“An investment in knowledge pays the best interest” Benjamin Franklin.

Each child will develop in their own unique way. As teachers it is our job to help and guide them through their physical, mental, and behavioral development. Each student we have will learn in a different way and need a varying amount of attention and help with the learning process. Some students may enjoy math, and hate English or visa-verse; others may like all subjects and then some may not like any. The important thing is to understand development in order to be prepared to help students in any and every way possible. Benjamin Franklin’s quote states my view on education. A teacher has the opportunity to provide students with a better future. We must invest in our students, they are counting on us.

Children are born with a genetic code that will determine much of their physical and mental development such as whether they will have early or late puberty, their cognitive abilities, and more.

 

There are certain genetic abnormalities such as Down syndrome that will affect both the physical and mental developments of a child. Environmental factors affect development greatly, despite genetic predisposition. If a pregnant mother drinks alcohol, is malnourished, does drugs, is over-stressed, or a number of other things, the fetus can be negatively affected and both physical and mental development will be altered. Once a child is born, there are many things that can alter development in childhood as well. A child who is well-cared for, properly nourished, and given opportunity for socialization and play will have a better chance of developing positively and growing up healthy. Biological views and environmental view on development cannot exist separate from each other. Both inherited material and our environment work together in a complex way to allow us to develop as we do (McLeod, 2007). 

Teachers must be aware of how the environment can influence cognitive development. As teachers it is our job to create the best learning environment for our students. This includes knowing how students progress through cognitive development, which strategies to use for optimal learning, and how individual students learn differently. There are many theories out there on how cognitive development occurs. Piaget believed that students actively construct their knowledge of the world around them, proceeding through four stages. Behaviorist such as Pavlov believed that development did not happen in stages, but was a continual process. The theorist I agree most with is Vygotsky and his sociocultural theory. I, like him believe that children are active participants in their cognitive development but that the world around us has a great influence on how that development will occur. Children cannot learn everything on their own. Vygotsky developed the concept of the zone of proximal development and scaffolding which are tools in learning. A teacher is there to scaffold learning, helping the students increase their knowledge base more and more. Our job is to build up students and give them confidence in their abilities as learners. I do not just want to tell them what to know, I want to help them actively construct their understanding. This creates a true understanding of the material which is my ultimate goal as a teacher. 

Another aspect of child development I was drawn to was the concept of learning styles. Howard Gardner developed his seven learning styles, stating in his theory that "we are all able to know the world through language, logical-mathematical analysis, spatial representation, musical thinking, the use of the body to solve problems or to make things, an understanding of other individuals, and an understanding of ourselves. Where individuals differ is in the strength of these intelligences - the so-called profile of intelligences -and in the ways in which such intelligences are invoked and combined to carry out different tasks, solve diverse problems, and progress in various domains" (Gardner, p. 12).

   I personally am a visual and musical learner. Lessons geared toward my learning styles are much easier for me to get interested in and commit to memory. These learning styles are very important to education. If we know how our students learn best, it is like having a cheat sheet to teaching them. If a teacher considers only one learning style when teaching, he or she will only reach a small portion of the students. 

Each and every child will develop uniquely. There is no set code for how this development will occur but rather a combination of theories and ideas collected over the years. The most important thing is to pay attention to your students and get to know them.





Gardner, H.E. (1991). The Unschooled Mind: How Children Think and How Schools Should Teach. (p. 12). BasicBooks

McLeod, S. A. (2007). Nature Nurture in Psychology. Retrieved from http://www.simplypsychology.org/naturevsnurture.html

Santrock, J. W. (2011). Child Development: An Introduction (13th ed.). New York, New York: McGraw-Hill.