Title 2111 Physical Development

Tori Nolen
The University of Memphis

Title

Introduce your topic

Define (cite the book)

Type of Development

Why it matters

Topic In depth

Deeper definition (cite)

- the Oxford English Dictionary defines puberty as " The period of
life during which a young person reaches sexual maturity and becomes capable of
reproduction; the sequence of structural and functional changes that occur in the
body during this period..." (2015).
- Children who recieve negative responses, such as teasing or bullying,
can become stressed about the physical changes they are going through and it may
become hard to keep a positive boby image(Windsor, Murrell &Magun-Jackson,
2015).

Important related key terms

-Puberty
-self esteem

Process Explanation

During puberty, biological and physical changes ,such as weight gain or height
growth, that accur to a young girl can shape how she sees herself and affect the
relationships with those around her (Steinberg, 1988; Steinberg & Hill, 1978)as
citedin Lackovi-Grgin, K., Dekovc, M., & Opai, G. 1994).

My Story
We all have that moment in our lives when we feel different. Different from what

we did yesterday, what we will feel like tomorrow and most of all different from our
friends. This moment for me was the fourth grade. At first i didnt really notice anything
happening, but there were signs i guess i just didn't see. I'd woken up one morning and
started to get dressed for school like i did every day except this time something was
wrong. My new school clothes no longer fit me. I was now that kid who barely raised
their hand and my shirt rose to expose all of my stomach, and i had highwater pants to
match. Then it was walking with my classmates and towering over all of them. Trying to
have a conversation with any of them started to get uncomfortable. I always had to look
down at them and they had to strain their necks looking up at me. The only person that
was the same height as me was my teacher. Being different wasn't so bad at first, but then
all the other kids would always bring up how tall i was or call me names like amazon and
giant. This is about the time i started to distance myself because i was self conscious.
Until the end of middle school when majority of my peers caught up to me in the
development that puberty causes, the only place i had confidence about my height was in
sports. Physically developing earlier then the other girls was actually a benefical thing
when it came to sports. Playing softball no one wanted to round third base and try to head
home with a giant standing over the plate, and in karate my heighth helped me develop
my skills more because i wasnt allowed to participate in the kids classes. I had to attend
adult classes and learn to use my heighth with people who were the same size as me.
Looking back it seemed awful at the time, but everyone has to go through it. It may not
be everyone going through it at the same time but we all get through it.

Type of Development

Neural, somatic or reproductive

How it connects to your story

How it changes over time

What else could be happening simultaneously

References:
Windsor,D.L., Morrell,V.S., & Magun-Jackson, S. (2015). Lifespan development: An

educational

psychology perspective. Boston, MA: Pearson Learning Solutions.

Lackovi-Grgin, K., Dekovc, M., & Opai, G. (1994). Pubertal status, interaction with significant
others, and self-esteem of adolescent girls. Adolescence, 29(115), 691-700.