Issues, Conflict and Emotion in the Classroom:
Resources for Teachers
Although it is not generally in the job description, teachers are much more than the mere imparters of wisdom and knowledge. No matter the subject, no matter the age or educational level of the students, teachers are frequently not only sought out for emotional solace, but also expected to be a pillar of strength and stability in times of duress. It is, of course, expected that classes go on as usual, sometimes under the most trying of circumstances: from natural disasters to human inflicted violence and the list goes on. Many times for the students, this sense of normalcy, the expectation that education will go on, we will advance and we will succeed, despite the most trying of circumstances, is a stabilizing force in what may be a very rocky personal time in their life. In this, the teacher is much more than an imparter of facts and figures. That does not, however, make it easy. And if there is any magic in the process, I never found it. I did, however, find some resources to help in dealing with the issues that sooner or later confront us all in the classroom, everything from violence, to disaster, to abusive incidents, bullies and the death of both family members and fellow students. If you know of other resources that others might find helpful, please drop me an email. Regina Garson, Magic Stream Publisher
Emotional Issues and Recovery
A Course on Helping --
A Course on Helping is a noncredit "conversational" course available at no cost to visitors to The WonderWise Parent. It is also used as a foundation training strategy in the DearNeighbors program. This resource is a "generic" helping skills course that can apply to any context in which someone we know is suffering.
School Safety and Crisis Resources -- NASP has made these materials available free of charge to the public in order to promote the ability of children and youth to cope with traumatic or unsettling events. This site has printable brochures, which may be useful as handouts and take-home information.
The Depressed Child -- Children under stress, who experience loss, or who have attentional,
learning or conduct disorders are at a higher risk for depression.
How Parents can Help Young People Cope with Violence or Disaster
-- By Regina Garson, Magic Stream Publisher. Children may have an intensely difficult time trying to cope with a disaster or violent incident. There are steps that parents and family members can take to help them recover.
Coping With a Traumatic Event A traumatic event disrupts your life. There is no simple fix to make things better right away. But there are actions that can help you, your family, and your community heal.
The Expressive Arts in Counseling --
By Samuel T. Gladding.
In recent times, there has been renewed interest in the use of the arts in
counseling. Informed
counselors and teachers can assist individuals in both coping with disaster and developing their potential through art forms that inspire, direct, and heal.
When Disaster Strikes: Helping children cope with life at its worst -- Whether they see it on TV, or live through it themselves, children too have to cope and come to some level of acceptance and understanding in the face of disaster. This information is from the national PTA.
Helping Children After a Disaster. -- A catastrophe or violent act is frightening to children and adults alike. It is important to acknowledge the
frightening parts of the disaster when talking with a child about it. Falsely
minimizing the danger will not end a child's concerns.
School Bullying is Nothing New, But Psychologists
Identify New Ways to Prevent It -- From APA Online. Systematic international research has shown school bullying to be a frequent and serious public health problem. But psychologists are using this research to develop bullying prevention programs that are being implemented in schools around the world.
Taking The Bully By The Horns -- By Kathy Noll and Dr. Jay Carter. On helping kids deal with bullies, self-esteem and youth violence.
Warning Signs of Youth Violence -- From the APA Help Center. One in 12 high schoolers is threatened or injured with a weapon each year. If you're between the ages of 12 and 24, you face the highest risk of being the victim of violence. At the same time, statistics show that by the early 1990's the incidence of violence caused by young people reached unparalleled levels in American society.
The Unabridged Student Counseling Virtual Pamphlet Collection -- Opinions expressed in a virtual pamphlet from one university do not necessarily reflect those of other universities, but there is a lot of good information in the collected resources.
See Also:
The Affirmation Gallery -- Internalizing affirmations and positive words can make a tremendous difference in self image, self esteem and success. These poster selections are suitable for personal, classroom and group venus.
I know this has absolutely nothing to do with emotional wellness, or maybe it does. But one of the issues of which I have become acutely aware is the need for the current and future generations of young people in the US to reach for and achieve higher levels in math, science, engineering and technology development. To that end, NASA is directly involved in a national initiative to foster higher levels of academic achievement in these areas. I worked as editor on several teacher guides designed to provide background and lesson plans that allow you to bring higher level aerospace, engineering, technology, math, and science learnings into your own classroom. These links will lead you to other NASA educational materials as well. Regina Garson, Magic Stream Publisher.
Ares: Launch and Propulsion
This grade 5-12 teachers guide gives students a hands-on opportunity to experiment with variables that might affect the performance of a launch vehicle.
Engineering Design Challenge: Spacecraft Structures
Grade 6-9 teachers guide. Students develop basic aerospace engineering skills as they undertake the problem of designing a strong but lightweight thrust structure that can withstand the launch of a bottle rocket by means of a wooden lever.
More High Tech for the Classroom:
FIRST LEGO League Alabama Championship -- By Regina Garson
This was a write-up of a state competetion. There are FIRST LEGO Leagues around the globe though. This is a lot of fun, does some good brain stretching, and the kids love it. I got to cover this one in person. There are links to information on how you can get your school or group involved.
No claims are made as to the reliability of any of the information provided or linked, sources often disagree. None of these pages are meant to be a replacement for professional help, but a resource that enables one to be a more intelligent consumer. You can learn a lot by becoming aware of different opinions. Don't be afraid to ask questions when it comes to your health, physical or emotional.