Social Development Reflection
Social Development Reflection
Teachers need to be in tune with their students, they have to be able to relate to them at an age appropriate level. Understanding the stages of social development, and the particulars relevant to each of those stages, plays a large role in how a teacher interacts with students, relates the material to them, and evaluates them.
Teachers of children in pre-school up through second grade spend nearly as much time teaching about social behavior and social interaction as they do lessons. The social environment of a classroom is new to some of the children which requires a teacher to foster a child’s sense of control over their environment in this explorative stage. Teachers of these younger children know that they need activities to funnel their energy, but also youngsters learn better, faster and more enjoyably when it’s more physical. Teachers of pre-school through second graders must learn to instinctively give praise or reward as well as admonishment immediately for the attention spans of these youngsters is short, and their memory needs constant and immediate reinforcement.
Children in grades three through five are realizing others are just as important as they are. Classroom cooperation and group projects go a long way to helping students manage social and academic demands of a more structured curriculum. Teachers of these young students are transitioning minds from basic tasks and memorization skills to organizing thoughts and understanding the fundamentals of the material presented, the beginning of the what, why, and how’s. Teachers of grades three through five find that their students really respond to awards and rewards. These students need to feel socially accepted and admired so by ‘explicitly identifying things the recipient has done especially well’ (Ormond, 2011, pg 298) they gain a sense of pride which fosters full classroom excitement and performance.
Teachers have an interesting struggle with students and rules
Teachers need to be in tune with their students, they have to be able to relate to them at an age appropriate level. Understanding the stages of social development, and the particulars relevant to each of those stages, plays a large role in how a teacher interacts with students, relates the material to them, and evaluates them.
Teachers of children in pre-school up through second grade spend nearly as much time teaching about social behavior and social interaction as they do lessons. The social environment of a classroom is new to some of the children which requires a teacher to foster a child’s sense of control over their environment in this explorative stage. Teachers of these younger children know that they need activities to funnel their energy, but also youngsters learn better, faster and more enjoyably when it’s more physical. Teachers of pre-school through second graders must learn to instinctively give praise or reward as well as admonishment immediately for the attention spans of these youngsters is short, and their memory needs constant and immediate reinforcement.
Children in grades three through five are realizing others are just as important as they are. Classroom cooperation and group projects go a long way to helping students manage social and academic demands of a more structured curriculum. Teachers of these young students are transitioning minds from basic tasks and memorization skills to organizing thoughts and understanding the fundamentals of the material presented, the beginning of the what, why, and how’s. Teachers of grades three through five find that their students really respond to awards and rewards. These students need to feel socially accepted and admired so by ‘explicitly identifying things the recipient has done especially well’ (Ormond, 2011, pg 298) they gain a sense of pride which fosters full classroom excitement and performance.
Teachers have an interesting struggle with students and rules
References: Ormond, J. (2011). Educational psychology: Developing learners. (Seven ed., p. 91, 298). Allyn & Bacon