Standard 1: Learner Development

The teacher understands cognitive, linguistic, social, emotional and physical areas of student development.

Before beginning my education in the Master of Art in Teaching Program at Westminster College I had little experience working with students K-6. Although I had novice experience in child development I believed my knowledge of human development, social-psychology and emotion psychology, from classes taken for my minor in Psychology from the University of Utah, would aid in my understanding of the cognitive, linguistic, emotional, and physical areas of student development.

My novice experience in child development led me to presume that I would be most beneficial as an educator in older elementary grades. I had worked primarily with adolescents and adults, and for that reason, I felt more comfortable teaching older students. During my first methods placement, as requested, I worked with a fifth grade classroom of students who came from impoverished homes. Considering the intense home life that most of the students had, I believed they would lack knowledge or interest in early colonial America. The connection of the 1700s to their modern day issues was a link that required thoughtful analysis of their social and emotional development. I discussed the background knowledge of the students with the homeroom teacher. He informed me that most of the students had many social problems (including getting jumped into gangs on the playground) and foci that absorbed most of their energy. Regardless of whether or not the students were emotionally invested in colonial America, I had to instruct based on the Common Core. From what I know, the Common Core does not alter its curriculum standards to the emotional and social development of minority students; therefore, it is up to the educator to adjust the instruction to reach and teach the students appropriately to pass required state testing.  After long and deliberate rumination on the task at hand, I realized I could connect the plight of the students to that of the colonialists.

Comparing King George III to the Principal allowed the students to emphasize, and even to a greater extent sympathize, with the colonialists. The outcome of my Common Core related objective was achieved due to my understanding of the student levels of emotional and social development. I felt a sense of accomplishment upon viewing mock declarations with organized lists of student grievances. In the future, if I come to a similar issue with learner development to Common Core Standard incompatibility, I will remember my experience with the students of Meadowlark. I feel empowered and proud of my ability to make a perplexing problem into a meaningful lesson that reached diverse students of varying learning development. The lesson proved to be valuable in many extents and left a lasting impression on both the students and I.