We are on the home stretch and only have two weeks left of ASA this year!! So hang in there and please do the following homework this week:

Happiness Interview and Paper – Email to turn in

Defining Happiness Assignment: Do these steps in order!

STEP 1: Watch this TED talk by Robert Waldinger, psychiatrist and professor at Harvard Medical School. He discusses some of the results of the Grant study, which has followed groups of men over a 75 year, longitudinal study, and explains some of the factors leading to a happy life.

You can view the transcript for “What makes a good life? Lessons from the longest study on happiness | Robert Waldinger” here (opens in new window).

STEP 2: After viewing this video about lessons from the longest study on happiness, ask yourself and write down your answers the following questions.

1. How do I define happiness for myself?
2. Do I consider myself a happy person right now?
3. What do I need in my life in order to be happy?
4. Who are the people in my life who affect my happiness?
5. Do you think you will feel the same when you turn 65? Why or why not?

STEP 3: Talk to a grandparent or another relative or person you know who is at least 60 years old and ask them the following questions.

1. How do you define happiness for yourself?
2. Do you consider yourself a happy person right now?
3. What do you need in your life in life in order to be happy?
4. Who are the people in your life who affect your happiness?
5. Did you feel the same way when you were my age?
6. What is the biggest difference between what you thought would make you happy when you were younger and what did make you happy as you got older?

STEP 4: Write a 2-3 page paper that synthesizes and reflects upon the responses to these questions. As you write the paper, compare and contrast your own answers to the questions and those provided by the older person you interviewed. Were there similarities in your answers? What were some of the differences? Do you think happiness means something vastly different for younger vs. older people? Explain.

The paper should be 12 point font with 1 inch margins.

You will turn in the paper from step 4 and also the answers to questions from steps 2 and 3.

***PLEASE NOTE*** Because I will be out of town next week, please email this assignment to me. You will NOT need to print it off and turn it in. westbergheather@yahoo.com

Field Trip Next Week

Next week Sister Toney will be taking you on a field trip to Provo Assisted Living. Meet in our classroom and please be on time so you can leave on time 🙂

Please do the following homework for class next week, March 28th.

Couple Interview

Using the interview questions given to you in class, interview a couple who has been married 30+ years. Write a paper summarizing the interview, including your thoughts about what they said. Your paper should be at least one page, double spaced, 12 point font.

Watch Video

Watch this video and write down five takeaways (things you found interesting). Bring these to class next week.

Watch Video

Next week a special guest speaker will be coming to talk about her experience caring for a loved one with dementia. Please watch this video in preparation and think about any questions you might like to ask her.

Quiz Next Week: Sonora

Looking Ahead…

In three weeks we will be discussing the book Tuesdays with Morrie. It is a fantastic book! In class today, I said that we would be discussing it in two weeks, but I forgot about spring break the first week of April!

Please do the following to prepare for class next week, March 21st.

Ritual/tradition list

Make a list of rituals/traditions that you would (possibly) like to implement with your future family. These could be based on rituals/traditions from your own family of origin or what others said in class.

Read Article

Please read this article about John Gottman’s marriage research and the “four horsemen.”

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1tb_PYLH_Kfh692lB2_KK3QVbY0-zsLWp9BH6h2iGKW0/edit?usp=sharing

Watch Video

Then watch this video which explains how to combat the “four horsemen.”

Watch Fireproof

Watch the movie Fireproof (2008) starring Kirk Cameron. You can rent it on Amazon. It is a Christian film that gives insight into marriage. As you watch, please answer the following questions and come prepared to discuss them in class.

1. What principles did this film teach about marriage? (How to make it work, etc.)
2. What did it teach about love?
3. What did it teach about forgiveness?
4. Any other thoughts, takeaways from the film?

Quiz Next Week: Eve

Looking Ahead…

Remember that you need a couple who has been married 30+ years to interview for homework assigned next week (March 21st). You will turn in the interview March 28th.

Please do the following to prepare for class next week, March 14th.

