I personally feel that these reported incidents are symptoms
of a bigger issue not just in NJ but all over the country and the world. The
first being that educators lack professional development especially special
education teachers. I have been in the field of education for almost 20 years.
I deliver professional development around NJ. I hear repeatedly that special
education teachers do not feel that they receive professional development that
is essential for them to educate their students. When a special education teacher
is working with students with significant disabilities, I am not so sure it is
important for the special education teacher to sit through training on the new
reading and math programs that the district will be implementing. It is imperative that all teachers need to be
trained however districts need to evaluate their professional development to
make sure they match the teachers' needs. Special education teachers that are
working with students on the spectrum should be taking professional development
on improving language skills, how to engineer the environment for language and
learning, functional life skills training, understanding transition, the list
can go on. If we are to give our students in NJ a fighting chance at a proper
education the teachers need to have professional development that is
meaningful, supportive and pertinent to what they are required to teach.
The second issue is that we do not give educators that work
with students with challenging behaviors are difficult to teach a way to
communicate their frustrations and anxieties. This does not excuse an individual
that has crossed the line there is no
reason to do so. However, if we do not recognize that teaching students with disabilities
and even general education students is stressful than we are being irresponsible.
There are two schools for students with autism in the state that I know hire a
counselor to visit with the staff each month and hire a massage therapist once
a month. You are required to sit with the counselor for 30 minutes to talk about
work and whatever comes to mind. Even my
employer has a program that I can call to talk to a counselor or schedule
mental health sessions. We all deal with stress but when there is no outlet for that stress we have serious consequences. Staff need to feel they have a safe place to communicate their stress and frustration.
The solutions are very easy. If we do not accept student on
student bullying why should we have to accept adult on child bullying. It
happens every day in school across the nation. If our nation is going to take
bullying seriously we need to look at solutions that have meaning. Cameras in every classroom and public space.
Then there would be no she said he said or parents having to do something like
wiring their child for video or sound. There is no right to privacy in public
buildings, schools are funded by public monies (Local, State and Federal). All areas
of the school except locker rooms and bathrooms should have video monitoring
but they should be wired for sound. Most think an invasion of privacy, from news
broadcasts on students being assaulted by peers or adults it often happens in
the bathroom or locker rooms.
Many will not like the suggestion of cameras for many
reasons but I have a question, WHAT do you risk? I taught for 8 years in an
educational setting that had cameras in every classroom and hallway or public
area. It didn’t change the way I taught. It actually made me more secure in how
I taught. I didn’t have to worry about being accused of something I didn’t do.
If I was accused of saying something or doing something ROLL back the TAPE. It
allowed parents to observe the classroom without upsetting the flow of the
classroom. It allowed me to see what others saw when teaching. There are more
pros for cameras in school than cons.
Incidents are not on the rise. We are just having parents stepping up and reporting it to the news. In the past, districts were holding the cards on what will happen to their staff and even if they would believe what was being said. Now parents are becoming wiser and more savvy on how to get the proof they need to show that their child is suffering at the hands of an adult. Students are learning to use technology to outsmart their educational staff.
My challenge to districts around the nation be PROACTIVE instead of REACTTIVE. Firing the staff that are responsible for poor behavior is the right thing to do however what can you do to insure the safety of your students and staff? Firing staff is only a plug in a whole that is going to grow over time.
Posts
1 comment:
Training appropriate to staff needs is an accurate point. Part of training, although our school trains on "harrassment" and student harrassment every other year by law, it's an overview and does not reall address what is considered bullying among adults working in schools. Harrassment training for adults usually addresses sexual harrassment, not other harrassment beahviors that are "bullying". I think if school staff can not recognize their own bullying behaviors, no wonder it is not really addressed when students may try to tell an adult that it is occuring to them. Adults bully in the schools, and I think students follow suit. This is an area that needs to be addressed as well to prevent bullying.
Post a Comment