Identity TIPR

Current Teacher Behaviors

Which of Erikson's psychosocial crises are the children in the class facing (maybe more than one)? Which of Marcia's identity states seem(s) to be most prevalent? What specific teacher behaviors do you observe that either help or hinder the students to successfully navigate their identities?

According to Erikson, the students are currently facing an industry/inferiority crisis. And the most prevalent identity state defined by James Marica is the identity forclosure. Most of the classes I'm observing are AP English classes. These students value conformity and they are willing to conform to the teacher's expectations. The students I'm observing in the eleventh-grade English class are preparing a speech that they will deliver in front of the class. This is an assignment that few of the students are truly looking forward to. Speaking in front of the class is nerve-wracking and stressful. If the student is successful and gets a good grade, they will gain a feeling of competence. However, if they don't do well, they will feel inferior to their classmates. The teacher is extremely encouraging and helpful for the students. They don't have to guess at what the teaching thinks about their ideas or whether their ideas are "stupid." The teacher gives a lot of support no matter what ideas the students come up with and if the idea needs more work, she doesn't criticize, but instead encourages the student to dig deeper into what they want to say and does it in a way that tells them that she's interested in what they have to say and the guidance looks like wanting to know more about their topic. For example, one student wanted to talk about a basketball player they admired. She nudged them to think of a specific example or story the exemplifies the topic best.

Student Needs

What are the students' needs with regard to identity development in this class? What more could or should be done?

 The students need to develop their identity and role in life. The teacher is having the students dig deep to think about their successes. This gives them an opportunity to look within themselves and explore their identity. If they feel support for who they are, they will have fidelity. If they don't feel the support, they will react with rebellion, possibly refusing to complete the assignment. I don't know what more could be done by this teacher. She is amazingly supportive of her students.

Plans for your Lesson

How will you address these needs when you teach your mini-lesson in this class?

 I already taught my mini-lessons in four different classes. Erikson's identity and role confusion came into play when I encouraged students to solve problems together with other students.  They created a "Human Citation" and were required to figure out where all the parts of a citation belong. This activity has the power to support their identity as a "smart student." The students were allowed to collaborate to created a correct citation, which helped support the student's knowledge and egos. This activity also helped moved students from Identity Diffusion to Identity Foreclosure. They went from nervous and reluctant to make a commitment to telling each other where they belong in the "Human Citation."