After having taught in the school environment for many years, I've discovered that there's plenty of behavioral problems that have been around and will continue to be around unless teachers are taught how to nurture students well.
Recently on Facebook, I saw a former student who was very disengaged in school when I first met him. He was someone whom you would call a rebel. We all go through stages of life like that, but he was different. A single child living with a single parent can be tough. He mixed with bad company, and didn't do well in school and was really uninterested. On Facebook recently, I caught him posting a status update that said "Working hard not to waste the many opportunities I was given. Regret I had wasted those while I was in school".
Although we always know that as teachers, our reach could be limited. But most teachers fail to realize the importance of 'seeding' the student. I mean, plant the seeds and move on! The problem is not that teachers aren't doing their jobs. We all know that a teacher's job goes way beyond just teaching a subject. It actually goes into mastering the art of teaching without saying anything. A lot of my former students remember me not because of the things I say (usually, because of my craft, they always forget the things I say, hehe...) but the way I have been. I've been described as 'patient', 'supportive' and 'compassionate'. I'm certain I'm not the only person who can do that. There have been many teachers who have done this and done it well. However, some teachers may have forgotten this, and started to get pressured into the short term results that have to be accomplished like assessment grades and the like.
Personally, I would prefer that teachers focus on nurturing. Sure, there are short term demands on your time. But you're not here for those. You're here for the impact you create on the life of a student. I've seen many clients and done regression therapies or inner healing in my counseling and a lot of them mention their teachers in their scarred moments. I'm not surprised. But if you are a teacher and you are surprised, students can be vulnerable not to what you say but how you say it. It has to flow from you, not just as a mechanical "good job" and you're done. It means you'll need to look at yourself from the inside out.
By investigating your own core values and understanding what you are preparing your students for in life, you will better be able to get yourself attuned to the kinds of skills you need and manner in which you apply those skills. Accelerated learning, for instance, boosts a student's confidence. Charismatic communication enables you to be a magnet to draw in a student. Emotional literacy allows you to communicate with your students more deeply and help them to feel understood.
There's plenty more, but I'll save it for the time when you meet me in a real training for teachers, where we teach the competencies required of teachers for the 21st century, so that we can do our part to nurture creative, contributing and engaged adults for the future.
Recently on Facebook, I saw a former student who was very disengaged in school when I first met him. He was someone whom you would call a rebel. We all go through stages of life like that, but he was different. A single child living with a single parent can be tough. He mixed with bad company, and didn't do well in school and was really uninterested. On Facebook recently, I caught him posting a status update that said "Working hard not to waste the many opportunities I was given. Regret I had wasted those while I was in school".
Personally, I would prefer that teachers focus on nurturing. Sure, there are short term demands on your time. But you're not here for those. You're here for the impact you create on the life of a student. I've seen many clients and done regression therapies or inner healing in my counseling and a lot of them mention their teachers in their scarred moments. I'm not surprised. But if you are a teacher and you are surprised, students can be vulnerable not to what you say but how you say it. It has to flow from you, not just as a mechanical "good job" and you're done. It means you'll need to look at yourself from the inside out.
By investigating your own core values and understanding what you are preparing your students for in life, you will better be able to get yourself attuned to the kinds of skills you need and manner in which you apply those skills. Accelerated learning, for instance, boosts a student's confidence. Charismatic communication enables you to be a magnet to draw in a student. Emotional literacy allows you to communicate with your students more deeply and help them to feel understood.
There's plenty more, but I'll save it for the time when you meet me in a real training for teachers, where we teach the competencies required of teachers for the 21st century, so that we can do our part to nurture creative, contributing and engaged adults for the future.
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