Most of us believe that everyone looks at the world the same way with just a few minor differences. This may not be a true assumption. Dr. Kevin Leman author of The Birth Order Book says that there are some recognizable differences in patterns of behavior in people that are partially due to the order of their placement in the family. It is a fascinating field of study, and certainly worth exploring if one works with children and families.
Procedures
1. Explain to participants that: birth order plays a role in our development; there are often common experiences and feelings shared by people of the same birth order; this is an opportunity for us to discover those commonalties.
2. Ask participants to gather themselves into four corners of the room by the following birth orders:
- oldest child,
- youngest child,
- middle child,
- and only child.
3. After participants move to their corner's ask them to identify a recorder and a presenter. The recorder writes down the major points of the discussion and the presenter will share the team’s discussion with the large group.
4. Then the team shares their experiences as the (oldest child, youngest child, middle child, or only child) in their family with each other identifying commonalities for the recorder.
5. Next the team answers and records their agreed-upon responses to the following questions:
- What were the advantages of being a _________ child?
- What were the disadvantages of being a _________ child?
Question for Debriefing:
1. If birth order has such an effect on a person’s behavior, “What effect would race, religion, cultural, and ethnic background have on a person’s behavior?”
2. Knowing this, “What is a teacher’s responsibility in dealing with diversity in the classroom?”
Leman, Kevin (1985) The Birth Order Book. New York: dell Publishing
No comments:
Post a Comment