs their overall knowledge through these particular social interactions and Kohlberg's theory on how moral thinking and cultural beliefs as well as gender, family values and society as a whole play their parts in shaping a child's moral views.


 As humans, we form bonds with other people that foster these social interactions whether they be positive or negative such as a teacher, peer, or parent. I think we need them to play roles in healthy (or unhealthy as the case may be) developmental milestones. We watch and learn from others need them to teach us how to speak (language), how to behave (social). Without having interactions between humans, we couldn't learn what the acceptable behaviors would be and that would lead us to develop poorly.

An example of early childhood development would be that my children in the classroom are always learning how to communicate, gauge others reactions to a specific event or occurrence or to even learn how to use proper intensive while eating. All these things are being modeled to them by myself and other teachers at my center. We try to pair with parents so that the kids aren't getting conflicting messages on the correct way to develop a skill or behavior but it's hard. I can attest to this by some of the things my own daughter says when she comes home that I know I would never teach her. "YOU DONT KNOW WHAT YOURE TALKING ABOUT!" complete with finger wag is her newest thing. I think someone at school may have told her that, perhaps in jest? And she just picked it up and ran with it. That's not a social behavior that I would like and trying to break her of that is maddening. Especially if it is being enforced elsewhere. 

 Not only do I teach this on a daily basis and believe it is extremely important in your early years, I also believe that it doesn't stop there. I am constantly learning how to correctly interact with people on a social level, especially as I travel and interact with different cultures, and I am also developing cognitively (as I feel we all are) by expanding my horizons and coming to college. Without a doubt these skills are developed in early/ middle childhood but are honed throughout life.

Week 2 McGuire Theories of Development

In the readings for week two, there are multiple people whose theories are very prominent in the studies of development. Freud and Erikson's theories are the two that really stood out to me though. With Freud's psychosexual stages and Erikson's eight stages, there is a lot to reflect on.

Freud believed that each person went though certain stages and if one failed to properly develop in a certain stage, they would be stuck in it such as the oral stage or the latent. Then you have Erikson who believed that each person went though eight developmental stages which are marked by a life crisis to move forward.

From an educator's standpoint, I agree with Freud's theory due to the fact that as an early childhood educator, I get to experience multiple children going through every stage from infant to the beginning to junior high. There are many who are in the oral stage or the phallic stage but it seems to me to be more obvious in boys than in little girls. For instance, I've observed that most of the boys in preschool are learning about potty training and how to go to the bathroom in the class around girls and have noticed (quite loudly at times) the differences between them. Obviously we try to curb that behavior and do our best to separate the potty times but with one bathroom and the door open its challenging.


But from a personal viewpoint, I agree with a few of Erikson's points in that there has to be a life crisis that marks each stage. I actually have a few that I can recall off the top of my head. Unfortunately one in particular stands out to me and I have since turned to behavior that many would consider unhealthy or inappropriate. It has taken me over a decade to realize that that event was merely one in many and I can still be the person I was supposed to be had that not happened. But sometimes I slip back into old habits especially if I'm stressed or scared and were it not for a loving family and an EXTREMELY patient spouse, I would continue down that spiral of negativity and self doubt. Returning to college has also helped push me to be the me I should have been and that is a huge blessing as well.

Week 1: thoughts on introduction and mobius strip

After reading the first chapter and learning about how the human life is a continuously changing and evolving thing from birth to death, it was interesting to take that nugget and see how you could apply it to the metaphor that is the Mobius strip.

When I was younger, I went to a very small school and with only a class of 30 kids, I experienced how others disapproved of my inner self and learned to build that wall that Palmer described. It was easier letting others believe that I was one of them and carried the same views rather than letting them see my true self and be antagonized or left out.  Unfortunately as a teacher I am seeing how the kids are learning to separate their inner and outer selves from their peers and even us educators. It can be hard watching them slowly build those walls and grow increasingly angry or frustrated when no one else wants to play what they want to play or get excited about what they get excited about.

 What I really want for my daughter though, is instead of building the walls and keeping others out, to learn to accept herself and allow others to see it. Then perhaps she could more effectively create a fluid shape to allow for her to co-create her reality. Its hard to be the biggest champion for your own or anyone's child when others don't see the awesome that you see.