Read Article

Before watching the film listed below, read this article that explains more about Erikson’s Generativity vs. Despair.

https://www.verywellhealth.com/generativity-vs-stagnation-7550473

Watch It’s Wonderful Life

Please watch the film It’s a Wonderful Life (1947), starring Jimmy Stewart, and answer the following discussion questions given to you in class. (You can rent the film on Amazon or check the library.)

1. What examples of identity vs. role confusion did you see in the film?

2. What examples of intimacy vs. isolation did you see in the film?

3. What examples of generativity vs stagnation did you see in the film? (In George? Uncle Billy? Mary? Mr. Potter?)

4. How do George Bailey’s aspirations and dreams evolve throughout the film? How do these reflect generativity vs. potential stagnation?

5. Discuss the impact of the Building and Loan on the community. How does George’s commitment to this institution reflect generativity vs stagnation?

6. What role does resilience play in George’s life?

Read Article

Please read this article about Jimmy Stewart from the Deseret News. It will tell you more about him as person and what he was experiencing in middle adulthood (in real life) when he made the films It’s a Wonderful Life and, later, Mr. Kruger’s Christmas.

https://www.deseret.com/faith/2023/12/17/24001853/jimmy-stewart-true-spirit-of-christmas/

Quiz Next Week: Hannah

Looking Ahead…

For homework to be assigned March 21st, you will need a couple who has been married longer than 30 years to interview.

Please do the following homework for next week’s class, February 29th.

Sibling Questionnaire

Fill out the sibling questionnaire you were given in class. Please also have two of your siblings who are currently living at home fill it out. Remember to tell them that their responses are anonymous! We need EVERYONE to bring these surveys back to class in order to do next week’s activity.

Watch Video

Watch this video about siblings.

Take Care of Egg Baby – Send pictures!

I was impressed how creative you were in making your egg babies today! Take good care of them this week and bring them to class next week unharmed 🙂 Here are the instructions you were given in class:

1. You must have your baby with you at all times until class next week. If you can’t have your baby with you for some reason (e.g., shower, class, sports), you must get an eggsitter.
2. Please treat your egg baby with the same care you would a human baby. No spinning it around, tossing it, etc. It needs to return to class next week unharmed/uncracked.
3. Each day, answer the reflection questions found below. You can use the back of this page or any other paper. This will be turned in.
4. Do as many enrichment activities as you want with your baby, but do at least one/day. 

***Bonus: Take pictures and send to Sister Nelson, 801-783-8877, so we can look at the pictures in class next week!

Enrichment Activity Ideas:

• Go to a park
• Read a story
• Listen to a song
• Sing a song
• Playdate with friends
• Recite nursery rhymes 
• Visit grandparents

Reflection questions to be answered everyday:

1. What did you and your baby do today?

2. What was easy and/or difficult about taking care of your baby today?

3. Did you have to hire an eggsitter at any point?

Quiz Next Week: Jed

Looking Ahead…

Parenting book presentations in two weeks (March 7). Instructions were given in last week’s blog post.

Please do the following homework for next week, February 22.

Watch Videos

Next week we get to start talking about parenting. Please watch these two videos. As always, take notes so you remember your thoughts about them for class discussion.

Marriage Preparation Interview

Using the interview guide given to you in class, conduct an interview with a couple about their preparation for marriage. Ideally, this couple should have been married less than 10 years so that they have a better chance of remembering their engagement. But if you absolutely cannot find a couple married a short time, you can interview someone who has been married longer. Also, it’s preferable that you interview both partners, but if only one of them is available, still do the interview! You will turn in a one page (double spaced) write up.

Quiz next week: Parr

Looking Ahead…

I had to move the parenting book discussion back a week to March 7 because I will be out of town February 29. So you have an extra week to read your books and prepare your presentations!

Here are some guidelines:

Become an expert on your book! You get to share your knowledge with the class.

Prepare a handout to be given to the class with the title of the book, author, targeted age (e.g., 2 year olds or kids of all ages), overview/main points of the book, and anything else you think we need to know to fully understand the book (e.g., diagram).

