Principles of Teaching: Human Growth and Development

        The following are principles of human growth and development. These principles or facts help educators understand the nature and pattern of development. These principles are fundamental since each of these has significant implications to individual learners.As teachers, it is very important to know our learners' growth and development patterns in order for us to provide appropriate approach and methods of teaching and learning experiences to our learners.  

1. Early foundation are critical.  How the child developed in the first years of his/her life will bring great impact to the proceeding years of the child's life. This is so since early years of one's life serve as the foundation and can greatly determine if one will more likely to succeed in adjusting to life as they grow older.

2. Maturation and learning play important roles in development. Maturation is the unfolding of the individual's inherent traits while learning is development that comes from exercise and effort of an individual. These two factors are interrelated in various sense. First, individual differences emerged not only because of varied degrees of maturation by every individual but also because of the capability of human beings to learn. Patterns of behavior, interests and attitudes come not from maturation alone but from learning as well. Second, maturation  set limits beyond which development cannot progress, even with the most favorable learning methods and the strongest motivation on the part of the learner. Third, developmental readiness determines if an individual is ready to learn. There is a definite timetable for learning.

3. Development follows a definite and predictable pattern. There are orderly patterns of physical, motor, speech and intellectual development. For example, babies creep and crawl before they walk. Most of the time, attraction to opposite sex comes during puberty. Or failing health starts to happen as one reaches 60.

4. All individuals are different. Every person is biologically and genetically different from each other. No two people can be expected to react in the same manner to she same environmental stimuli. Bottomline: Never compare.

5. Each phase of development has characteristic behavior. Babies babble and crawl, school-aged children run, jump and play, adults find partners are just some of the examples.  

6. Each phase of development has hazards. It is essential therefore to be aware of and cope with these hazards, either be physical, psychological or environmental in origin, since these greatly affect on an individual's personal and social adjustment.

7. Development is aided by stimulation. Stimulation can be done so that development will reach its full potential.

8. Development is affected by cultural changes. Developmental pattern is most of the times based to conform to cultural standards and ideals. Girls and boys act differently in respect to the society's culture and expectations of what a male or female should act.

9. There is a social expectation for every stage of development. In every culture, there is a certain expectation for a member to master certain skills and acquire certain approved patterns of behavior at various ages during the life span.

10. There are traditional beliefs about people  of all ages. Stereotypes are widespread and greatly affect people's judgments of others and to oneself.

source: Hurlock, Elizabeth B. Developmental Psychology 5th Edition

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