Identity TIPR
Current Teacher Behaviors
1. Which of Erikson's psychosocial crises are the children in the class facing (may be more than one)? Which of Marcia's identity states seem(s) to be most prevalent? What specific teacher behaviors do you observe that either help or hinder the students to successfully navigate their identities? Cite specific examples.
While I understand that Erikson's crises are mostly related to specific age ranges, I do feel that students are facing a variety of them and not just the Identity/Role Confusion crises that is typical of their age. I feel that many of the students at the specific high school I've spent time at are still struggling with the crises involving Industry?Inferiority. Being that the social background of this school includes mostly middle to upper class students, many of them have very involved parents that have "helped" them succeed in lower grades by involving themselves too much in the student's work. This has led to an over-emphasis on always doing things perfectly, and achieving the same high grades they had in elementary and middle school. Upon arrival to high school, many students struggle not only with the higher level work required of them, having failed to build effective study and learning skills due to over-reliance on parent help, but suffer from low confidence being faced with things they don't feel they can do. The additional pressure of continuing to perform at the highest level possible is not only detrimental to their beliefs of being industrious themselves, but also on their developing sense of identity. If they've always been a "perfect student" it's hard to let that part go without suffering some sense of role confusion. All that on top of the natural search for identity that students are faced with at this time on their lives, makes for a difficult time indeed. I think teachers that are able to remind students of the many facets of what makes up their own identity help students to develop into well-rounded individuals. As far as Marcia's States of Identity, I have observed almost a full range between students in diffusion (Don't know, Don't care), to those in foreclosure (Already know, Don't care), and less in moratorium (Don't know, Want to know).
Student Needs
2. What are the students' needs with regard to identity development in this class? What more could or should be done?
Students need to realize that what they are feeling is normal. I also think they need to be encouraged to develop the many parts of their identity so that when something changes in their lives and for example they are cut from the soccer team, they don't feel that being a soccer player was all they had to offer. It's also important for students to learn to respect one another by realizing that one's race, gender, sexuality, etc, are all parts of one's identity, and that mocking or discrediting those in another is harmful to their sense of who they are.
Plans for your Lesson
3. How will you address these needs when you teach your mini-lesson in this class?
In history and social studies, I feel it's important to encourage students to try to identify with the many different aspects of historical figures. I don't want to lead to students, for example, to assume that only white students should identify with white characters from the past. Other aspects of that character's identity could include as an American, and immigrant, and entrepreneur, a parent, etc. By exploring the complexities of people we study, that can help them to identify complexities within themselves as well.
1. Which of Erikson's psychosocial crises are the children in the class facing (may be more than one)? Which of Marcia's identity states seem(s) to be most prevalent? What specific teacher behaviors do you observe that either help or hinder the students to successfully navigate their identities? Cite specific examples.
While I understand that Erikson's crises are mostly related to specific age ranges, I do feel that students are facing a variety of them and not just the Identity/Role Confusion crises that is typical of their age. I feel that many of the students at the specific high school I've spent time at are still struggling with the crises involving Industry?Inferiority. Being that the social background of this school includes mostly middle to upper class students, many of them have very involved parents that have "helped" them succeed in lower grades by involving themselves too much in the student's work. This has led to an over-emphasis on always doing things perfectly, and achieving the same high grades they had in elementary and middle school. Upon arrival to high school, many students struggle not only with the higher level work required of them, having failed to build effective study and learning skills due to over-reliance on parent help, but suffer from low confidence being faced with things they don't feel they can do. The additional pressure of continuing to perform at the highest level possible is not only detrimental to their beliefs of being industrious themselves, but also on their developing sense of identity. If they've always been a "perfect student" it's hard to let that part go without suffering some sense of role confusion. All that on top of the natural search for identity that students are faced with at this time on their lives, makes for a difficult time indeed. I think teachers that are able to remind students of the many facets of what makes up their own identity help students to develop into well-rounded individuals. As far as Marcia's States of Identity, I have observed almost a full range between students in diffusion (Don't know, Don't care), to those in foreclosure (Already know, Don't care), and less in moratorium (Don't know, Want to know).
Student Needs
2. What are the students' needs with regard to identity development in this class? What more could or should be done?
Students need to realize that what they are feeling is normal. I also think they need to be encouraged to develop the many parts of their identity so that when something changes in their lives and for example they are cut from the soccer team, they don't feel that being a soccer player was all they had to offer. It's also important for students to learn to respect one another by realizing that one's race, gender, sexuality, etc, are all parts of one's identity, and that mocking or discrediting those in another is harmful to their sense of who they are.
Plans for your Lesson
3. How will you address these needs when you teach your mini-lesson in this class?
In history and social studies, I feel it's important to encourage students to try to identify with the many different aspects of historical figures. I don't want to lead to students, for example, to assume that only white students should identify with white characters from the past. Other aspects of that character's identity could include as an American, and immigrant, and entrepreneur, a parent, etc. By exploring the complexities of people we study, that can help them to identify complexities within themselves as well.
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