Presentation should be 5-6 minutes and should highlight the main points/philosophies of the book.

Your presentation should include examples from the book that show us what the parenting strategies look like in real life.

Do the following homework to prepare for class next week, February 15.

Watch Video

Watch this video of a talk given at BYU about marriage. As you watch, write down what you find most interesting and bring to class. Especially consider what Dr. Wilcox says in light of what we have learned about emerging adulthood.

Read

Read 101 Questions to Ask Before You Get Engaged by H. Norman Wright. As you read, identify the 10 questions that you feel are the MOST important. Come prepared to defend your choices.

Quiz next week: Julianne

Parenting Book Assignments

Here are the parenting books that each of you chose in class. (I still need Eve’s choice.) You will each become an expert on your book and present on February 29th. Stay tuned for more info.

Hannah – Raising Good Humans by Hunter Clarke-Fields

Adrian – No Drama Discipline by Siegel and Bryson

Connor – Your 2 year old: Terrible or Tender by Louise Bates Ames

Julianne – The Happiest Baby on the Block by Harvey Karp

Sonora – Christlike Parenting by Glen I Latham

Olivia – How to Talk so Kids Will Listen and Listen so Kids Will Talk by Faber and Mazlish

Parr – The Soft Spoken Parent by H. Wallace Goddard

Jed – 1-2-3 Magic by Thomas W. Phelan

Eve –

Here is the homework for next week, February 8, 2024:

Research Career Choices

Research careers that match your Myers-Briggs personality type. Identify your top 3 choices and bring them to class. Here is a website with some basic information to get you started.

https://novoresume.com/career-blog/career-paths-for-every-personality

If you can’t remember your personality type, there are free online tests.

Show Love

Practice showing love to members of your family using 4 out of the 5 love languages. Write down what you did and how it went for each love language. Bring this to class.

Watch Video

Watch the following video about Erikson’s stage: Intimacy vs. Isolation

Watch Video

Watch the following video about Emerging Adulthood.

Quiz next week is Connor

One more thing…Video we watched in class

In class we talked about resilience and watched this video of a teenager who is a great example of showing strength and resilience. I think that it is meaningful enough that I didn’t want the few of you who had to leave early to miss out! If you are interested, here is the video.

For next week, February 1, please do the following homework:

Watch Moana

Watch the Disney movie, Moana, and look for examples of Erikson’s Identity vs. Role Confusion. Take notes on the handout given to you in class. (If you weren’t in class, here are the questions. And if you don’t remember this stage, do a quick google search 🙂

1. How does Moana’s journey reflect aspects of Erikson’s identity vs. role confusion? Examples?

2. How do Moana’s relationships (e.g., with her father, her grandmother, Maui) affect her understanding of herself, her role, etc.? What is the role of mentorship in identity formation?

3. Analyze key moments where Moana faces internal conflicts that relate to identity formation.

4. In what ways does Moana explore her cultural identity throughout the movie?  How does culture influence Moana’s identity and the choices she makes throughout the movie?

1. What other human development concepts did you see portrayed in the movie? (Could be concepts that we talked about last semester.)

Read A Teen’s Guide to the Five Love Languages

Please finish reading this book as we will be discussing it in class next week. Be sure to take the quiz at the back of the book to determine your love language before reading the book. As I said in class, another title for this book could be “Learning to Express and Receive Love.” We may have a love language that comes more naturally to us, but really all of us can learn to express and receive love in all of these ways.

As you read, make note of any stories or anecdotes in the book that you found relatable or impactful.

Quiz Schedule for Semester

February 1: Olivia (next week!)

February 8: Connor

February 15: Julianne

February 22: Parr

February 29: Jed

March 7: Sonora

March 14: Hannah

March 21: Eve

Remember the quizzes should be 5 questions and should be relatively simple to answer correctly for those who did the homework. You can base the quizzes on any of the homework, but try to pick out some of the main ideas. Generally, multiple choice and True/False are the way to go.

