Philosophy of teaching adolescents
Adolescence, often understood as a time of storm and stress, is a period of heightened development. As a teacher, I want to give my students the tools to deal with the challenges that they will meet during high school and beyond. I believe that to do this, I should promote psychological maturity within my classroom. Using a variety of methods, I want to facilitate the developmental processes including emotional, cognitive, personal, social, and moral development.
Psychological maturity assumes that there is a goal state. Thus, promoting psychological maturity within the classroom consists of facilitating movement towards the terminal stages of the various development theories. This can and should be done in the classroom. Research indicates that among the ingredients for success, IQ only accounts for 20% (Gibbs 112). Emotional skills such as self-awareness and empathy appear to be much more important. To promote psychological maturity is to facilitate a progression through the various stages of emotional, cognitive, personal, social, and moral development.
Piaget, Kohlberg, Marcia and Erikson show that achievement of goal stages and statuses is a worthwhile endeavor. Cognitive development typically leads to the formal operational stage. Within this stage, Piaget claimed that individuals gain abstract reasoning, propositional thinking, proportional reasoning, and the ability to focus on the possible (Muuss). Progression through the stages of cognitive development is dependent on the development of increased “complexity, mobility and systemization of schema and logical structures” (Muuss 172). This development results from disequilibrium. Kohlberg’s theory of moral development refers to moral reasoning not moral behavior. It is important for teachers to facilitate progression through Kohlberg’s stages towards Level 3, the Post Conventional Level. Within this level of moral development the focus is on what is good for society overall. Kohlberg felt that assisting students to develop an understanding of justice as well as role-taking were two means to progress moral development. Marcia expanded Erikson’s stage of identity achievement vs. identity confusion by developing four statuses that individuals can go through in their journal towards identity achievement. Marcia saw moratorium, a state of crisis and exploration, as a necessary prerequisite for the achievement of an identity. To promote this conclusion within personal development, Marcia and Erikson encourage increased relevance within curriculum.
From Piaget, Kohlberg, Marcia and Erikson, one can see that providing disequilibrium is essential within the classroom. I want to introduce my students to new experiences and ideas through the use of a variety of methods. Following Piaget’s theory of cognitive development, I want to promote formal operations through group work and discussion. Within these situations, students can introduce each other to a variety of experiences, opinions, and thought processes. This introduction to diverse thought processes is also important in the development of moral reasoning. I want to help my students to develop the skills to effectively support their arguments. This can again be done through discussion, but I also want to include debates and higher thinking essays within my classroom. Through debates and essays, students will have the opportunity to defend their ideas in an organized manner. It will, thus, promote the development of moral reasoning. The disequilibrium used to promote cognitive development and to encourage moral reasoning is also important in personal development. Based on Marcia’s statuses and Erikson’s stage of identity achievement vs. identity confusion, I want to provide my students with a classroom that promotes exploration. I want my students to see the variety of possibilities and means of expression available to them as well as the diverse range of interpretations of literature. To do this, I want to use authentic experiences within my classroom. I also want to encourage student choice in my classroom. I want students to feel accountable and interested in what they are studying. Therefore, I want to provide them with their own choices whenever possible.
It is essential that the distinction be made
between facilitation and teaching. I
want to facilitate psychological maturity in my classroom by promoting
emotional, cognitive, personal, social, and moral development. Carl Rogers felt very strongly that,
“Teaching…is a vastly over-rated function” (
In building an interpersonal relationship with my students in order to facilitate learning, I will take into account each of my student’s backgrounds. This will allow me to understand their current level of education as well as their behaviors within my classroom and the school. This relationship between internal characteristics, social environment, and behavior is illustrated by Bandura’s reciprocal triadic determinism. Vicarious reinforcement, one of the major tenets of Bandura’s theory of social cognition, is also important within the classroom. Based on this tenet, a student’s behavior depends on “the positive or negative consequences that the [student] observes in others—that is, in the model” (Muuss 286). Thus, I want to use modeling in my classroom. This method, promoted by Madeleine Hunter, will allow my student’s to see that they can complete the task. Not only will I personally model, I will also use previous students’ works in order to enhance motivational processes.
I realize that my students will face several challenges in and out of school that I cannot control. However, I want to facilitate the acquisition of tools to deal with those challenges. I want to create a sense of community in my classroom. I believe that this can be done through personal conferences with my students concerning their work in my classroom as well as through class discussions and small group work. I want to create a community in which I will facilitate the psychological maturity of my students. I believe this is possible and I believe that it is a valuable goal. I want to promote the success of my students. I want them to have the tools to be able to retain and understand the content of my classroom. In order for them to do this effectively, I know that I want to encourage their psychological maturity.
Works Cited
Gibbs,
Companies, Inc., 1996.
Rogers, Carl R. “The Interpersonal Relationship in the Facilitation of Learning.” Freedom to Learn for the 80’s. Columbus, OH: C.E. Merrill Publishing, Co., 1983. 119-134.
