I agree. Getting an education is not a guarantee of success, or guarantee of a job/career. Much of success is based on the perception of what the education will lead you towards. The HABE's are so important to moving forward in your career/life. The education is the foundation, but mentally, everything else is created around it. Without a healthy mental focus, the education can be devalued. It is my responsibility to help students understand this.
Absolutely. There aren't any counselors on campus but we have to hear students out and outsource to the proper professionals that can help them with their issue. Many times students just need someone to listen. Their issues and their problems are real. Positive student retention is knowing your student body and helping them achieve their goals.
Garry,
Attention is the first step to retention. Listening the your students is important. What do you do when a student brings you a problem that needs specific assistance that the school does not provide?
Jeffrey Schillinger
Agreed, more so with the younger crowd, at times the gray line between teaching and parenting becomes blurred. Many students will drag problems or issues into the classroom, some are low key with nothing more that some encouragement will resolve. Other have deep emotional or personal problems which will be outside of a teacher control or help. I have found that speaking with the student on a one to one and listening is a first step in giving some guidance.
I agree to a certain extent. Mental is defined by Dictionary.com as "of or pertaining to the mind." An education expands/builds on what one knows. This building on the current state of one's mind is impowering. Educationing/impowering an individual will affect their outlook of themselve and their view of life in general (mental health).
I would have to say we are in both education and in the mental health business. Most students come to class prepared physically and as well mentally prepared, but this is not the case for everyone.
As educators, we can see students physically present in our class but occasionally we have a student that seems to have their mind somewhere else.
Every good instructor will recognize this disconnect and will try to use their intructional 'tools' to bring back the student to the learning environment.
Sometimes the root cause for this disconnect is not so obvious and we must 'dig a little' to understand the perception of the student. Maybe then we can offer ways to cope or succeed.
It would be interactions like this that bring us into the mental health business and as well the education business.
Yes, absolutely! Students often require a mentor, direction, and/or surrogate Moms and Dads. Often, school is the only place where they feel someone cares about them, and I've often been more like a Dad than a teacher. This can be draining at times, especially with so many students, but also very rewarding.
I definitely think we are in more than one business. The college isn’t just working with the student to be successful in the classroom. We are helping the student to be successful in life. Whether it’s helping the student address the instructor appropriately or just managing their time, we are developing student to be successful in their professional life as well. Our students learn more than what’s in the course, they learn how to develop their resume, interviewing techniques and have personal mentors to help lead them through life’s challenges.
I agree. Students today have a lot on their plate. Especially when they are enrolling in a career school. We need training on how to handle all of their anxiety and "drama" and help them focus on why they are there anad to look at the bigger picture. As an Admissions Rep I try to paint a picture for them on hoew their life would change once they complete school. I love the idea of the vision/goal form that you included in this module. I can't wait to start using it in my interviews! :)
I agree with the mental health. I have students on drugs, recovering from drugs, dealing with a bad divorce, severe financial burdens, and some extreme cases of being "BI-POLAR" severely. I take the students mood and known problems to heart. A smile and "You can do it" has helped several students. Unfortunately, not all have stuck to their goal.
I absolutely agree. Many of my students have personal issues that distract them from their studies. Some have a mental health diagnosis that he/she must also battle with. Many have poor study habits and unrealistic expectations. All of these factors cause me to find myself drawing from my other profession as a Behavioral Health RN.
While I would agree that a great deal of our time is spent mentoring and advising students, I would caution the misuse of the term "mental health" business. As a health professional (albeit a veterinarian) we must recognize that persons with mental health issues suffer from real metabolic derangements. Mental health issues are not something that an individual can be "talked out of" or coached into performing alternate behaviors. In my time as an instructor, I have come across students with personal crises who merely need someone to listen and advise and those who are truly mentally ill; the latter need medical intervention, something that I for one, am not qualified to provide.
Jeaneen,
Interesting post. What are some of the most common positive and negative HABEs your current students bring with them?
Jeffrey Schillinger
Yes. I agree. I tell my students I'm not interested in changing their personality. I'm here to help them fine tune it and find their gift.
Yes, I agree. Over the years I've noticed a change in the caliber of students we now teach. I am not sure if it is the generation or their HABE's, but there is a difference.
I would state that the mental health side of what we do is more important than the educational materials we share with our students. You have to know how to reach the students before you can reach the students.
Joseph,
Educators are often put in a position of advisor to students on issues not directly related to the classroom. We need to be careful to not try to be counselors.
Jeffrey Schillinger
The implications can be of a serious nature to one or the other considering education and mental health. Again, the understanding that each student learner is a unique individual places the responsibility or at least a genuine attempt to enlighten--on the shoulders of the instructor. One hopes that the student learner is a willing participant; however, an instructor is not clairvoyant and cannot possibly understand the turer motivations of why a student has decided to continue his or her education. Now we beging to remove ourselvs from a business concept to a more serious realm of health and humanity.
I agree. People pursue an education for many reasons: Change in their lives for their kids, impress family members of the knowledge that they may have, and to feel good about themselves upon attacking a challenge that they may thought theat they could not accomplish at the end.
Everyone comes to the table with a certain perception of the view. How they preceive their view is based on their personal life experiences or someone close to them. As educators understanding this and realizing this perception can cause pardigm paralysis can by viewed as a hurdle. Many times as admistrators we are viewed as signs on doors. A place where the student goes for disipline. We ourselves have created this image due in part to a lack of interaction with the student body outside of the scope of our administrative duties. our job is not only to educate from a textbook but to help open the door of perception in order to help the students expand their view and abilities. This doesn't have to be a "Lay on the couch and let me analyze you life". Simply showing a concern for the student and encouraging them can make all the difference. In answer to the question. We are certainly in the "mental health" business as well as education.
