Identity TIPR

The students in the classroom that I observed at I feel are primarily facing Erikson's psychosocial crisis of Identity vs. Role Confusion and bit of Intimacy vs. Isolation. I noticed that a lot of students would get embarrassed after contributing in a discussion or would cower in the face of talking in front of the class about something personal that they thought about in regards to the lesson. Observing them in groups and then with their friends also showed that they were not completely in tune with their identity because they acted so differently in different groups of people. It was also fun to observe the students navigating the roads of intimacy. In the class and wandering the halls I saw a lot of people mingling with friends and people of the opposite gender and it was so precious and amusing to watch them navigate social dynamics in their pursuit of connection. The most prevalent of Marcia's identity states that I saw was Moratorium because the student's had a lot of questions about controversial topics that they discussed in class which leads me to believe that they're actively seeking information to form their own opinions and beliefs. I thought the teacher did a wonderful job of encouraging the students to explore their identities in her class. Her journal prompts are opinion based so that students have the chance to talk openly about their beliefs and she sets up her discussions in a way that encourages "no wrong answers" to motivate students to feel safe sharing their thoughts. She also lets students work in pairs and groups both assigned and unassigned to encourage friendship and camaraderie in her class. She's also really sensitive to those struggling outside of school and she had students come to her for advice both in and out of class time and she always had kind words for them and always made sure to tell them that they're really good people doing really good things which I found super admirable.

While I only observed good things going on in the class there's always more that can be done to help our students discover and accept their own identities. I think something that would really help the students feel really good about the strides they're making individually would be to display student work and celebrate students that step out of their comfort zones to try something brave and new. The classroom that I observe in doesn't have a lot on the walls and I think a perfect use of that space would be for students to display their best work that they're proud of and for the teacher to really highlight amazing students that are making strides and exploring learning and themselves. I think the students in this stage need a lot of validation and encouragement during these stages both individually and in their relationships and I think that we as teachers are in the position to offer that validation in our classes. I also feel like the students would benefit from role playing activities that are both fun and engaging because it would allow the students to get in the headspace of different people and ideas which can help them as they consider who they are and what they want to be.

When I teach my mini lesson I'm going to ask questions that will allow the students to consider what they believe and what they want to do about the topic I teach. I also will use role playing to help students understand the different roles in life they have the chance to play based on their decisions and preferences. I will have students consider their goals and think about their futures and how their identity can shape that future since health class is a safe space to do that. I will also validate and encourage their answers and exploration as they think about the questions and engage in the activities during the lesson. Overall, I want the students to leave my mini lesson feeling contemplative and confident in their identity development.