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Emotion and behaviour - these are things that have been molded through our development during childhood. Child development is about so much more than just the child’s ability and opportunity to learn a language in the classroom. I think about how this topic influences us as educators - aiding us with the knowledge to know better and do better. It’s about discovering the power and responsibility we have to address all areas of development in order to make of them high functional individuals in society and give them the right start in life. This perspective should help us in keeping our own emotions and frustration with ill behavior in tact. There is always an explanation behind challenging behaviour. It takes a village to raise a child as the saying goes, and this has its advantages and disadvantages. It means that no matter how hard we work on a personal level with an individual, there will always be other factors that influence them and their behavior. It could be frustrating to re-teach over and over the proper way of conduct and communication, but at the end of the day that student will go back into whatever environment created that behaviour in the first place. Consider what child development entails; a combination of the physical, emotional, and spiritual changes a child undergoes from birth into early stages of adulthood. These changes display at different levels for each child, which when in tune, should be among the subtle things we look out for in students when we teach. Often, we have the opportunity to influence one of these factors, and if not prepared it could pass us by to the disadvantage of the child. Even more so those who struggle with behavioural problems. Going a step further and inspecting these development categories; the way they register sensory information, fine motor skills and gross motor skills, interaction with others, self-control, problem solving skills, ability to learn, and practicing understanding of language through reading, writing, and communication. When students struggle to learn, it could result in a display of aggression or disinterest. There are so many milestones along the progression line and it is important to track that each student meets these milestones appropriate for their age. If not, then we should start asking ourselves the relevant questions. The setting we find ourselves in it makes it somewhat easier to track these abilities more naturally through tasks and progress test during lesson times. Lack of performance might make students despondent and cause lack of confidence. We can encourage them when we equip ourselves with the right tools beforehand. Being in control of our own emotions is key. Because students come from different backgrounds and environments, they will not be on the same level for all the milestones. And not all struggles are credited to a lack of inability. Circumstances at home, social influences and pressure, financial status, health - these are all factors that influence behaviour. Even our own. It is so important for us to be aware of the studies and research out there. There is no such thing as a perfect class, and the chances of us coming across students in need of help are almost certain. If we have the right perspective and attitude, we can easily be more in control of our reaction to bad behaviour. And we should do the best we can in all areas of development to make sure we give them the tools to succeed. It’s not about us, it’s about them.
