EDPHOD8 Questions. Q AND A.

LEARNING UNIT 1 1.1 What are the following scholars’ views of the pastoral role of the educator in public schools? • Best, Lang, Lodge and Watkins (1995:63) being concerned about the wellbeing of each learner • Bradley and Dubinsky (1994:61-62) picking up problems as they arise and responding pragmatically to them • Francis and Kay (1994:81-82) many problems go unnoticed • Frankel (1998:98) many problems go unnoticed • McLaughlin (2004:21-22) providing a good deal of implicit and explicit values, encouraging cognitive abd affective development as well as spiritual and moral development 1.2 Explain your own view of the pastoral task of the educator. Give practical examples to illustrate your answer. Being concerned of the wellbeing of each child, and picking up problems and responding to them. Along with this, teach them a set of implicit and explicit values, encouraging cognitive and affective development as well as spiritual and moral development 1.3 Define the following concepts, which are frequently used in Norms and standards for educators (2002), in terms of the educator’s pastoral role: • applied competence overarching practical, found and reflexive competence • practical competence demonstrated ability to consider a range of possibilities, considered decisions and performing chosen action • foundational competence learner demonstrates an understanding of the knowledge and thinking that underpins the action taken • reflexive competence integrate and connect performances with decision making and to adapt to change • community, citizenship and pastoral role the educator will practise and promote a critical, committed and ethical attitude by developing a sense of respect for and responsibility towards others. The educator will uphold the Constitution and promote democratic values and practices in schools and society. Within the school, the educator will demonstrate an ability to develop a supportive and empowering environment for the learners and respond to the educational and other needs of learners and fellow educators. Furthermore, the educator will develop supportive relations with parents and other key persons and organisations, based on a critical understanding of community and environmental development issues. One critical dimension of this role is HIV/AIDS education 1.4 Name the three important aspects that you as a pastoral educator must be aware of according to Beck and Earl (2005:57-66). • Adolescence is one of several critical psychological and biological developmental stages in the growth of young people and its successful negotiation is also affected by social and cultural factors. • this complex transition partly defines the pastoral problems with which we as educators have to deal in secondary education. • the nature and the manner in which some of these pastoral problems are presented can lead educators into difficult boundary issues about which it is best to be forewarned - and hence forearmed. 1.5 The pastoral issues related to dealing with learners in the 11-18 age group are mainly the physical and biological effects of the onset of puberty. With the above statement in mind, do the following: 1.6 Outline the physical and biological changes experienced by your adolescent learners. • changes to their appearance and nature, • their height and weight accelerate, • sexual characteristics become evident, • mature reproductive capacity develops, • growth and differentiation in cognitive abilities. 1.7 Indicate how you would address the anxieties of learners in the senior and FET phases. You may also provide your own ideas.  be role-models of adulthood for them  tolerate their anxieties  reassure them  show them how to manage their anxiety  be able to help steer them through to the calmer water beyond adolescence 1.8 Psychologists differ widely in their attitude to adolescence. Name the three views as set out on page 8 of your study guide. • a near sickness, a difficult but inevitable period of storm and stress. - educators should expect adolescents to be erratic and emotional and scatterbrained. • adolescence does not really exist - it is merely the sociocultural creation of Western societies. - there is no biological law that dictates that the phase of physiological development is accompanied by storm and stress • a bio-psychological stage of development - identity formation 1.9 Discuss Erikson’s contribution to your understanding and handling of the problems experienced by adolescents in your care. 1.10 Name three psychological assets a child may bring to adolescence.  a sense of knowing what it means to be listened to  to feel ones views are being taken seriously  a sense of not being pressured to perform 1.11 Name four psychological liabilities a child may bring to adolescence • the fear of being nobody with no experience of love or feeling of own value • feelings of neurosis because of bad training in values • the fear of being in the mainstream • the fear of being unable to cope with the world Failure to cope with any or all of the above negative liabilities may lead to a learner either turn in on themselves or to become overly aggressive.