Personal Teaching Philosophy Essay -- Education Sociology Children pap

Personal Teaching Philosophy Introduction "Children become, while little, our delights†¦when they grow bigger, they begin to fright’s." This quote is from John Bunyan’s poem "Upon the Disobedient Child," and rings the truth. But, how can we help children develop into normal, healthy adults? That is a question society has been asking since the first days of civilization. There are four areas of development that allow children to grow into strong adults: motor, cognitive, language, and social-emotional. Motor Development Motor development is defined as "the development of skill in the use of the body and its parts" (Charlesworth 12). There are three areas of motor development: gross motor skills, fine motor skills, and perceptual motor skills. Gross motor skills require the "use of large muscles†¦as well as general strength and stamina" (Trawick-Smith 201) and they are the first to develop in infants. Two examples of these skills would be creeping or standing with help. For older children, examples of gross motor skills would be jumping rope, martial arts, soccer, or swimming. Fine motor skills require the use of "smaller muscles in the arms, hands, and fingers" (Trawick-Smith 209). In infants, an example of this motor skill would be grasping an object. In older children, examples of fine motor skills would be writing, drawing, tying a shoestring, or building with Lego’s. However with these motor skills, particularly with fine motor skills, one must keep in mind that perception helps to put together these movements. "This ability to integrate movements and perception" (Trawick-Smith 210) is called perceptual-motor skills. Examples of using these skills would be baseball, football, or copying what a teacher drew ... ...n certain subjects. So, I’ll try to have creative lessons in which the children will learn something and have fun while doing the activity. Finally, I hope I can become a good teacher and pass on what I have learned from my teachers in the past. Works Cited Charlesworth, Rosalind. Understanding Child Development. United States: Delmar Thomson Learning, 2000. 12, 16, 107, 271, 374. Mayesky, Mary. Creative Activities: for Young Children. United States: Delmar Thomson Learning, 2002. 309. Muzi, Malinda Jo. Child Development: Through Time and Transition. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2000. 187, 213, 264. Smith-Trawick, Jeffery. Early Childhood Development. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2000. 135, 174, 201, 209, 210, 293, 295, 298. 300. Wood, Chip. Yardsticks: Children in the Classroom Ages 4-14. Massachusetts: Northeast Foundation for Children, 1997. 1.