Learning to Teach
For those of you who do not yet know – I am choosing, and learning to become a teacher.
A good part of learning to teach is grounded in psychology. Developmental psychology. Vygotsky, Bandura, Piaget, Gardner, Erik Erikson – they are all rattling in the brain after a fascinating few months of learning.
I have always been interested in the kinds of problems and things that occupy our lives at various stages. Even the upanishads had the 4 stages of life laid out for reference. One particular psychosocial theory resonated with me:
Erik Erikson’s 8 stages of life.
Here is a quick overview:
- Basic Trust Vs Mistrust (birth – 12/18 months of age)
- Autonomy Vs Shame/Doubt (18 most – 3 yrs)
- Initiative Vs Guilt (3-6 yrs)
- Industry Vs Inferiority (6-12 yrs)
- Identity Vs Role confusion (adolescence)
- Intimacy Vs Isolation (Young adulthood – forming intimate relationships, love, family)
- Generativity Vs Stagnation (Middle adulthood – parent/mentor)
- Ego integrity Vs Despair (Late adulthood – retirement)
These 8 stages are largely an indicator for folks in their stages of life. For instance,
Basic trust vs mistrust: Birth – 12/18 months of age.
Largely shaped by their relationship with their caregivers, this determines how they learn to be trustful. Having stable and loving caregivers is usually key to successfully being able to form trusting relationships.
Autonomy vs Doubt: 18 months – 3 years
Most parents have experienced the ‘terrible twos’. How many perplexed parents are left wondering why their thus-far pliant child throws a tantrum for no reason? It is all about building autonomy.
I still remember this 3 year old who sat next to me on a long flight more than 2 decades ago. I was in my mid-twenties, had not yet become a mother, and always loved children. His mother, the child, and I got to chatting, and became friendly. His mother was just happy to have him talk to someone else, I think, and we hit it off.
At the airport a few hours later, this sweet boy threw himself on the floor and gave himself up to a truly fantastic tantrum with flailing arms, wailing shrieks, watery eyes – the works. I had gone to get myself some coffee, and came back to find this child making a spectacle. I crouched down, and asked him, “What are you doing?”. He looked up at me, recognition dawning on his face and smoothing out the wrinkled crying face to tell me soberly, “I am throwing a tantrum!”
How I laughed! Luckily, this seemed to break his meltdown and he became a happy child in our midst once more. I have never quite forgotten the little fellow – he must be a young man possibly doing his graduate studies or working by now.
But there you go : Autonomy
According to Erik Erikson’s psychosocial stages of life, I am currently in the Generativity Vs Stagnation stage of life. This is usually the stage in life when people are starting to turn their minds towards mentoring, guiding, or otherwise becoming more community-minded. I have seen many folks in my parents’ generation where the generativity did not quite happen and led to stagnation instead. But where it led to generativity, it coincided with the phase in life where wealth generation and / or philosophical musings tended to occupy their thoughts and actions. New goals, new purpose. Some drastic, and some not so much.
Starting a new career at this stage of life? Mine is drastic, I think.
I am nervous, excited and hope that this stage is both fulfilling and interesting. So that, I may when my time comes, look back upon retirement age with ego integrity instead of with regret or despair.
The Husband’s Perspective
எட்டு எட்டா மனுஷ வாழ்வை பிரிச்சுக்கோ
“I don’t about know Erik Erikson! But I know Rajinikanth’s song!”, said the husband. I laughed and vaguely remembered the song too. So, I went you-tubing to check for it, and ridiculous as the dance and visuals are, the concept only roughly matches the psychosocial stages as mentioned by Erik Erikson. Maybe the lyricist (Vairamuthu I think) started off with this, and then ran away with it.
Loosely speaking, according to the song:
- The first 8 years are for playing
- The second 8 for learning
- The third 8 marriage & settling down
- The fourth 8 children
- The fifth 8 is for wealth building
- The sixth 8 is for traveling and globe-trotting
- The seventh 8 is for rest and ticking off your bucket list
- The eighth 8 isn’t worth it according to the song. For you’ll gain no additional peace of mind.
The Daughter’s Perspective
The daughter scoffed and said, “I know Erik Erikson! It is a psychosocial theory Amma! Not a psychological one. Want to bet that there are at least a few in there who are taking this and running away with these theories and diagnosing themselves?!” At this point, she raised her hands in air quotes and continued, “Oh you know? I am just a terrible person because there was this one person when I was 1 year old who was not nice?!”
I can’t say I agreed with her, but it is always interesting to see how the 8 stages of life theories can be interpreted in 8 different ways.
So there you go, what to make of Erik Erikson’s psychosocial stages of life is entirely upto you. But I did find it an interesting theory to think about, especially when you look at all the people in your life – younger, older, your peers etc.
So, which stage of life are you in? And when you look back, how do you think you have fared in each stage?