Parenting Books

As explained in class, each of you will be reading a different parenting book. You will become an expert on your book and will get to do a short presentation outlining the basic ideas of the book. We will then compare and contrast the books. We will do this in class, February 29. Next week in class you will pick your book. Those who have done their homework will pick first. Here is the list of choices:

Peaceful Parent, Happy Kids by Dr. Laura Markham

Raising Good Humans by Hunter Clarke-Fields

Christlike Parenting: Taking the Pain out of Parenting by Dr. Glenn Latham

Teaching Your Children Values by Linda and Richard Eyre

No-Drama Discipline by Daniel J. Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson

1-2-3- Magic by Thomas Phelan

The Happiest Baby on the Block by Harvey Karp

How to Talk so Kids Will Listen, and Listen so Kids Will Talk by Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish

Your Two Year Old: Terrible or Tender by Louise Bates Ames

*Note: If you have a different parenting book that you would like to read, let me know, and we can see if it will work.

Welcome back! It was great to see you in class today! To prepare for class next week, January 25, please do the following homework:

Watch Video

Read Chapter

Please read the printed chapter about adolescence that you were given in class.

Interview

Interview someone over the age of 45 about their teenage years. (If you really want to interview one of your parents and they are only 40, it’s ok. We can be flexible on the age requirement.)

Afterwards, sum up your findings by writing a double spaced, 12 pt font paper. It should be at least a page, but can be longer if you have more to say! Also, please turn in the notes you took on the interview guide. 

Using your participant’s responses, this paper should answer the questions:

How were the teenage years of the person you interviewed the same or different from your own? (objective)  What do you think about these similarities and differences? (subjective) Use specific examples from their responses.

Quiz

Adrian has our quiz for next week. Thanks Adrian!

Looking Ahead…

We will be discussing A Teen’s Guide to the 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman on February 1st. (That is the week after next!)

It is almost time to start next semester. I am excited to see you all and to get started on what we have planned for this semester!

Watch Video

In order to be prepared for the first week of class, please watch this video: The Neuroscience of the Teenage Brain with Sarah-Jayne Blakemore.

It is about an hour and will take some concentration on your part, but I think you will find it really interesting!

While watching, please answer these questions (and bring to class):

1. Which two studies/experiments discussed by the presenter did you find most interesting? And why?

2. What are five takeaways from this presentation? (E.g., what did you find interesting; what surprised you; what did you agree/disagree with; what have you seen examples of in your own life, etc.)

Read (optional)

Get a head start on the semester by starting to read A Teen’s Guide to the Five Love Languages. We won’t be discussing it until week 2 (or 3).

Before you start reading it, be sure to take the quiz toward the end of the book to find out what your love language is.

Books for Semester

Remember to get the books for the semester. I sent an email to everyone on January 8th that lists the books that you will need. If you have any questions, let me know!

Presentations

Next week is our last class of the semester (Crazy!). You will be giving presentations on your chosen topic. Remember that the presentations should be 6-10 minutes long. Be creative and make them interesting!

Missed Homework

If you didn’t do one (or more) of the homework assignments throughout the semester, then this challenge is for you! Pick one (or more) of them to complete and turn in next week. Each of the assignments is a worthwhile learning experience.

To prepare for class next week (November 9) do the following homework:

Read

Read chapter 7 of Understand Child Development (pages 123-138.) In order to be prepared for an activity we will do in class, pay particular attention to the How to Promote Development section. Also, please re-read (or read for the first time if you didn’t do it last week), the How to Promote Development section from chapter 6 (pages 116-117).

Observation

Here is the handout you were given in class:

Observation: 6-12 Year Olds Playing a Game

For this assignment, you will observe two to four children ages 6-12 playing a game. Here are some ideas to help you get started:

Focus on specific aspects: 

What do you want to learn? Are you interested in their problem-solving skills, social dynamics, creativity?

