Inspiring Students Today

Bullying is never tolerated in the school I am in, but you do have to be creative in solving that problem. If you teach ED&BD students, you have to come to grips with the fact that much of what we consider bullying has to do with the environment the child was exposed to growing up. This in no way condones the behavior, but a child who is the product of domestic violence compared to a child who is the product of two loving parents is most likely going to result in different outcomes. If the parents or adults surrounding a child approved of a bully-like attitude, then it should be expected that the child will pick up on this attitude. Many of the students I deal with on a daily basis miss-perceive everything as an attack on them until they can form some kind of trust with you. For this reason, depending on the level of the bullying, the first step is to try to get the bully to recognize their behavior as being inappropriate and harmful to another human being. As easy as it is fo

   I probably have too many teaching goals this semester. That old saying that you bite off more than you can chew often rings true with me. Since I work with emotionally disturbed and behavioral disorder students, one of my goals is to improve the physical environment of the classroom. I want the classroom to produce a sense of comfort, security and well-being rather than being perceived as cold and non-caring. In addition to having a physical environment that promotes security and comfort, there is the added benefit of being able to engage students in social skills. Students, for example, learn how to conduct their self at a table designated for eating or how to behave in a living room. Another physical goal on my wish list is to start a garden and to improve the kitchen. As far as educational goals, my number one priority is getting better at transitions to independent living for my students. One student of mine (with an ankle bracelet) came to me, and in the most serious tone