- HOME
- Table of Contents
- Resume
- Philosophy Statement
- 1. History of Jewish/General Education
- 2. Assessment
- 3. Curriculum
- 4. Language Development/Hebrew
- 5. Personal Development of Teachers
- 6. Collaboration/Community
- 7. Technology
- 8. Learning and Cognition
- 9. Evidence-Based Practice
- 10. Child Development
- 11. Content Knowledge
- 12. Ethics and Values
- 13. Instructional Methods
- Inspiration/Chizuk
- Post-Observation Reflections
Understanding how children develop is essential to be able to teach them, to communicate with them in a meaningful way. There is a natural progression of children’s intellectual, social, physical, moral, and spiritual capacities. Pioneers in psychology such as Erikson, Piaget, Vygotsky, and Kohlberg helped establish objective norms of child development. Studying Developmental Psychology as an undergraduate helped give me foundations for understanding child behavior and growth, retroactively with children I already knew, and for my future students.
Some elements of children's development are purely influenced by nature, but many are affected by nurture as well; parents and teachers must learn how to facilitate proper growth, and not exacerbate problems.
I learned, and continue to learn in my encounters with children of different ages, the need for different speech, expectations, and sensitivity with various developmental levels.
While working directly with preschool-aged campers, I realized they need constant care, attention, and assistance; every mundane task has the potential for life-long lessons, such as washing hands and tying shoes.
Currently, I am privileged to work directly with 4th, 5th, and 6th graders, which span a large space on the developmental spectrum. As I rotate between the classes, I switch mental gears to remember to interact differently with the students of various ages. While the older students appreciate being spoken to on a slightly higher level of maturity, they are still very young, and simple tasks, such as organizing their school books, are opportunities to foster their independence.
One day while babysitting neighbors, including 3 children aged 4, 7, and 9, I realized a great challenge inherent to parenting: while a teacher interacts simultaneously with 20+ students of relatively the same developmental level, parents must behave differently with their children of respective ages.
In my 6th grade Tefila group, I‘ve seen that spirituality cannot be coerced; rather, we must provide space and tools for students to achieve it on their own. Some students are naturally more inclined to respect or observe rituals; others need more explanations and time, and will come to it on their own.
Awareness of normal development also enables us to notice when students are developmentally behind, and need extra help or interventions.
Included are various essays on topics which relate to students of all ages, but in different ways. Parents and teachers must be aware and sensitive to healthy expectations and ways to manage their children's/students growth, along the spectrum of normal development.
Some elements of children's development are purely influenced by nature, but many are affected by nurture as well; parents and teachers must learn how to facilitate proper growth, and not exacerbate problems.
I learned, and continue to learn in my encounters with children of different ages, the need for different speech, expectations, and sensitivity with various developmental levels.
While working directly with preschool-aged campers, I realized they need constant care, attention, and assistance; every mundane task has the potential for life-long lessons, such as washing hands and tying shoes.
Currently, I am privileged to work directly with 4th, 5th, and 6th graders, which span a large space on the developmental spectrum. As I rotate between the classes, I switch mental gears to remember to interact differently with the students of various ages. While the older students appreciate being spoken to on a slightly higher level of maturity, they are still very young, and simple tasks, such as organizing their school books, are opportunities to foster their independence.
One day while babysitting neighbors, including 3 children aged 4, 7, and 9, I realized a great challenge inherent to parenting: while a teacher interacts simultaneously with 20+ students of relatively the same developmental level, parents must behave differently with their children of respective ages.
In my 6th grade Tefila group, I‘ve seen that spirituality cannot be coerced; rather, we must provide space and tools for students to achieve it on their own. Some students are naturally more inclined to respect or observe rituals; others need more explanations and time, and will come to it on their own.
Awareness of normal development also enables us to notice when students are developmentally behind, and need extra help or interventions.
Included are various essays on topics which relate to students of all ages, but in different ways. Parents and teachers must be aware and sensitive to healthy expectations and ways to manage their children's/students growth, along the spectrum of normal development.