Note-taking: 

Document what you see and hear. Pay attention to interactions, conflicts, cooperation, and individual behaviors. Note body language, verbal communication, and non-verbal cues. It is simplest to draw a line down the middle of your paper and write your objective observations on the left and your subjective thoughts on the right. 

Note individual and group dynamics:

Pay attention to individual behaviors, roles, within the group, leadership, teamwork, and any conflicts or problem-solving.

Track rule modifications:

Often children adapt or change the rules of a game. Note how they negotiate these changes and what prompts them.

You will turn in your notes along with a write up that summarizes your findings. Your write up should be typed, double spaced. There is not a requirement for length, but it should be long enough to describe in detail your findings.   

Looking Ahead…

Keep working on your presentations, which you will be giving the last day of class, November 16th.

Please do the following for next week, November 2nd. (How can it be November already?!)

Read

Read chapter 6 (pages 110-122) of Understand Child Development.

Answer Questions

Think about and answer the following questions on a piece of paper and bring it to class.

1. What do you remember about being 6-12 years old?
2. What challenges do you remember?
3. What were the best parts?
4. What do you remember about learning to read? Learning multiplication tables?
5. What do you remember about developing athletic, artistic, or other skills?
6. What chores did you do? How do they compare with what you do now?
7. What do you remember about friendships?

Watch Videos

Watch these two videos about Vygotsky’s socio-cultural theory.

Looking ahead…

Next week you will be assigned to observe 2-4 children, ages 6-12, playing a game. This assignment will be due November 9th, so if you haven’t already found children, please do so now.

For next week, October 26, please do the following homework:

Plan a preschool day

Use the handout given in class to plan a three hour preschool day for 3-4 year olds. The handout includes a timeline along with a place to describe each activity and it’s purpose. Be specific as you explain how each activity promotes development. To get you started, here are two videos to watch for ideas. You can also do more research by finding your own videos and resources. There is a lot of information out there! Note: this is an imaginary preschool day. You won’t have to use it for real 🙂

BYU Child Development Lab Visit

Next week we will be visiting the Child Development Lab at BYU. We will be leaving immediately after Core ends, so go straight to the parking lot instead of our classroom. Don’t be late! And remember to think of possible questions to ask the director during our visit.

Presentations: November 16th

This is a pretty light week for homework, so take advantage of it and start thinking about your presentation. These are the topics I have listed for everyone (except Parr! Parr, please let me know your topic 🙂 ).

Olivia R. : Reading to children

Darian: ADHD

Eve: Creativity and Intelligence

Hannah: The role of mothers

Adrian: The role of fathers

Olivia B.: Playing with peers

Julianne: Music

Sonora: Nutrition

Connor: Physical activity/sports

Jed: Language development

Finish screen time article

You guys did an amazing job today hanging in there as we went through this article! I know that it was a lot to take in and that we probably spent too much time on it in class. But I think that knowing how to read a research article is an important skill for masters level students who are preparing to possibly take the ACT and enter college in the next couple of years!

Your homework is to read through the article and finish answering the questions from the handout. You may need to read through it twice to more fully understand it. And remember, don’t get discouraged if you don’t understand specific words or if the statistics are confusing. Just keep going! We are reading the article for the big picture, and you don’t need to understand the statistics.

Finish reading What the Children Taught Me

Next week we will have our discussion on What the Children Taught Me. Don’t forget to look for examples of scaffolding (i.e., providing support by mentoring, assisting and helping children until they can do things on their own). And also write down all the snippets of wisdom that you find. Don’t forget page numbers, so that they are easier to find.

Looking ahead…

The following week (October 26) we will be going on a field trip to the Child Development Lab at BYU.

One more thing…

If you didn’t turn in your ASQ yet, you can still do it and turn it in next week 🙂

For next week, please do the following:

Read

Read chapter 5 of Understand Child Development (pg. 96-109). Identify 3 things that you find interesting and that you want to remember for when you have kids someday (or when you are interacting with kids in the future). Write the three things down and bring to class!

