Reflection 1 - The Ecology of You

Running head: REFLECTION 1 1
Reflection 1 – The Ecology of You
Student’s Name
Institution
Reflection 1- The Ecology of You

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Microsystems (Negative Impact on Development)

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Microsystems
Examples in your microsystem
 The Child (Self): Temperament, personality, sex,
age, health
 Family: mother, father, siblings, grandparents
 child’s home,
 School: principal, teacher, guidance, daycare,
 Peers
 Neighborhood/Community
 Affects how the child grows.
For each of the
following, list one
factor that you feel
might have
negatively
impacted your
development
Provide a description and
reflection explaining the
impact (then and now)
1. SELF I was a slow to
warm up child
I had a low activity level when
I was a child. Also I had a low
intensity of mood. My parents
always tried to cheer me up
but to no avail. This character
continues to affect me today
since my friends often tell me
that I tend to be difficult to
deal with when things have
not gone according to plan. At
one time when a project that
we were working on failed to
be taken up, I alienated my
partners and resolved to find
the solution individually.
2. FAMILY
Noisy home
In a family of seven, my home
was always noisy and I found
it difficult to concentrate when
doing homework. Hence, I
disliked the home
environment and would only
spend brief periods in the
house. Today, I stay away
from noisy place and I cannot
get along with noisy people.
3. SCHOOL My school principal My school principal always
emphasized on discipline in a
harshly manner. He was fond
of shouting and commanding
other teachers when they

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failed to foster discipline
among students. There was
tension and fear whenever the
principal was around. Today, I
tend to dissociate myself with
people who have a similar
character to my former school
principle. As such, I avoid
people who shout and make
demands.
4. PEERS Bruce I always admired Bruce for all
the wrong reasons when I was
a child. He was tough at
school and no one would dare
cross his path. I approached
him once so that I could
befriend him but he turned me
down. This rejection impacted
me negatively that I started to
look down upon myself. I even
questioned my self-worth. All
my life I have struggled to pull
myself up when I am rejected
by others.
5. NEIGHBOURHOOD/COMMUNITY Unsafe
neighbourhood
When I was nine, I lived in a
neighbourhood that was not
always safe given that many
people claimed that their
homes were broken into. This
prompted many people leave.
Today, I am always shy of
handling theft cases and living
in such areas.

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Microsystems (Positive Impact on Development)

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Microsystems
Examples in your
microsystem
 Your Self
 Your family
 Your School and
teacher
 Your peer group
 The media
(favourite TV
show, books,
movies, video
games, etc.)
 Your
neighbourhood or
surrounding
community
For each of the
following, list one
factor that you feel
might have
buffered or
positively impact
your development
Provide a description and reflection explaining the impact
(then and now)
1. SELF
My temperament
as a child can be
described as easy.
I was predictable and calm. It was easy for me to
approach new experiences positively a trait which I
maintain till today. As a child it was easy for me to
adapt to new environments easily. This could be seen
in the way I made new friends when my parents
moved me to a different school. Similarly, I currently
find it easy to make new friends and adapt to new
environment
2. FAMILY Hardworking mom My mom always worked hard to take care of her
children and balance the same with work. She took
care of all the house chores because she believed it
was a mother’s job. Likewise, she gave her all at work
in the process gaining a promotion. She has inspired
me to be a hard worker. I also strive to manage
leisure with school work ensuring that both areas
receive equal time. She set a high standard for me to
achieve success in future and I still strive to be like
her.
3. SCHOOL My mathematics
teacher
Ms. Grace, my mathematics teacher was so
passionate about the subject that she believed that
no student was capable in failing at this subject. I
was one of the few in class who feared maths and
going from one test to another, I continued to fail. Ms.
Grace arranged for individual tuition and she always
encouraged me to approach the subject with