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facilitate development of social competence but also language, creativity and cognitive
development (Trawick-Smith, 2010).
An understanding of age and developmental functioning influences the teaching process
as it serves as a guide for curriculum planning, identification of children with special needs,
understanding and appreciating diversity, and facilitating advocacy efforts. For example,
preschool teachers should plan a curriculum around development of social skills and making
friends, which may be the most important goals of early childhood programs (Trawick-Smith,
2010, p. 298). If a teacher does not understand the limitations to children's thinking in the
preoperational stage (and, to a lesser extent, in the concrete operational stage) or what behaviors
and skills are typical at a particular stage of development, she may develop a curriculum which is
not within a child's Zone of Proximal Development (Vygotsky as cited in Trawick-Smith, 2010),
thereby leading to the child's frustration or boredom. In the worst case scenario, a teacher could
fail to or inappropriately refer a child for evaluation of special needs if she does not understand
typical and atypical child development.
A teacher who makes a difference enjoys solving the puzzle behind the way each child
thinks at each stage of development (which cognitive structure is being used or what limitation is
impacting a specific thought process or behavior) so that she can work with the child more
effectively. She can also incorporate into her curriculum some of the activities suggested by
Trawick-Smith (2010) such as reversal activities and categorization to help children develop their
cognitive thinking skills at various stages of development. To address the varied levels of
development within her classroom, she can apply the instructional pluralism strategy suggested
by Hernandez (as cited in Trawick-Smith, 2010).
Gardner argues that there are multiple intelligences (as cited in Trawick-Smith, 2010).
Because each child is a product of his own biological make-up, culture, and experiences, and
may possess a variety of multiple intelligences (although not necessarily the linguistic and
logical-mathematical competencies valued by the dominant society), multiple methods of
evaluation should be employed in the classroom to determine how and what students are
learning. Examples include culture-free tests and qualitative observations of performance. It is
important that cultural variations are kept in mind when assessing children using qualitative
observations, as not all cultures place the same value on certain skills or behaviors, and children
may not have had the opportunity or been encouraged to develop those skills or behaviors at
home. In addition to evaluating children across a wide range of development areas such as music
and movement (Trawick-Smith, 2010), a teacher who wants to make a difference will ensure that
each child is recognized for his own area of excellence, regardless of whether it is valued by the
dominant culture or even strictly related to the curriculum (such as a child whose strength is
being kind to others).
Family involvement affects the teaching and learning process in several ways. From an
ecological systems perspective, it is imperative for a teacher to involve the family and other
community supports in order to help the "whole" child. Baumrind has found that parenting styles
can impact a child's social, emotional, and intellectual development (as cited in Trawick-Smith,
2010). To better understand and work with students from a strengths-based perspective and
therefore help develop their resiliency, it is important to connect with all caregivers in students'
families and build a relationship with them. To truly make a difference, a teacher should work to
help families recognize and appreciate their child's talents and to foster resilience in the family
caregivers so that children have the best chance for a positive family environment. If, however,
the child does not have these relationships at home, a teacher can provide an alternative source
of protective, nurturing support (Benard, 2004, p. 65).
As I have discussed here, a teacher can make a difference in the lives of her students by
having a firm grasp of typical and atypical child development and employing multicultural
teaching strategies grounded in theory and research. Ultimately, however, I believe that for a
teacher to make a true difference, she should also possess the four clusters of turnaround teacher
competencies as described by Public Impact (2008): driving for results, influencing for results,
problem solving and personal effectiveness. I plan to be that teacher.