Week Eight-Curtis-When the Rubber Meets the Road

     As we reach the end of our Lifespan Development course, I have to reflect upon everything we have covered in the last eight weeks.  At the beginning of this course, I was only vaguely aware of developmental psychology theorists and their views on how people develop throughout their life.  Freud, Erickson, Vygotsky, Piaget, we have covered them all.  And yet, we are left with with questions: how can we utilize all that we have learned to become better teachers and people?
     One of the first sections of Chapter 13 in the LifeSmart textbook is titled, "Putting Theory Into Practice." This, I believe, is at the heart of why we take this course in the first place.  We need to move beyond studying the theories of development and use them as tools which can be practically applied within our future classrooms.  For example, knowing about Erickson's view regarding stages of development, we can view our young charges and their actions in light of what stages they are passing through, looking for tell-tale signs that our students may be experiencing some of the crises which they will experience through the Erickson's stages of development.  Even if the theory in its entirety is not applicable, even knowing that students may be experiencing the crisis of identity confusion, for example, can help us guide our students and to offer the structure they require during these stages of development.
     Overall, I think my time in this class has taught me much, not only as a future teacher, but as a human being as well.  Knowing that my students will face trying times, both in and out of the class, looking out for their best interests becomes not just a job, but a responsibility--not only as a teacher, but as a member of the human race.