Intervention
I have found that probably the biggest mistake we make as educators is we tend to have an "I want to fix it" attitude and alot of times the students simply just want someone to vent to.
True. It's important to know your limitations as well as how to connect with support resources.
I do always try to emphasize the positives, like the idea that class time is an opportunity to step away from other problems and involve themselves in an activity that they like and is meaningful to them, and that doing so will make them feel better about their lives in general and so help them confront problems outside of school with a better attitude.
Part of being the job is being observant of behavior so we can make ourselves available to the students when they act out.
I agree and really think that these students have nobody to listen to them outside of the school. their parents may not play significant roles in their lives and their peers may have problems of their own to address. We truely become their mentors and sounding boards. This is a small price to pay to insure their ultimate success. My door is always open for my students.
I agree. Sometimes the students simply just need a sounding board who can listen to them. It's amazing what can happen when a student is able to get something off of their backs.
I agree. Even when comparing situations it is actually impossible to know what a student is really confronting because we just don't have access to their interactions with the outside world. It is natural to compare and assume we understand, and this gives us a basis for providing advice and support, but supposing we really know what is going on and can really offer great advice for each situations is a big mistake, I think. I am therefore also very careful about offering advice and always but in caveats with statements like "Well, maybe your situation really isn't like mine, but I think I know what that is like, once...etc..." I think it is true that students lots of times want to be heard, to be understand, to have instructors realize that they are dealing with real problems outside of class which effect their ability to concentrate and do work outside of class. I do always try to emphasize the positives, like the idea that class time is an opportunity to step away from other problems and involve themselves in an activity that they like and is meaningful to them, and that doing so will make them feel better about their lives in general and so help them confront problems outside of school with a better attitude.
Isn't that the truth! I wouldn't limit that answer to just students, either. One very important point made in the text is this--what ever it is--it is the student's problem. I don't believe most students really want you to fix their problem...they really want some other options, some other ideas, some validation for their own solutions, or maybe just a sounding board. I never tell them what to do. I do discuss (at times) what I personally did in a similiar situation and what the outcome was, but I don't believe in "dictating" answers. The individual needs to solve the problem on their own...maybe with help or support...but it must be their solution.
