Lessons learned from Erikson

Lessons learned from Erikson & Piaget

By Cassie Dunn

EDI 600 Psychological Foundation of Education

School of Education
Long Island University, C. W. Post
September 22, 2008

Today’s class was interesting because it touched upon theorists such as Erik Erikson. I am previously familiar with this theorist; however after reviewing it again in tonight’s class I have been able to understand it on an even deeper level. I believe this is because I already had the foundation and knowledge base about this topic and when hearing new and interesting stories and examples of each stage, I was able to relate each stage to real life and learn it on a deeper level.

It was also interesting because even before we began tonight’s discussion about Erikson we were asked to fill out a chart of the different stages of our life. As I was filling it out I was thinking back to when I learned about Erikson and his theory of psychological development in my undergraduate career. I feel that when I was filling out my chart it may have been a bit biased because I was relating and considering Erikson’s theory in regards to each stage. However, I am glad that I found my self doing this for two reasons. For one, it made me realize how much I actually remember about this theorist, and secondly it gave me an opportunity to relate it to my life which helped me to understand it even more.

Learning about Erik Erikson is crucial for all future educators to understand. This is because we, as educators, must understand the “crisis” that our students are theoretically facing. For example, if I am teaching my eight year-old students how to complete a challenging math problem, whether they are successful or not, it is important to praise them for their efforts and support them in a positive way to obtaining the correct answer. This is essential because they are developing a sense of industry, according to Erikson and therefore it is important for them to feel proud and successful of the work they have accomplished.

Overall I feel that tonight’s class was interesting in discussion various developmental psychologist’s and their theories. It is important as future educators to understand these theories because in order to be great teachers we must apply these theories to our job within the classroom.