Tim Bulow

A Childs Psychological Well-being

A Childs Psychological Well-being

Tim Bulow
EDPS 250-section 1
Swanson

Page

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Introduction
As a future music educator, I will be collaborating with children between preschool to 12th grade.
To demonstrate my understanding of INTASC 1, I have researched the following concepts in
development: high school dropouts, contributions to students low achievements, self-esteem and
emotional health, language development and music, bullying, mentoring, and the effect of
divorce on children.
Intasc 1: The teacher understands how learners grow and develop, recognizing that patterns of
learning and development vary individually within and across the cognitive, linguistic, social,
emotional, and physical areas, and designs and implements developmentally appropriate and
challenging learning experiences.
Developmental Research
High School Dropouts
Students dropping out of high school have a very negative impact on countries, communities,
and economies. Students who dropout typically receive little to no support from their family
(Berk, 2012). The parents usually did not keep track of their childrens lives. The parents
themselves could also have never finished high school or have too many other activities going on
(Berk, 2012). High school dropouts are more likely to engage in illegal jobs, increased health
problems and use of social services, and have a higher probability of a criminal record. In this
qualitative study, a group of 19 high school dropouts were interviewed as to why they dropped
out. From the information given by the dropouts, the researchers used inductive content analysis
to code the raw information into usable data. For the results, the leading reason of high school
students dropping out was individual factors. These factors are made up of absentness, intensive
learning, and repeating grades (TA et al., 2013). Some of the students who were interviewed
claim that they either missed or skipped classes because the teachers were too intense about
education and were unfair to the dropouts or their friends influenced them to skip class. Other

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students, who performed poorly in one grade and had to repeat it, did not want to be put with
younger students. Those who were held back were reluctant to go to school if at all. Those who
drop out of school without a diploma will face a tougher time becoming motivated for their
future and an overall lower self-esteem.
Instructional Decision
Every child comes from a different background. I need to ensure that all my students will feel
welcomed and supported, regardless of outside factors (AG 5.1). I will develop lesson plans that
include everyones participation as well as also plans that split the classroom into small groups or
even individual work. I can then assess how each student is faring in the class. From there, I have
an easier time to tell who needs more support than others. All the children will feel welcomed
and be encouraged to learn and grow. If needed, I will single out students who seem to have
trouble participating. I will try to make students be more engaged in the classroom without
adding any awkward confrontations. I will try to provide more group work that is made up of fun
activities that require peers to complete. Extra time will be spent helping those who struggle in
class. I will also spend time the students outside of class, before or after school or even not at
school. If my coursework seems to overburden the students, I will lighten their load when
needed. I will continually assess my work as an educator to best teach my students. Some
students may miss class often, which will prompt me to seek out information about the students
and their current situations.
Developmental Research
Contributions to Students Low Achievements
Assessing the reasons for students to underperform academically has been a challenge to
discover. Positive support builds achievement, but a lack of support, especially at home,
contribute to underachieving (Berk, 2012). This study used a questionnaire that students across
50 public schools in Ohio answered. The questionnaire asked which types of motivations led to
academic underachievement (Reiss, 2009). The top reasons for underperforming academically

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were the fear of failure, lack of interest, no ambition, spontaneous ability, the lack of
responsibility, and eagerness to fight (Reiss, 2009). The fear of not achieving well enough has
negative consequences that contribute to low student scores. Students who experience this have
low self-esteem. Incuriosity and the lack of ambition are the basic I do not care statements
from students. Students who could care less about their studies motivated themselves to pursue
other interests than their academic work (Reiss, 2009). Spontaneity can be combined with the
lack of responsibility. The students that are considered spontaneous are usually unprepared and
unorganized for their academics. This correlates with their lack of responsibility to be prepared
and ready for learning. Combativeness in students tends to make enemies out of almost
everyone. The motivation to be quick to fight is a serious problem that can result in harm to the
student, other students, and academic resources (Reiss, 2009). The motivation to do well in
school can affect self-esteem as well as dropping out of school.
Instructional Decision
To help develop a childs mind, I must find ways to make some areas of music that might not be
exciting for some students interesting. Music can be one of the easier fields to make interesting.
To help students achieve more, I must first understand what is contributing to underperformance.
If it is a lack of any sort of motivation, I will need assess the type of motivation needed and
direct my focus there (AG 1.3). This article has helped to understand that there are multiple and
different types of motivation that can seriously affect a students wellbeing and achievement.
One such example is the fear of failure. Students who are afraid that they will perform
inadequately will suffer from anxiety before anything occurs. One way to help the student is by
getting the student to play for me by ourselves. This way, the student will learn the troubling
passages, if any, as well as slowly build confidence in him or her. Building confidence in a
student who has a fear of failure will combat that negative motivation. Constant repetition of

