January 20: Understanding the Learner

Complete Discussion Questions #5 & #6 at the end of the article “Understanding the Learner”.

5. To create a holistic portrait of one’s class you have to have an understanding of your individual students and where they are on a number of developmental planes. To do this in my classroom I will strive to not only know where the child is in terms of development, but also to find out the background, including language and culture that may have influenced their development. To gain this knowledge I will question the students and form strong working relationships with the parents so that we have open communication and cooperation between home and school. This develops a deeper understanding of the child which will enable me to create deeper levels of support for the child in his/her growth and exploration. Involving the parents is something I see as key to fully engaging the children and ensuring that they feel both safe and confident in expressing themselves in my class. Through this open acceptance and communication we will learn about each other and create a holistic portrait of the class.

6.
Knowledge of holistic development is key to providing appropriate instruction for my students. Each student develops individually and will often differ from their peers in how and when they fit the requirements for different stages. In a Kindergarten class for example you may find some children young for their age still in the here and now mainly kinesthetically focused while some may be more advanced and have begun to develop older concepts like time and distance which is not present in the less advanced stage symbolic representation renderings. Because stages can vary so greatly and because each child has their own unique story, experiences and interests, understanding holistic development allows you to cope with differences in the classroom in a way where all the students benefit and grow accepting the amazing uniqueness in what they are able to create.