Continue Reading…

Continue reading What the Children Taught Me. Or, if you haven’t started it yet, get going! Remember to be writing down the Snippets of Wisdom that you find on the post-it notes in the cover of your book.

Complete ASQ

The ASQ is a questionnaire that is used to assess development in children. In order to complete the questionnaire you need a child ages 14 months to 3 years old and their caregiver. You will ask the caregiver the questions and mark their responses on the questionnaire. If the caregiver isn’t sure if the child can complete a certain task, they can have the child try it while you are there. Here is the link where you will find the questionnaires.

https://www.michaeltaymormd.com/storage/app/media/forms/master-set-asq.pdf

Do NOT print the entire file-it is 191 pages! Only print the test for the specific age of the child you are assessing.

You do not need to fill out the first page, which is name and address information. Fill out the questionnaire while you are with the child and caregiver, but wait to fill out the last page (Information Summary with scoring sheet) until you leave. You will turn all of these pages in. You do not need to do a write up for this assignment 🙂

Before beginning the assessment, you should explain to the caregiver that you are completing the questionnaire for a class and that you are learning how to do assessments. Let them know that the questionnaire is anonymous (that you won’t be writing down their child’s name on the questionnaire).

Do the following to prepare for class next week!

Read

Read chapter 4 of Understand Child Development (pages 79-95). Notice what it says about scaffolding on page 84-85.

Watch Video

Next week we will be doing activities related to Erik Erikson’s Theory of Psycho-Social Development. Watch this video to learn about the 8 stages.

Watch Another Video

Watch this video BEFORE beginning to read What the Children Taught Me. Scaffolding is a concept that you will see illustrated throughout the book.

Start reading What the Children Taught Me

You have three weeks to read this book before our discussion, but don’t put off starting it! Make a plan for how many pages you are going to read each week. By starting it now, you will have more insight into what we discuss in class the next few weeks. As you read, pay attention to examples of scaffolding. And remember to make a list of “Snippets of Wisdom.” Your list should be made up of things you find interesting in the book (e.g., things you have seen examples of in your life, things you have questions about, things you agree with, things you don’t agree with, things you want to remember for when you have your own kids, etc., ) In class you were given post-its to stick in your book for making a list. Write down the page number and a few descriptive words on the post its, and then mark the passage in your book. We will use your ideas for our discussion.

Looking Ahead…

Next week you will be assigned homework to complete an assessment with a child age 14 months to 3 years. It will be due the following week (October 14). Be sure to find a child, if you haven’t already!

And remember that you DO NOT need to find a child 2-5 years anymore. You will NOT have an assignment due October 26. Instead, we will be going on a field trip to visit the BYU Child Development Lab on October 26.

Finally, if you didn’t turn in your infant observation this week, you can still turn it in next week!

In preparation for next week, please do the following homework:

Read

Read chapter 3 of Understand Child Development (pages 52-78). This chapter provides a good overview of the different domains of development (physical, cognitive, and psycho-social) for children 1-18 months.

Watch Videos

Next week we will be learning about attachment. Please watch these three videos so you are prepared for an activity we will do in class.

Infant Observation

For this assignment, you will observe an infant (0-12 months) for 20 minutes. Take notes on the handout you were given in class on what you observe in each domain of development (physical, cognitive, psycho-social). You can reference your book Understand Child Development to give you ideas for what to look for based on the infant’s age. This observation can be non-participant (you don’t interact with the infant) or participant (you interact with the infant). After doing the observation, please write up a summary. The summary should include an objective and subjective section. The objective summary should be just the facts: what you saw, what you heard. The subjective part should include your thoughts about what you observed, what the experience was like, etc. There is no requirement length for the write up, but please type it. You will turn in both your notes and the write up.

Bring book to class!

Bring your book What the Children Taught Me to class next week. You do not need to start reading it this week, but you will need it in class.

Presentation Topic

If you haven’t already given me your presentation topic, email me this week! Please list your top choice along with two alternatives. westbergheather@yahoo.com

In preparation for class next week (September 21st) please do the following homework:

Read

Read the rest of chapter 2 (pages 38-51) in Understand Child Development. Remember to mark up your book or take notes on a separate piece of paper to help you remember the information.

