Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Erickson offered a basic framework for understanding the needs of young people in relation
to the society in which they grow, learn and ultimately make their contribution. Erikson's
psychosocial theory emphasized the emergence of the self, the search for identity, the individual
relationships with others and the role of culture throughout life.
(For the context of this assignment we have chosen to focus on the first six stages of
development as they focus on the ages that will affect how we as teachers conduct ourselves.)
Stage
Basic Conflict
Important
Event(s)
Outcome
Infancy
(birth to 18 months)
Trust vs.
Mistrust
Feeding
Toilet
Training
Early Childhood
(2 to 3 years)
Autonomy vs.
Shame and
Doubt
Preschool
(3 to 5 years)
Initiative vs.
Guilt
School Age
(6 to 11 years)
Industry vs.
Inferiority
Adolescence
(12 to 18 years)
Young Adults
(19 to 40 years)
Maturity
(65 to death)
Exploration
School
Identity vs.
Role Confusion
Social
Connections
Relationships
Generativity vs.
Stagnation
Work and
Parenthood
Ego Integrity
vs. Despair
Reflection of
Life
Intimacy vs.
Isolation
Children go through the first three stages before they are old enough to attend school, but
that does not necessarily mean that those stages are completely behind them. As teachers we
have to be aware that we will face all of the stages previous to the school age because children
are entering an extremely new environment.
This means that teachers will have to establish a relationship of trust with each student,
promote autonomy and industry, and reinforce the values and virtues that they have hopefully
developed before entering school. It is crucial for teachers to get to know each individual in
order to understand and meet the learning needs of each student. Creating a positive learning
environment where students feel safe to share and participate is essential to promoting a feeling
of trust with and between students.
Teachers also need to make sure they are challenging their students, but scaffolding and
scaling their lessons in order to ensure that students have the opportunities they need to succeed,
thereby promoting autonomy and reinforcing confidence. Those students who are struggling to
develop autonomy and industry are especially in need of encouragement from the teacher
because it is likely that they are not getting a great deal of support from home.
If teachers are able to create a classroom community students will have a better chance
to form positive relationships with the students and teacher, and will therefore be more likely to
avoid developing insecurities, shame, and a negative sense of self. This is a crucial foundation
for later stages in life as students begin to develop more complex relationships and eventually
work towards intimacy and love.
References