Erik Erikson - Reflection

My assignment was to research the theorist, Erik Erikson.  In doing so, I also pointed out the important topics that teachers should know about Erikson’s theory.  Erikson was one of the most influential psychoanalysts of the 20th century.  After completing high school, he moved to Florence to pursue his interest in art, and in 1927 became an art teacher at a psychoanalytically enlightened school for children.  The move changed his life and career.  He earned a certificate from the Maria Montessori School, and then embarked on psychoanalytic training at the Vienna Psychoanalytic Institute.  By 1936, he had joined the Institute of Human Relations, part of the department of psychiatry at Yale University.  Erikson’s best-known work is his theory that each stage of life is associated with a specific psychological struggle, a struggle that contributes to a major aspect of personality.  His developmental progression was conceived as the sequential reorganization of ego and character structures.  

Erikson contributed the notion that personality is shaped over the life span, which implies that experiences later in life can heal or ameliorate problems in early childhood.  There are eight stages to his developmental progression: trust, autonomy, initiative, industry, identity, intimacy, generativity, and integrity.  Healthy success in each of these stages would lead to a healthy life, according to the theorist.  On the contrary, struggle in any of these stages can lead to maladaptive behavior that can last a lifetime, therefore affecting the overall personality of a person.  Erikson once said, “The personality is engaged with the hazards of existence continuously, even as the body’s metabolism copes with decay.”  

Doing my study on Erikson increased my understanding of children more specifically during their middle and high school years.  My students are not simply biological organisms that endure.  Rather, they develop in context of society’s expectations, prohibitions, and prejudices.  During middle and high school years students are building identity and self-esteem and teachers should make that their focus.  In doing so be sure to treat all students equally.  It’s not nice to show favoritism to a certain group of students based on gender, race, academic ability or socioeconomic status.  Incorporate guest speakers and curriculum activities from as many areas as possible to expose students to many career choices.  Encourage students to develop confidence by trying different approaches to solving problems.  Incorporate life skills into lesson planning to increase confidence and self-sufficiency.  Also, utilize physical activity to help relieve stress, negative feelings and improve moods.