Sunday, January 30, 2011
Wintergirl-Deep Question for Thought
This question is from the point of view of what you would do as a teacher and one that I think about on a regular basis. In the book Wintergirls, Lia comes from a blended family and one that doesn't seem to get a long very well. Her parents are usually arguing and Jennifer and Lia's mom don't seem to get a long at all. Now if you had a student in your classroom, like Lia, who is suffereing from an eating disorder and you noticed that she wasn't doing well in school, how would you go about getting the family together to talk about Lia's issues and possible problems at school?
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When I think of issues like eating disorders and family issues, I know these situations are too complex for my expertise. I would hope parents could set aside their differences for the sake of their child. I would hope my communications with them, as a teacher, would show that they can. I know that will not always be the case and that I will need guidance. This post really illustrates that teachers need to have a positive working relationship with other staff members, school counselors especially. School counselors will be our contact and resource for complex issues that require deeper interventions.
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ReplyDeleteParents are not always as accessible as we would think they should be and for any number of reasons. In addition, just because it is obvious to us as educators, parents may not be willing to accept our observations as fact, even with their child’s well-being as our objectives. That is why many schools have a system in place for a situation like this. As educators, we should follow the proper channels and discuss the issue with the parents as a team. Be well prepared with reasoning, and rely on our staff to help communicate it with the parents. Then...FOLLOW-UP. I hope that we have made a connection with the family and can work collaboratively to support the student in his/her recovery.
ReplyDeleteI hate this expression, but in this case, it may be true, "it takes a village to raise a child".
This is a great example of why it so important to connect with students and make a point to talk to each of them individually as often as possible and regularly. Unfortunately there are too many students like Lia with problems that are invisible to teachers.
ReplyDeleteParalleling Mark's comment, using the school resources, such as the school nurse or social worker, teachers can become more informed in how to help the child and bring in the parents to help solve the problem. Communication between concerned adults and the child is important in order for the child to know a community of people care about him or her. Mark's village metaphor really emphasizes the positive impact a concerned community can have on helping an individual overcome personal troubles.
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