Counselors and Paras

I was glad to hear the panel of counselors and the teachers who spoke about paras.  I think that was a new teacher it will be essential to learn about the different resources in the school, and how as a teacher, I can best utilize them to help my students.  It was interesting to hear what counselors deal with, and the way they help students work through the different type of issues that they face. 
I think the way I will best utilize these two groups in my school, is to one, build a relationship with them and understand exactly what they can help with.  By understanding exactly what they helped with, and what they can do, I will best be able to ask them if I think there is a way my student can benefit from them.  I in that way, will need to advocate for my student if they need help.
Sexual Issues, and how to handle them as a teacher was a hot topic in class this week.  This is a situation that will be difficult to handle at times, being as there are so many variables, and so many different opinions.  I think that it is likely that my school will have guidelines on how to handle situations that have to do with difficult subjects, and as a new teacher it would serve me well to familiarize myself with them.  Not that this will alleviate every judgment call i would have to make, it may offer me some direction. 
Of course I will need to follow the guidelines set up by my district, but as for my opinion, I feel that we need to offer students a comprehensive sex education with all the information possible.  It is not necessary for me as a teacher to offer morality advice.  I do not feel that informing about birth control is advocating they use it,  or that saying the condoms protect is encouraging premarital sex.  But unfortunately, some students may make choices that we would not, but if they are informed about what are the options, and understand the consequences they may face, that we are educating them, which is our primary purpose.  We need them to understand what they face, and it is not our position to moralize for them, as many students may have different values than we do.
Students in foster care face many issues, and often have an extra bit of baggage to deal with at an already difficult time in childhood/adolescence.  Getting to know these students as individuals may be even more essential that other students.  Although it is imporant to get to know all students, we may be the first person to show an in depth interest to these students.  I also will want to build a relationship so that these students may feel comfortable with me should they have any problems that they need to confide in me for.

As others have said, so much of this comes back to building relationships with students.  No matter what it is they face, and every students faces something, they will be more likely to trust in us as teachers, if we have taken the time to get to know them, and care for them.