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Life Cycle Development focuses on age periods and the patterns or issues for resolution associated with them, or specific age periods and events associated with them. Life Cycle Develpment for the educator deals with various causes and patterns of teacher growth and development.
On this home page, we will discuss the various theories associated with the life cycle, and how these theories relate to teaching and supervision of educators.
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Adult Development and the Educator
Teachers function at different stages of cognitive, conceptual, moral, and ego development and at different stages of consciousness and concern. Supervision should be matched to teachers' life cycle stages. Supervision also should foster teacher growth toward higher stages of life development.
As mentioned above, there are different stages of life development and several different theories that align with the various aspects listed. For example, Levinson and his collegues reasearch describes how individuals alternate through periods of stability and transition in a life structure whose critical components typically revolve around work and family. Occupational development of teachers appears to run counter to the needs of teachers as they progress through the adult life cycle. For example, the young adult age 20 to 35 is on an exciting search for status, comfort, and happiness in work, family, and friends. In teaching however, the young adulthood period, which should be one of romance, quickly becomes one of disillusionment.
By studying and understanding various life cycle theories, supervisors can become effective in responding to young teachers' issues such as disillusionment or excitement and idealism. They can also aid middle age teachers in coping with reprioritizing and even provide opportunities for older teachers to consolidate achievements and identifying remaining career objectives.
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