Monday, April 23, 2012
Ch. 7 Managing the Emotional Demands of Teaching
"Teachers are an invaluable resource to children exposed to violence or relational trauma. Their emotional availability and consistent presence help these children reestablish a sense of trust and learn to regulate their emotions and behavior. The intensity of this type of responsive teaching depletes a teacher's personal and professional resources. This demoralizes teachers and puts them at risk for burn-out or compassion fatigue. Supports need to be in place to help teaches manage the emotional dimensions of their work and maintain their own sense of competence and well-being. These include a willingness to take the time necessary to protect one's own physical, emotional, and spiritual health; adminstrative support for collaborative teaming; and frequent opportunities for training."
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I plan to visit the following websites that Susan reccommends in this chapter:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.nctsnet.org
http://www.schoolhousedoor.com
http://www.childtraumaacademy.org
Not to make us sound like too much of a Mutual Admiration Society, but I am thankful for all the support that most of the other specialists are able to offer. Even as someone who only has each student an hour a week, I feel like the classroom teachers and everyone else can lend me a hand every now and then. I think that's really cool.
ReplyDeleteAs far as social rejuvenation, I've found that to be difficult. Most of my friends from VT have graduated, and it's hard for me to balance social well-being with professional obligations. My one outside-of-school activity for the week is community band rehearsal on Wednesday evening, and even then I've been too busy to go. I do have three mentors (a classroom teacher at Belview, the other music teacher at EastMont, and another music teacher within the county), which has definitely helped.
Sorry to sound like such a Debbie Downer; I really did enjoy the chapter! It's glad to know that I'm not alone.