Title

The Trials of Temperament: A Guide to Understanding and Accommodating Temperament Within a Classroom Setting

Author

Sara E. Addler, Concordia University, St. Paul

Date of Award

2003

Document Type

Non Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts in Education

Department

Education

Program

Early Childhood Education

Capstone Instructor

Lynn Gehrke

Second Reader

Nedra Robinson

Keywords

early childhood education, temperament, classroom environment, teacher-student relationships

Abstract

In any given environment when a child interacts with peers and adults, temperament affects the way that child is perceived and understood by others. Temperament refers to individual differences in physiological responsiveness (Culpepper, Aldridge, & Sibley, 1996). Early childhood education lays the foundation of a child's attitudes and experiences in school settings; temperament greatly affects those attitudes and experiences. It is prudent that educators understand how environment, teacher responsiveness and attachment affect temperament in order to more effectively teach. When educators understand and accommodate learning environments to varying temperaments challenging behavior decreases and their responses more adequately relate to the individual child and temperament. As classroom sizes increase and student's backgrounds and experiences become more diverse society must rely on the efforts of educators to find a place for all children in their teaching theory and practices. Children who experience harmony between their environments and their individual temperaments learn the skills to be confident, social life-long learners.

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