Inspiring Conversation
After being in the teaching field for the past few years I’ve always had difficulty talking to students when they approached me with a problem they may be facing, whether it’s at home or at school. I feel that with all of my schooling, we were never trained or licensed on how to be a school counselor and/or a school psychologist. This has always bothered me because I don't want to give the wrong advice and yet I still wanted to be there for the student and help them in any way I can.
During our last ED 584 class this topic came up and Marialice had informed the class on what she has done when faced with this situation. She said that in the past she has always listened and did everything in her power not to pass judgement. She let the student explain their feelings and the situation that is bothering them. Once the student finished, Marialice would acknowledge their feelings and ask them politely if they would like to talk to the school nurse/counselor or if the student would like her to call their parent/guardian. I love this advice. I think it’s a great way to still be there for the student; yet you are still able to get them the help they need. If only I learned this a few years ago!
This topic is really near and dear to my heart. Right after graduating college with my undergrad degree, I began teaching third grade in an urban setting. I felt much like your post describes, unprepared to deal with the emotional and economic troubles that plagued my students. The most important part of preparing to become an educator is field experience. Time, experience and advice from veteran teachers have helped all of us become better equipped to teach our students, but teacher prep programs in my opinion should incorporate some kind of counseling courses to better prepare future teachers to better understand and serve students emotionally during divorce, violence, bullying etc.
ReplyDeleteI am so glad I wasn't the only one feeling this way! I actually thought about getting my masters in school counseling for this very reason; but I don't want to be a school counselor, I want to be a teacher. I'm just glad Marialice gave us her opinion on what she use to do. With experience we will learn I guess.
ReplyDelete