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playing the same passage in front of others will gradually make the student become more and
more relaxed when performing. To fight incuriosity and lack of ambition, I will find music that
interests the students who are having that type of trouble. Music that students want to play make
them feel better. Students who are overly spontaneous will be mentored by myself on a one-onone basis. I will help the student become organized and prepared for their school life in a way
that can suit the student as easily as possible. For students that are not responsible, I must take
this up as soon as I find out. Music builds responsibility. I will use the same approach as the
incuriosity problem. Students will be more responsible with what they like and care about if it
interests them. Students who quickly want to fight must be taught that fighting will result in a
lack of music privileges.
Developmental Research
Self-esteem and Emotional Health
The concept of self-esteem changes from age groups. As a child grows older, his or her selfesteem grows and adds new dimensions (Berk, 2012). A teenager usually comes to the
realization that they are capable of many activities and skill that can make them more useful.
This article conducted a study whether or not gender and age can lead to differences in emotional
health and self-esteem. The cross-sectional study used 1,209 teenagers between the ages of 13
and 18 from public schools in Norway. The researchers used questionnaires across the country.
Girls scored higher than boys in depression and anxiety, while the boys scored higher in selfesteem. The older the age of either gender lead to more outward stability in self-esteem and
emotional health. Understanding how healthy ones emotions are as well as self-esteem can
contribute to assessing ones own ability to manage stress and responsibility. (Moksnes, 2012).
Self-esteem and emotional health are related to all children across the world.
Instructional Decision
As a future teacher, understand a childs emotional state is imperative. While I do not believe that
all children will have emotional break downs while in school, I must be armed with the

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knowledge that can support emotional upheaval. Because each and every child is different, I will
attempt to learn each childs background and determine how I can assist in teaching the child
(AG 2.10). I can ask former teachers about their students as well as having individual sessions to
learn about each student. These sessions could last about 5 minutes to get to know each student.
Depending on what age group I teach, there will be different techniques used to bolster a childs
self-esteem, confidence, and emotional health. For elementary children, I could give a student a
simple instrument to play during a lesson that compliments a song that I could be teaching. I
would gradually give the student more interesting and slightly more complex instruments over
time. In the high school setting, I could work with the student who has a self-esteem issue
outside of class (AG 5.3). I could ask them to prepare music for me. When the student is
confident in his or her ability, then I would ask other educators to listen to him or her for a few
minutes as well.
Developmental Research
Language Development and Music
Children begin to develop their language abilities between the ages of 18 to 24 months (Berk,
2012). The rate of language explodes between ages 2 to 3 (Paquette, 2008). Musical awareness
can also begin developing at an early age. When hearing a familiar or funny song, some children
hum or try to sing it. Teachers that sing songs to students help the children pick up on new
words, phrases, grammar, sentence patterns, rhythms, pronunciations, and much more. Songs
that contain similar sounding words but are different (homophonic) can help children compare
both words, such as are and star. This article does not point to a single study, rather the
information gathered by other studies by other researchers. Children in the research were
elementary school children and they were observed before, during, and after the teacher taught
them a song (Paquette, 2008). Music encourages learning and creativity. This area is connected

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to friendships, learning disabilities, ADHD, self-esteem, achievement, brain plasticity, and many
more.
Instructional Decision
Young students in elementary schools are still learning how to communicate efficiently. In my
future teaching, simple songs can increase the ability of young children to pick up on new words
and phrases (AG 2.2). I will ask the students if anything does or does not make sense to them.
Even if there are no students who ask questions, that does not mean that the students understand
everything. I will question some of the students about what a particular word or phrase means in
relation to the song. Students who seem to have most language under their belt will not be shown
neglect. Many times, a promising student who is advanced, compared to the other students, can
be forgotten about because of his or her abilities and the need to focus on the struggling students.
I will ask them more appropriate and challenging questions based on their language level (AG
1.5).
Developmental Research
Teachers who stand up to Bullying
Bullying has been a growing trend across the world. In a study done by Finnish researchers, 31
public schools with a combined total of 2,776 students, the researchers sought out what was the
most effective way to reduce or eliminate bullying (Veenstra, Lindenberg, Huitsing, Sainio, &
Salmivalli, 2014). It was a cross-sequential study that used questionnaires for information. In this
study, teachers were split up into two different groups. The first group had teachers act normal,
like in an everyday classroom. The second group had teachers actively putdown bullying when it
was recognized in a group. Those teachers refused to tolerate any sort of bullying would label the
bully as lowly and treat them with low affection levels. Teachers who assume an anti-bullying
position in school reduce bullying (Veenstra, et al., 2014). In any school setting, 10 to 20% of
children are bullies, while another 15 to 30% are victims (Berk, 2012). Commonly, bullies are

