Why Can't I Leave?

I have come to realize that I can not bring myself to show up early to any event.  Even when I am going somewhere that I really want to go to, I still seem to be held up doing things to the last minute before I have to leave. I have thought about why it is, I struggle to get places on time. The simplest answer to this is that I am always busy.  I occupy my time with school, two jobs, a boyfriend, my friends and my family. Though, when considering the different Learning Theories and how they might help explain the thinking patterns that are recurring, I can start to piece together what is maintaining my  behavior.  When thinking about the BLT, I have to say my behavior of occupying my time up to the last minute is positively reinforced by the tasks that I complete. Since I do not have time to always do what I'd like at home, it is reinforcing to me to finish these tasks. This feeling of reinforcement is competing with the adversive feeling of having to show up somewhere early. 
     I think there are social aspects that maintain my behavior as well.  I have seen in the past that other people have showed up late to various events (SLT).  I have noticed in some settings it is less appropriate and akward if you show up late but in other settings (usually less formal) being late is not as much of an issue.  This prior knowledge can play apart in my sense of urgency when leaving my apartment.
     When I look to other areas in my life (mainly my free time in general) I can see how this behavior shows up again and again.  Even on my one day off a week, I find myself trying to go five different places.  Since it is my day off, I want to make the most of my time and see the people that I can but I often end up regreting some of the plans I make as I am constantly rushing around on my one free day.  Even though I really want to fulfill all the plans I make, I have to remember to give myself some free time which is hard with all of these competing feelings.  Parallel to scheduling my day off to the last minute, I do homework on my breaks at work, and work/clean in the morning before I leave for school.  I think this behavior is effected by my  school and social schemas (CLT).  My prior knowledge tells me that acting this way is productive and functional. I get tasks accomplished and manage to show up places on time (somehow).        

Consequences for Behavior-Informed by Learning Theories

Since in the future, I plan to work with children doing behavior interventions, I chose to focus on behavior.  I asked one of my friends with a 3 year old boy (very advanced I might add) what she does as a concsequence when Ethan misbehaves. She said that in a case where he hits or is aggressive with his little sister (20 mos.) he goes into time out for three minutes.  I asked her why she does this and she said this is due to the fact that "he knows better." She says he should know better since he has been punished before for the same action.  (CLT-she seems to be drawing on past knowledge). She also claims that he does not like time out and that this has been an effective discipline before. In the past in timeout, Ethan would throw a fit for about 2 minutes, then look at her and say "mom" when he is done tantruming. She asks him, "Are you all done" and he says "A..Yeah." (CLT). When I asked her why she originally came out with the concept of timeout as a consequence she said she had seen this be effective for other children and mothers. (SLT-she is looking at the more knowledgable or experienced peer for a better understanding.)

If I were to teach a group of kindergarteners about class mngmt. skills I could use both the SLT and the DLT to inform my strategies for teaching the content. First I would ask the students if they could tell me an aspect of class mngmt. skills like, how to get the teacher's attention. This would allow me to guage their zone of proximal development (SLT). By asking these questions, I may come across the more knowledgable peer who already has some knowledge of class mngmt. skills that other students do not possess (SLT). The peer's explanation may also be beneficial, since explaining the skill in his/her own words allows classmates to gain the understanding from a person with a more equivalent understanding.  This can happen when the peer uses more familiar language (SLT).
     Next, I would use a concrete representation available, to model four aspects of class mngmt. skills I think they should know (DLT).  These aspects include sitting at a table, sitting on the floor, requesting to use the bathroom, and requesting the teacher's attention.  The most concrete representation would be myself, since the children (ideal model) need a seperate source to learn from.  I would then put the kids into pairs to demonstrate these aspects.  Again, the more knowledgable maybe a big help to the children who do not possess these skills yet (SLT). 
     Since the children are 5-6 years old they would not be able to demonstrate in writing their understanding of these class mngmt. skills, which would show they have an abstract understanding.  So to solidify these skills and help them to begin to think a bit more abstractly, I would ask them as a class, to show me bad examples of each of the aspects.  This would show that they understand what the skills look like and what they do not look like, which shows they have somewhat of a distinct understanding of how to spot the skills and demonstrate them as well.

Utilizing the Developmental Learning Theory

    The Developmental Learning Theory can be used to inform one's method of teaching. Using this thoery, it is believed that the most effective way to teach new material is to begin by displaying and explaining the most concrete or familiar representation of a new subject. Once this represetnation is given and discussed the instructor should show a more abstract representation of the material so that learners can gain understanding of the new subject.  This allows the learner to begin to think in more complex and abstract forms, which allows them to better know the material.  However, young children will not be able to process abstract material due to the lack of brain development that has taken place.  In this case, the instructor should not give the more abstract form since the child is not able to understand much more than a concrete representation. 
     To use an example, one could begin by modeling the three branches of government within a classroom.  This would allow the students to experience a direct representation (almost) hands on.  There could be a president and congress and supreme court judges.  I recall doing something similar when I learned about government and this experience has stuck with me ever since.  We each had opportunities to write and revise bills which we brought before congress to get voted for or against.  The bill would than go to the president who could sign off on it or veto it. As a last resort, the supreme court judges can find the bill to be invalid if it violates the constitution. I think experiencing all of these actions myself, has allowed me to further understand how it would take place in real life. 
     The Developmental Learning Thoery can be used to inform assesment mehtods as well. WIth older youth, the most complex and thorough way of understanding occurs in an abstract form.  To asses a student's understanding than, the instructor would want to test the learner for his/her most abstract explanation.  This could be done in an essay format, since words and explanations are much more complex to process than a visual representation, like a diagram of model.  To test the scenario I described above, I would definitely use written scenarios on a test, to see if the student was able to tell me how a bill could become passed.