I don't think we are in them mental health business, I think we are in a business where personal support or guidance might be needed but in a professional tone. I think when you get too involved in their personal lives, as their instructor, you cross a line, and loose some authority as well as become very biased in your decision making. I think an instructor can have empathy for a students situation and show them that you care by asking how they are doing or providing resources for help but if they need more guidance or support than that it needs to come from another area even within the school. It get's tricky when you are in charge of a whole classroom full of students and you need to be unbiased to all of them, treat them all fairly and discipline/ hold them accountable accordingly... if you get too involved with a few of the students this becomes really hard to do, and too much of a job for one person. But I belive that there can be other people in that school to help fill that role (admission rep, our executive chef...)
A knowledge of the mind and the influence of earlier experiences of our students is most important to learning if an intructor is to be successful. Students arrive in our classes with numerous mental obstacles. Prepared with knowledge of the functioning of the mind, faculty can develop prescriptions to promote learning.
Yes, career educators are in the education business and the "mental health" business. A common phrase used within our department when discussing students and concerns we are having with them it "what is the rest of the story".
We see these students every day for 4-6 hours for over 10-18 months. We see them struggle, we see light bulbs come on, we see their ups, we see their downs and all the other emotions that the stresses of life bring upon all of us. A lot of time students don't want to actually tell the instructors or the Program Directors what their problems are, because they don't want to be seen as "less than".
We discuss in our department meetings that if we are concerned about a particular students behavior, we will contact the Director of Student Services to schedule a meeting with the student (even if we aren't sure what the problem might be). We are not qualified to address true mental health issues (we can listen, give suggestions, provide tissues when they cry, give them encouragement,etc., but if we truly feel there is a mental health issue - depression, suicidal, physical abuse or homeless they need to be in contact with those that can actually address these issues).
Stephen,
It is great that you feel an obligation to seek out and help struggling stdents.
Jeffrey Schillinger
I agree with the statement. I believe that in order to achieve your goals, you need to always be in a positive mind set. As an instructor, part of my job is to recognize when a student is is not suceeding. It is my responsibility to fix the problem. Many times a student gets into a slump mentally. This blocks his ability to focus and concentrate on the task at hand. Sometimes this is created by external influences. To get to the root of the problem, you need to get the student to open up and discuss the issues. Once you do this, you can "fix his mind" and get him back on the path to success.
I will agree with that statement: very carefully. Although not trained in an actual mental health profession, I have taken time to notice, either empathically or literally with my own two eyes, when students seem to be unfocused in some way. This unfocused student may be depressed, distressed, tired, or in some way unable to prioritize education/the lesson at hand.
I let the student know I am here to listen and that there are always alternatives, even if he/she cannot detect them at the moment. I understand there may only be so much a student can process/hear under duress, so I keep my chat short and simple, allowing the student to speak, vent, spew, and make connections, so as to get to the root cause of the problem, as opposed to lingering on surface material.
When I chat with students, formally or informally, I do let them know I highly doubt anyone woke up that day thinking: I want to have an absolutely awful day! Let’s get on that! So, it is at least one aspect the human race as a whole has in common, no matter how alone or distraught one might be at the moment.
We’re in the business of education insomuch as those two items can coexist and in addition to teaching, we must assess if learning is actually occurring, hence the reason we may appear to be in the mental health business. If a student is not mentally prepared to learn, we must take steps to make the student aware of this and other options/alternatives available to them. Some people, I notice, students and otherwise, either do not take their mental health into serious consideration or they do not consider it at all – wandering in some sort of fugue/unaware state – until it’s almost too late and everything appears to be crashing and crumbling all at once.
Balance is key. Although my institution is often fond of using the corporate phrase “sense of urgencyâ€, the body cannot operate at high levels of this for long without breaking down, much like stress, fear, anxiety, et al – any emotion producing high levels of adrenaline. On the flipside, a calm Zen demeanor at all times may not provide enough necessary urgent chemical levels to get the job done. These rules also apply to our students – and we were students once. I technically operate under the belief that even as an educator, I am still a student with much to learn and like my students – I can only accomplish what I set out to accomplish if I am mentally prepared and not acting under duress or unrealistic expectations.
yes. any time you are a role model to someone they are going to observe you and possible emmulate you. they might change the way they think about things. being an instructor students ask us questions about decisions in their personal life and we can help give them encouragement
I agree. Our students look to us for guidance in life, not just in the subject being taught.
I do agree with this. I agree because one aspect of our jobs is to manage the mental stability of our students. If many of our students are first generation college attendees then we have to help them to understand the mentality of the career industry they are looking to enter. Many times our students have so much on their plate that they do not know how to juggle work school balance. We have to work with their "low's" and help motivate them to get back on the horse. We have to encourage the good or sometimes "manic" days when they can't seem to stand still in their chairs. We are dealing with people and their HABE's therefore we have to work with their past emotions, habits, and that can be difficult. Many times people don't realized that you are ther to help them.
I would a agree because it is an educator's duty to keep their students motivated by encouraging them to learn and work hard to achieve their goals.
That goes without saying. When it goes beyond my capabilities, I always refer them to the professional.
Robb,
We need to be careful that we advise, but leave counseling to trained professionals.
Jeffrey Schillinger
It seems that we have to be part psychologist as well as an educator in our field (if it was only psychology!)It seems a regular part of careere education is dealing with our students personal issues, or else they would never finish school.
I couldn't agree more. Many of our students question themselves daily as to whether they have made the right decision to attend the school they are at. Was it worth the money, will they get a good job when they get out, is this the career they really want? It is our job to encourage them, mentor them and motivate them to stay focused on a goal.
As educators, we wear more than one hat. Number one, we have to educate. Number two,we have to manage a classroom and everything that comes with it (my classroom is a restaurant so yes facility operations is a must) Third we have to guide our diverse students to be successful, the diverse population is the greatest challenge; some students are career changers with families, some are fresh out of highschool with limited life experiences. Reaching out to all of them as an educator leads to the fourth hat an entertainer. Yeah we are in more than one business, but it all does not matter if the students you lead are not successful.
Luke,
You make a good point here. We are not licensed counselors, so we need to be careful about what we try to do for students. We should be able to recognize "signs" and point students in the right direction.
Jeffrey Schillinger
I actually would disagree. Yes, we do deal with many personalities and moods, but I would not consider myself qualified to diagnose, treat or evalate a students mental health.
yES WE TEACH OUR STUDENTS IN THE GOALS THAT THEY ARE GOING AFTER. tHEN WE GET TO KNOW THE STUDENT WHO THEY RELLY ARE AND THEN HOW TO PLACE THEM IN TODAYS EVER MOVING WORLD
To a certain level I agree. If the fruits of our labor are competent, motivated and self-directed employees and entrepreneurs then somewhere along the line we have mentally motivated, stimulated, and encouraged people to believe in their abilities and raise their level of confidence. Maybe we changed how people think of themselves and each other. Raising awareness of each students potential through encouragement certainly can raise one’s self esteem and point them to path of success. Small encouraging reinforcement repeatedly can defiantly allow the mental confidence of student to be more self-directed to attain higher goals. Mental health professionals? No.
I agree, we have the ability to influence them in life and help them seek problem solving methods.