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boys who use verbal and physical violence against others. Most of the time, bystanders watch
and do nothing or they actively encourage violence.
Instructional Decision
Bullying in any one of my classrooms will be met with zero tolerance. Bullying is counter to a
productive classroom environment. Students who are bullies tend to be arrogant and the victims
are usually quiet about this (AG 5.2). If a student of mine would be bullied, I would sit both of
the students down in a private room to discuss the problems. If needed, I would contact the
parents of the bully to sort out the problem. However, the parents could be the source of the
problem, which could make the situation worse. In this case, I would heavily work with the bully
to remove his or her aggressive tendencies with daily conversations and events. If needed, I
would also assess the level of negative emotion from the victim. Working with the victim or
allowing someone else to work with him or her is the main way of dispelling negative emotions.
Every child needs positive support for growth (AG 2.4). Both the bully and the victim can come
from a background of a lack of support. Positive reinforcement with support makes a student
grow, both emotionally and mentally. If enough positive support is given to a bully, then the
bully can become less aggressive and more sociable among his or her peers.
Developmental Research
Mentoring
As an educator, mentoring is a large part of my career. However, peers can also mentor each
other. In a study done by Northwestern State University, the effects of peer mentoring along with
teaching support and increasing achievement were studied (Goodrich, 2007). This study was
conducted on a high school jazz band that came from 1,800 students. This chosen band program
has won numerous awards, but progress could always be better. The participants were the
directors, administrators, staff and the jazz band members. The researcher observed and
interviewed the students during band rehearsal twice a week for the entire academic school year.
Naturally, positive support from the directors and from the students themselves increased their

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performance levels. Students would sometimes whisper to each other during rehearsal to
comment on anothers playing and how he or she could improve. In some cases, some of the
students worked on their jazz abilities before school without an educator present (Goodrich,
2007). Mentors are people who enhance someones abilities (Berk, 2012). Guiding a fellow
person in pursuit of a greater level of achievement is the goal of an educator.
Instructional Decision
As a future educator, mastering how to mentor others will be crucial. I must learn different
approaches to meet the needs of different students (AG 1.2). Each student will gravitate towards
a specific type of mentoring. All students find it beneficial when working with an educator. In
music, I can help spell out difficult passages as well as bring a program to a higher level of
musicality. However, that is not the only way to grow as a program. Students must also engage in
sectionals, time devoted to working on music as individual sections without consistent guidance
from the director. There is never enough time to work on every single problem in musical
selections. Sectionals give time for students to rise up to the challenge and become leaders within
their own groups. This provides opportunities for the students as well as me to help the
individual sections.
Developmental Research
The Effect of Divorce on Children
Divorce can have long-term, emotionally scarring effects on children. A study was done by
UCLA in 2004 that looked at the ways that children experience hardship from a broken family
(Wood, Repetti, & Roesch, 2004). This was a longitudinal study. Starting in 4th grade up to 6th
grade, a mixture of these children who came from either single mother homes or mother/father
homes. During this time, children were interviewed at school and their parents were sent
questionnaires to complete. These questionnaires were designed for the mothers (both single and
married) to assess the overall happiness and agreeableness of the children. Results showed that

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typically, the undivorced mothers had happier children while the divorced mothers had slightly
unhappier and less motivated children. One of the reasons for this was because married mothers
had more time to spend with their children than the divorced mothers who also had to work at the
same time. This is very important because I may need to devote more time to children who have
had fewer opportunities than those who grew up with more positive support. Divorced parents
are related to all fields of psychology because its effects can reach everyone (Wood et al., 2004).
The ability of a child can be hampered from a parental divorce, which can cause increased drug
use, become a high school dropout, and unwanted teenage pregnancy. A quarter of all American
children reside in a single-parent household (Berk, 2012). Divorce transitions a child to new
events, and many times, it usually does not end well. Children are often confused as why they
live in a single-parent household. This brings about high levels of stress and anxiety in children.
Goals
To me, engagement is when two or more parties come together to form a growing relationship
through communication. Both parties should expect some sort of valuable gain in time invested
in one another. As a music education major, it is my responsibility to accommodate my students
to develop their growth in different ways (AG 1). If I do not guide each and every student, then I
have not accomplished my goal as an educator. Each child deserves an opportunity to grow,
regardless of subject area. If not all the students are sufficiently prepared and well-versed in any
level of musical ability, then we are setting them up for failure. A student cannot grow properly if
they are not proficient at a lower level.
It is important for a professional to stimulate previously gained knowledge as well as link new
concepts to familiar ideas. Because every student is different, there will be different levels of
understanding. Some students may not initially remember or fully understand previous concepts.
It is the educator's responsibility to ensure that students are adequate to perform in the next level.

