I find myself pretty lucky to actually be learning how to handle all the issues we've discussed so far. As I look back to my elementary school years and even middle school, I wonder if my teachers had to go through something like this as well. I say this because I must have been totally oblivious to what was going on around me (either that or I'm missing like half my memories). I don't recall having fancy programs that teach students about how to react to situations that could be potentially dangerous (those that include drugs and alcohol). Sorry, but D.A.R.E didn't seem that great to me when I did it in fifth grade, mainly because all I had to do was fill out a workbook which I can't even remember the details of. I hope that since my time taking the program it would be more interactive.
Now, we hear of programs that have students role-play scenarios that involve how to react in situations where either alcohol or drugs are present (kind of what we touched upon in class 1/24/2011 towards the end...you know, that really awkward situation Tom put me and Ellen in...). That is such a creative and cool idea. I wish I had gone through something like that at some point earlier in my life.
A point I would like to make also involves our Sexuality topic. We've been talking about how to develop a program to inform students on the topic, but we should remember that we need to encourage students to ask their parents. We need to develop the relationship of not only the teacher/student, but also between parent/child. If a child has a better relationship with the parent, then the child has a better self concept (remember the video we watched in classroom management...yea, I just tied that in).
So what I'm really trying to get at is we, as teachers (the most important factor to keep in mind), need to find ways to help students bond with their parents. I think the most effective way we can do this is to have programs for these "tough to talk about" issues that, for some reason no one ever wants to touch upon, bring students and parents together and talk. I think that is what is really lacking in many aspects of the education system today. I will say this though, my fellow students, things have definitely shaped up better, I mean did you read what I said before? I had to fill out a workbook!!! Who does that anymore?!?!??????
ED460 Personal and Social Well Being is a course taken by college students in education during their student teaching semester. Topics covered include: poverty, child abuse, bullying, drugs, alcohol, and tobacco, counselors' role in school, adolescents and choices, and the use of technology.
Alex, I like your thoughts on building relationships with students and helping to foster better relationships between the students and their parents. As to the "tough to talk about" issues I think it would be great to facilitate programs for the parents to attend with their child, this could be very beneficial. If multiple teachers/counselors/administrators got involved with this a program could be individualized and tailored to the needs of small groups. I do hesitate to say that creation of such programs belong to the school -- maybe to the larger community, perhaps religious organizations?
ReplyDeleteAnd as a side note -- while the role-playing was fun, the workbook was less awkward
The part in D.A.R.E. that I remember the most was when our officer told us stories of things that he had experienced. I remember that being more impacting than filling out the workbook like Alex was talking about. I think this can come from different places than just D.A.R.E. Margaret and other students talked about people coming to talk to them who had friends or children that had died because of poor decisions (drunk driving, drugs). I like that idea because I feel like that is something students will remember. We remember things that really stir up our emotions, or at least that is how it is for me.
ReplyDeleteTotally agree, Alex. Parents and kids these days don't talk with each other enough. These sorts of issues are exactly when we, the teachers, need parental back up.
ReplyDeleteAlex, I read something a few months ago talking about the D.A.R.E program, and its success rate was something like 20%. So I am with you, it really is not effective. And the only thing I remember from D.A.R.E is a rocking song, which I had an awesome solo in, not how to resist from drugs and alcohol as a child/teen.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you on the sexuality topic that we should remember that we need to encourage students to ask their parents. I also like your idea that we need to find ways to help students bond with their parents, especially since they are the first educators of their children.
ReplyDeleteI had the same experience that DARE really didn't have any kind of effect on me. The problem it would seem is that to often programs such as Dare start off at such a young age but ae discontinued when students are in real need of them.
ReplyDeleteI really like your post, Alex. I am also thankful to be getting this information on dealing with these situations because I too must have been oblivious as I was growing up. I literally do not remember anything about the D.A.R.E. program, though I know that we had it at my gradeschool.
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