The discussion in this chapter is actually much broader than its title suggests. For example, they start from describing Erikson’s stages (“crises of development”), which are definitely not just about emotional development, but rather about “learning from life challenges”. Please note the profound impact of the character of children’s relationships with others (parents, teachers, peers) – from infancy, this character is reflected in the quality of their “attachments” – on how (“positively” or “negatively”) these crises are resolved, and the influence of the particular outcomes on the person’s further development, including cognitive development and academic achievements. I need to repeat some points from the guidelines on what you need to do in your reflections, especially concerning your teaching examples, since there seems to be a persistent neglect of the requirements in some reflections: “Do not include extensive summaries of the readings or lists of the main topics or points in it, since those points make little sense without further explanations anyway. Instead, articulate your opinion about the most important idea/strategy in a given reading. Your reflections need to exhibit your thinking about the issues and engagement with the material. Try to be as specific as possible in explaining the relevance of the selected idea or strategy. Your example of implementation of an idea/strategy (“lesson plan”) must be at least half of the total length of your reflection. Brief mentioning in one or two sentences is not enough. The example must include a specific topic of the lesson in a certain subject area and a description of what in particular is being taught and how. Do not phrase your example in the style of guidelines in a teacher manual, just listing principles and strategies – description in general terms does not count as a specific example. For instance, just saying “I will use different forms of group work and hands-on activities” is not specific enough. You need to explain what those groups will be doing and how. And what you as a teacher will be doing. Describe a “real” (although imagined) lesson that would incorporate important ideas from the reading. Imagine that you are in a real classroom and you want to teach something in particular while using the idea or strategy you liked. How would you do it? What would you ask your students to do?” To emphasize again: In your reflection, focus on one specific idea or teaching strategy (or several interrelated ideas) from the readings and its implementation in classrooms. Try to avoid slogans, generalities, and platitudes. I need to see that you learned something interesting and useful (and, possibly, new and inspiring for you) from the course materials.
The post The discussion in this chapter is actually much broader than its title suggests. appeared first on Essaybrook.