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Students who understand the previous concepts well, could possibly find new concepts difficult
to understand. By linking the new concepts to familiar ideas, students may trigger new ways of
thinking. Correlations could be established and can be used for future reference. Students should
be responsible for their own learning because that is the best method. Students should be
responsible for their own learning because it is the academic journey for the student, not the
educator. Students can come to their own conclusions with concepts taught by a teacher. Selfdiscovery fuels the best form of learning.
It is important to access student thinking as a basis for instructional activities because it provides
another and different opportunity to learn. A student may find that they know how they learn
best, so telling an educator the method can result in saved time and further instruction. It is
important for a professional to encourage discussion because it opens up the communication
between students and an educator to assess the most effective route of instruction and progress of
the students' growth.
I am weak in determining the best possible course of instructing students as well as informing
myself on different ways to teach. To assess different and rewarding teaching methods, I will
need to read articles and journals about how to successfully grow different students' ways to
learning. Attending NAfME (National Association for Music Education) conferences and
workshops can provide the opportunity to learn and then apply my findings. Another way I could
develop myself would be to read music education journals, such as the Journal of Music Teacher
Education. This journal keeps up with information regarding musical pedagogy, history, and
more at different levels. I hope to gain experience as well to help determine good teaching
practices.

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I believe that expertise means that you have knowledge and a moderate amount of experience
that provides a good showing of someone's capabilities (AG 2). Expertise is a gradual learning
process. It is important to a professional to understand how learning occurs because students
learn in different ways. Some are auditory, others are visual learners, and some are kinesthetic
learners. Students construct knowledge by basing new material off of old material that is
familiar. An instructional strategy that I will promote will be students practicing their instruments
at home without my guidance, while still receiving guidance during the school hours. I will also
assess what level the student is so that I give appropriate levels of music to the student.
It is important for a professional to understand physical, cognitive, social, and emotional
development influence learning because each student is different in approaching learning. Some
students may require extra attention when teaching, such as if they were to have a disability that
limited their physical movement. I would need to provide the best strategy for growth, while
minimizing all other strategies. Knowing your students and their abilities can determine the best
course for class time and individual time. All of the students have the possibility of coming from
different backgrounds. Some students may be more physically, emotionally, mentally, or socially
prepared than others. I need to meet the challenge of supplying all of my students with the most
effective form of teaching.
It is important for a professional to understand that students have a range of individual variations
because individualism creates growth more efficiently than collectively. Some students may be
more readily able to learn than others, such as in physical development or mentally. Students
learn at different paces. Being able to identify the individual characteristics of students will allow
me to best gauge at what speed I should teach at.

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Assessing the levels of students is one of my weaknesses. I have had no experience in

determining the abilities of younger people. Teaching a large ensemble, such as a high school
band, will require me to engage with students outside of class to fully develop a connection with
them. There is not enough time to assess and teach each student during school period. Individual
practice time during or after school could help me grow as an educator as well as teach a student.
One way that I could further increase my abilities, is by continuing my education. I hope to
receive a master's degree in music education in the future. I could continue attending Ball State
for a master's degree or I could go somewhere else, such as Indiana University or the Eastman
School of Music.
For me, context is the awareness of a student's background and experiences and how to best
prepare the student for success. Each student has a story that made them who he or she is. Each
student is different but some students will have similar characteristics that allow them to be
grouped together (AG 5). It is my responsibility to promote growth in each of my students.
Everyone should have the chance to succeed, regardless of background. It is important as a
professional to appreciate individual variation because it allows everyone to learn different
approaches to be explored. Respect should always be shown for all talents, even if some do not
particularly like it. Educators must be committed to helping students foster self-confidence and
competence because if an educator does not, students will not reach their full potential. An
educator can increase the self-confidence of students, but the students will ultimately decide their
own fate.
It is very important to allow individuals to explore their unique strengths because that will grow
their potential the most. The individual strengths are what can make the students stand out from
each other. When students make errors, the 1st step is to acknowledge them. From there, a

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student must learn what he or she did wrong. Most people learn more from their mistakes than
their successes.
I am weak in finding out information in regards to other people's situations. Another one of my
weaknesses is that I sometimes "judge books by their cover." I assume things about people when
I have no information about them. When I become a band director someday, I will try to not
assume I can infer information about students from what I see. This will take time to correct
myself. In order to help myself, I will join the National Band Association to further my expertise
and be able to discover how to help students who come from very different backgrounds.

