Development, Identity, and Names

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I am in a 7th grade classroom, and would place my students squarely in stage 4: industry vs. inferiority. They are in the middle of their education, and acquiring new skills and a sense of competence. However, it seems like they are simultaneously grappling with elements of stage 5, which slightly complicates their situation. They seem to be beginning to explore elements of their identity and their relation to others. I vividly remember an instance, during my first week with the class, of a student telling me that they used she/her and they/them pronouns after I introduced myself to her. I thought it was super cool that she had the confidence and comfort to express their non-binary identity; I also thought it provided a great example of how these stages aren’t necessarily sequential. Overall, I find this classroom to be a very nurturing place, and the students feel very comfortable with Ms. Rose. She holds the students to high standards, and expects them to develop adequate mathematical skills. However, she is also supportive, and ensures that students who do not immediately grasp new concepts do not feel inferior. Thus, in terms of identity development, I think the atmosphere is quite encouraging.

Within the four proposed stages of Marcia’s extension of Erikson’s theory, I would classify myself as in moratorium with respect to some elements of my identity, and relatively identity achieved in others. In terms of my occupation, I feel like I’ve explored quite a few possibilities, but I always come back to working with kids. However, I would like to think that I’m still open to new options, even as I commit to the teaching licensure program. I don’t feel locked in to any one age group or topic necessarily; I just know that I love kids (and math, soccer, dance, etc), and feel empowered, rather than restricted, by the prospect of having a teaching license.

In terms of relationships, I am very much in the throes of moratorium. Until quite recently, I was in a rather serious, committed, very long-term relationship. Since that has ended, I’ve been flailing a bit, navigating this newly uncertain aspect of my identity.

I’ve been thinking a lot about the significance of names recently.

How they relate to identity, but also just about how much of a difference knowing someone’s name makes. I feel like I’ve hid behind the mask of “I’m just bad with names” for a while, as quite a few people do. However, I have noticed a difference in the attitudes and responses of students when I refer to them by their names in the classroom. I’ve also noticed a difference in my own willingness to approach students whose names I don’t know, for fear of placing myself in an awkward situation. I feel like this can actually have an effect on which students receive more help, which I don’t like. There are quite a few students I work with, but each of them absolutely deserves the attention and respect of me knowing their name.

• This topic was modified 2 years, 9 months ago by Tonja Clay.

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