Diverse Family Structures - Assignment Example

Diverse Family Structures In every society, family forms a basic unit that raises a future generation for posterity. The nature of the family influences directly the course of development of the children born in that particular family and the social status they will acquire in adulthood. The children are likely to adopt the lifestyle of their parents and guardians. The essay focuses on various aspects of diverse family structures and role of teachers in child development. Harris (2011) in her book explains propositions of child development.

The first proposition is the inability of the parent to shape the personality of their children. A product of the parental genetic make-up and will automatically assume the subculture or culture of the parents. The second proposition states that the environment a child shares with the peers and outside home experience help shape their personality. In this manner, if the parents of a child struggle, then the children will struggle too. The reason is that the parent will bring up the child in a struggling environment that will shape the character of the child as he or she grows.

A typical case scenario is that of street families where there is continuity of homelessness on struggles in the generations. One important factor in the development of a child is education that equips the child with knowledge and skills to become better-adapted members of the society. As Harris (2009) pointed out on the proposition of environment and child development, education can mold the character, coping, and adaptation skills of a child to overcome the social status of the parents. Parents entrust teachers with the children with a hope that they will learn (Harris, 2009).

The first approach is inculcating a positive attitude of possibilities amidst struggles to help the children appreciate opportunities that can shape a future and destiny lies with education and hard work. Since most children in school believe their teachers, it is a prime opportunity to help them think beyond the struggles the parents face. A school is a social place that should offer a platform of interaction among three parties, that is, parent-teacher, teacher-pupils, and pupil-pupil. Therefore, a teacher must devise a way to connect with the parents and guardians of the pupils in the school.

Mandel (2008) outlines various ways of enhancing parent-teacher partnership. During the initial few days at school the teacher should get to create a rapport with the student’s family, knowing each other, establish a relationship and a level of respect between them (Mandel ,2008). The parents value and will protect their children at all cost from danger. The teacher must make the parents trust him or her as an advocate and partner for the well-being and interest of their children at heart. Finally, the teacher must understand the lives of the parents of the pupils, nature of work they do, whether single parents or merely custodian and physical state.

After knowing the environment surrounding the pupil, a teacher should formulate strategies that aid a consistent, reliable and effective learning atmosphere. The teacher must develop an understanding about each pupil individually and as a class since each has a unique academic need. Secondly, the teacher should understand the different types of classroom individual-support learning strategies. The self-support strategies entail effective affective, cognitive, planning, evaluation, and social learning strategies enabling the pupil academic development.

Third, is about the teacher developing self-regulated classroom learning creativity and dialogue, group work, praise management, and independence among the pupils. Finally, ensuring gender balance in classroom activities in terms of grouping, planning, and choice of reading materials, since boys and girls have different learning approaches. Putting them together ensures divergence in the groups’ desired in learning set up (Hewitt, 2008). In summary, family is social unit of any society that raises children.

Children are a replica of their parents in behavior and development. Teachers must understand social background of each pupil. Teacher parent relations must be good for better academic progress of the pupil. While in class, the teacher should devise appropriate measures that encourage classroom teaching and learning of the pupils.ReferencesHarris, J. R. (2009). The nurture assumption: Why children turn out the way they do. New York: Free Press. Print.Hewitt, D. (2008). Understanding effective learning: Strategies for the classroom.

Maidenhead, England: McGraw Hill/Open University Press. Print.Mandel, S. (2008). The Parent-Teacher Partnership: How to Work Together for Student Achievement. Chicago: Chicago Review Press. Print.