Aprilan,
Some career colleges have professional counselors on staff. Other institutions contract the services to an outside firm. How does your institution provide for students with these types of needs?
Jeffrey Schillinger
I agree that there is a lot of mental health issues that arise in the classroom. That being said I am not a Psychologist and do not have adequate training to diagnosis or treat my students depression, bipolar disorders and schizophrenia. I refer the students to support services to address these issues.
I absolutely agree! Unfortunately, I feel like I don't have the proper tools for dealing with some of the issues that are presented to me. I don't have any professional counselling training, which is really what some of these students need. I've had to deal with issues of homelessness, spousal abuse, drug and alcohol addiction, sexual identity crisis. It can be overwhelming at times!
Carey,
Does your institution have counselors available or a contract with a third party provider of such services?
Jeffrey Schillinger
Agree....if I had a dollar for every personal crisis that I had to deal with from the students I would be able to retire a wealthy woman. I have learned over the years that sometimes it just takes listening to solve the issues. Several students do not have the outlet they need at home to deal with emotional problems. If I can be available for "venting" then I usually sit down with the student to address these concerns. If it is something above my head I will refer them to our student resourse services for 24 hour concerns.
Yes we are in more than one business, because as instructor we have to deal with several different areas of our students lives.
Yes, I agree because we are counselors to our students as well as our clients.
Karis,
It sounds like your school has a system to provide support to these students.
Jeffrey Schillinger
Wow, that really rings true. I sit near our assistant director of education who counsels students who are displaying unacceptable behaviors in the classroom or anywhere on campus. He has had to make many, many referrals for counseling resources. We, as instructors, are on the front line sending students to the assistant director when needed. We are constantly dealing with behavioral/cognitive issues with our students. I agree that we are in the "mental health" business.
Michele,
Thanks for this post. What are one or two ways you provide "real world" situations for your students?
Jeffrey Schillinger
Agree. We need to give them 'real world' situations so that they are successful in their chosen career
Agree....we deal with all kinds of issues that our students are going through
I agree, some students are so wrapped up in their minds that they have created bearers for themselves. Many times I have had to educate them on how to free themselves of the fear of failure in order to make them successful.
When it comes to education, one is invariably in more than one business. How can you separate the process of educating the student from the personal needs of the student? You cannot deliver instructional material to a student if they’re not in the seat (or at the computer) to receive the instruction.
Therefore, when it comes to education, (and especially the business of education), you have to address the motivational issues that affect their “being there†to receive it, or you won’t have a student to teach. The instructional methodology and approach is one factor, and the students desire to learn is another.
Then two are inextricably interwoven. We are then instructors, counselors, and business generators all lumped under the title, Teacher.
Yes, because we are ultimately shaping lives, emotionally, educationally, and even somewhat reshaping personalities. Because, with education, comes wisdom, wisdom definitely changes personality!
Also, we need to be able to encourage the students, which is definitely a "mental" process of changing the image they have of themselves.
I would say that we have more than one role in our day to day activities and the business of mental health is just one of them. Physically student show up for their education but many times there are mental distraction that cause them to disconnect from the learning environment. It is our place as Educators to use our gifts and tools to bring them back to the learning process. In many situation we must understand what the mental challeges are before we can help that student.
I agree we are more than educators we are mentors role models and sometimes mother's figure for some students
Bruce,
It is true that sometimes our students need access to help we are not able to provide. Our school has contracted with a third party counseling service.
Jeffrey Schillinger
I hate to buck the trend, but I will disagree with the claim that we as educators are also mental health workers. There is quite a difference between maintaining a healthy learning environment in the school and professional relationships with the students, and getting personally involved in their mental condition. The mental health business revolves around revealing issues, diagnoses of mental conditions, counseling and medicating. None of which are we qualified for or legally sanctioned.
In a sense, our work as educators cannot really progress in mentally unhealthy students. Sometimes our students will have to seek professional help outside of our areas of expertise before they progress through our training.
Dallan,
What are the HABEs of successful students in your school? in your career?
Jeffrey Schillinger
