Vygotsky is a favorite of mine. It is very hard to earn trust; it takes a long time to earn it, and only seconds to lose it. One of my mentor teachers said, “It takes eight weeks to earn trust.” I have tested his theory, and it is true. If you express an interest in your students; learn their names, a few facts about their life, smile each time they come into your classroom, then you will earn their trust. Try it. It is like magic. It takes exactly eight weeks. You will feel the change in their behavior. Once you earn their trust, guard it carefully.
When I am teaching, I try to see my class through the eyes of my students. To explain this, I have used Erikson’s eight stages to imagine what children/adolescents might be thinking while sitting in a classroom. (in parentheses below) I believe students have the chance to move through the eight stages over the course of a year, while in a classroom.
I believe new teachers must consider the theory behind their practice. A good place to begin is with Erikson’s 8 stages of development. An excellent teacher will lead his/her students through all 8 stages in the course of a school year. Sadly, very few classroom teachers allow (or encourage) students to move into or progress beyond stage 3. Beneath the questions for each stage, are my interpretations which complement what students might be thinking while in the classroom.
Stage 1 – Can I Trust The World? (Can I trust my teacher in this classroom?)
Stage 2 – Is It Ok To Be Me? (Will I be able to learn the way I learn best?)
Stage 3 – Is It Ok For Me To Do, Move and Act? (Can I take risks and be creative in this class?)
Stage 4 – Can I Make It In The World Of People And Things? (Is this class safe enough for me to take risks?)
Stage 5 – Who Am I? What Can I Be? (Will the teacher be gracious and teach me to be courageous?)
Stage 6 – Can I Love? (Does my teacher love me?)
Stage 7 – Can I Make My Life Count? (Will the work I do in this class really matter in life?)
Stage 8 – Is It Ok To Have Been Me? (Will my teacher and classmates remember me in a positive light?)
I wonder if a teacher can be effective, if his or her students never graduate past the first stage. What about stage two? How many students in public schools today will make it past stage three? Finally, when a teacher is most effective in a classroom, consider how many times a student might successfully move through the eight stages continually, over the course of a school year?