Just finished reading chapter 6, "Student Behavior" in "Early Career English Teachers in Action."
It's hard to imagine that one day I'll be faced with difficult situations with individual students. I was lucky to grow up in a functional, supportive family and even though my family didn't have a lot of money, we always had food, clothing, and good health care. I had a happy childhood unmarred by divorce, abuse or financial struggle.
Reading the 4 stories teachers shared in this chapter made me realize I'm probably going to have certain students with behavior issues because of a number of reasons, many I never experienced myself growing up.
I'm a very empathetic person and have no worries that I'll be able to try to help the students, but will probably need input from fellow teachers who have more experience on how to best help the student, depending on their specific situation.
In a good school, there are many people who are willing to help students in difficult situations: administrators, counselors, and other teachers. In fact, it's often a good idea to email a counselor first, see if that person can provide insight, and then go to other teachers. Sometimes there are privacy issues and information cannot be shared, but at least a counselor can advise you on a next step.
ReplyDeleteThat's good to know. Def something I'll be checking into before accepting a job. I think it's very important to have a good support system within the faculty.
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