Watch Videos

Watch this video to better understand Down Syndrome.

And this one: 24 Hours with a Newborn

Prepare for Guest Speakers

Laura Belk and her daughter, Kai, will be be joining us next week. Kai has Down Syndrome and was adopted from Ghana. We will have the opportunity to listen to them and ask them questions. In order to be prepared, please read more about their story here:

https://www.nurturingnations.org/a-mother-s-story.

I want you to know this background information because the Belks won’t be talking about things that are too sensitive for Kai to hear, like the things that happened to her in Ghana.

Choose a Presentation Topic

You will be giving a presentation the last week of class this semester (November 16). Look over the list of topics on the handout you were given in class and then email me which topic you would like to do. Please send two alternative topics, also, in case your top choice was already taken. They will be assigned in the order I receive them, so don’t take too long to choose!

Looking Ahead…Infant Observations

Next week you will be assigned to observe an infant and your homework will be due the following week (September 28). So now is the time to find an infant to observe!

Thanks for making it a super class today, students! We are off to a great start!

In preparation for class next week (September 14), please do the following homework:

Read

Read pages 27-33 of Understand Child Development. Pay particular attention to the terms and definitions on page 33. Taking notes or underlining and marking up your book will help you to process and retain more information.

Watch Videos

Watch the fetal development month by month video linked below. Taking notes will help you to get more out of it!

Also, watch this video about birth.

Interview and write up

Use the interview guide handed out in class to interview someone about their pregnancy and birth experience. This could be your mom or someone else. Remember the guidelines we talked about in class: be attentive and respectful, ask follow up questions (e.g., what did you think about that? How did you feel about that?), practice active listening (e.g., Wow! That’s interesting. Tell me more about…), and remember to thank them for their time (even if it’s your mom!).

While conducting the interview, take notes on the interview guide. This will make it much easier to do your write up. The write up consists of two parts. First, a summary. This is an objective summary of what happened and what was said. Just the facts. This is the type of information that might possibly be included:

I interviewed Henrietta (name changed for privacy) on September 9, 2023. The interview lasted from 2:32 pm until 3:14 pm.

She cried as she told me about seeing her baby for the first time…etc.

She didn’t remember having any cravings except for ice cream. She reported that she ate ice cream everyday…etc.

The second part of the write up is subjective and consists of your thoughts, opinions, and ideas about the interview and what was said. This section may look a little like this:

I was amazed that Henrietta remembered so many details about the birth of her first child. It must have been one of those moments that stay with you forever. It was difficult for her to speak because she was crying. Everything she went through–a very hard pregnancy–was worth it for her when she saw her baby.

Or…It was interesting to interview my mom because we haven’t ever talked about how she felt when she was pregnant and preparing to be a mom. She has just always been a mom to me.

This write up does not need to be in essay format. You are presenting your findings. It should, however, be typed and in 12 pt font so I can read it 🙂 No requirement on length.

And the final note, ask your participant whether they would like to be anonymous or if they are okay with their name being included in the write up. You will not be sharing your report with class members, but I will be reading them. I can’t wait!

We are so excited to have you in class this year! This class will be challenging, fun, and rewarding as we learn more about ourselves and those around us on our journey across the lifespan.

In order to be prepared for the very first day of class (September 7), please do the following things:

1. Purchase these two books:

• Understand Child Development https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1444137999/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
• What the Children Taught Me: Memoirs of an Early Education Teacher https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09PHF8SYK/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

2. Read Chapter 1 of Understand Child Development (pages 1-26).

3. Bring to class either a binder with paper OR a folder and notebook. Pick the option that works best for you! Every week, you will need paper and a pen/pencil to take notes and something to store handouts in.

If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact Sister Nelson. westbergheather@yahoo.com

We can’t wait to see you in a couple of weeks!

Sister Nelson and Sister Toney