Works Cited
Berk, L. (2012). Infants, children, and adolescents. (7th ed., p. 241, 359, 502, 510-511, 580, 582,
587-588, 602-603, 652), Boston, Massachusetts: Pearson Education Inc.
Goodrich, A. (2007). Peer mentoring in a high school jazz ensemble. Journal Of Research In
Music Education, 55(2), 94-114. doi:10.1177/002242940705500202
Moksnes, U. K., & Espnes, G. A. (2012). Selfesteem and emotional health in adolescents
Gender and age as potential moderators. Scandinavian Journal Of Psychology, 53(6),
483-489. doi:10.1111/sjop.12021
Paquette, K., & Rieg, S. (2008). Using Music to Support the Literacy Development of Young
English Language Learners. Early Childhood Education Journal, 36(3), 227-232.
doi:10.1007/s10643-008-0277-9
Reiss, S. (2009). Six motivational reasons for low school achievement. Child & Youth Care
Forum, 38(4), 219-225. doi:10.1007/s10566-009-9075-9

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TA, A., SELVTOPU, A., BORA, V., & DEMRKAYA, Y. (2013). Reasons for Dropout for
Vocational High School Students. Educational Sciences: Theory & Practice, 13(3), 15611565. doi:10.12738/estp.2013.3.1398
Veenstra, R., Lindenberg, S., Huitsing, G., Sainio, M., & Salmivalli, C. (2014). The Role of
Teachers in Bullying: The Relation Between Antibullying Attitudes, Efficacy, and Efforts
to Reduce Bullying. Journal Of Educational Psychology, doi:10.1037/a0036110
Wood, J. J., Repetti, R. L., & Roesch, S. C. (2004). Divorce and Children's Adjustment Problems
at Home and School: The Role of Depressive/Withdrawn Parenting. Child Psychiatry
And Human Development, 35(2), 121-142. doi:10.1007/s10578-004-1881-6
All Grade Standards and Sub-standards References
Standard 1: Student Development and Diversity
Teachers of grades P12 have a broad and comprehensive understanding of student
development and diversity and demonstrate the ability to provide instruction that is
responsive to student differences and that promotes development and learning for all
1.2

students.
Knowledge of students' developmental characteristics and developmental variation, and
the ability to use this knowledge to inform instructional decision making and promote

1.3

student success
Typical developmental challenges for students from early childhood through grade 12
(e.g., in relation to independence, self-esteem, peer interactions, physical development,
self-direction, decision making, goal setting, involvement in risky behaviors, and identity

1.5

formation) and the ability to help students address these challenges.

Knowledge of types of exceptionalities, including high ability and twice exceptional;
their characteristics; and their implications for development, teaching, and learning; and
the ability to use this knowledge to promote learning and development for students with

exceptionalities
Standard 2: Learning Processes

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Teachers of grades P12 have a broad and comprehensive understanding of learning

2.2

processes and demonstrate the ability to facilitate student achievement.

Processes by which students construct meaning and acquire skills, including critical- and
creative-thinking skills, and the ability to facilitate these processes for students with

2.4

diverse characteristics and needs

Knowledge of the role of positive relationships and supportive interactions as a crucial
foundation for working with children, with a focus on children's individual

2.10

characteristics, needs, and interests

Knowledge of how various individual factors (e.g., prior learning and experiences,
interests, talents) and factors in the home, school, and community influence learning
processes, and the ability to use this knowledge to improve teaching effectiveness and

learning outcomes.
Standard 5: Learning Environment
Teachers of grades P12 have a broad and comprehensive understanding of student
learning environments and demonstrate the ability to establish positive, productive, well5.1

managed, and safe learning environments for all students.

The ability to create safe, healthy, supportive, and inclusive learning environments,
including indoor and outdoor environments, that encourage all students' engagement,

5.2

collaboration, and sense of belonging

The ability to apply skills and strategies for establishing a culture of learning that
emphasizes high expectations for all students, promotes self-motivation, and encourages

5.3

students' sense of responsibility for their own learning

The ability to plan and adapt developmentally appropriate learning environments that
reflect cultural competency; are responsive to the characteristics, strengths, experiences,
and needs of each student; and promote all students' development and learning