Basic Joy - Basic Joy

Today was the last session of the human development course I taught this semester. To wrap it up, I asked the students to bring in something about a life story, real or fictional (novel/movie clip/article, etc.) to relate to some aspect of the course. I loved what they came up with. It ended up taking the whole class since everyone had given it such thought and had so much to say. If you have a few minutes, the links (I starred the ones that were especially compelling) are wonderful:

Father of the Bride 2 -- middle adulthood, Levinson's theories of midlife change
The Perks of Being a Wallflower -- attachment, identity formation in adolescence (Erikson, Marcia)
*Mean Girls clip (3:43-5:27)-- identity moratorium, adolescent social aggression
Smashed -- Erikson's intimacy vs. isolation stage, inhibited by alcoholism
song "Time of Your Life" -- developmental transitions, exceptions to set theory
**About Schmidt final letter-- Erikson's ego integrity vs. despair in mid adulthood
song Mr. Larkin by State Radio -- older adulthood, prejudice
Old School -- exceptions to older adulthood preconceptions
Goonies -- middle childhood Erikson's industry vs. inferiority stage
*the Last Lecture -- loss, ego transendence, Erikson's generativity,
Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius -- early adulthood and Erikson's intimacy vs. isolation
When I am an Old Woman -- older adulthood, theories of positive aging
**The Giving Tree (2) -- lifespan development, attachment, Erikson's stages
*Guys and Dolls -- (first few minutes of documentary of Lars and the Real Girl-type relationships) social work practice, culture/microculture, Erikson's intimacy/isolation
Tuesdays with Morrie -- ego transendence and generativity
Archie comic book -- adolescence transition, scaffolding, conceptions of adolescence
Dalai Lama -- moral development, ego transcendence, older adulthood, "good death"
Mr. Rogers -- social learning theory, attachment

It feels so great to be done but I'm going to really miss that class, those students. They were very patient & accepting of this green, nervous, shaky-voiced first-time prof.

class of idealistic, passionate grad students + human development course content =

life affirming and hopeful alchemy