Friday, September 12, 2014
The opportunities and possibilities from the connections we make
For every individual person, a new day provides opportunities to learn new information or perspectives about various aspects of the world we live in. As an educator in the early childhood field, I am able to learn from my students, their parents and families, my colleagues, and community members. As a student in an online Education Specialist in Early Childhood degree program, I am able to learn from my classmates who are located in different states across the country. The opportunities that these connections allow provide me with information and perspectives that help me in my current position and shed light onto the possibilities of my future.
From these connections, informal and formal conversations can emerge, often in the form of interviews. This is precisely what occurred as I prepared to conduct my interviews for my Course Project (Major Assessment). The two professionals that I have chosen to interview are colleagues of mine, but whom I do not interact with on a daily basis. Their positions as our school district’s guidance counselor and psychologist mean that the amount of information that I can obtain will be limited due to confidentiality in regards to the specific students that they work with. Despite this limitation, I am hoping to gain insight into the programs (for example, Banana Splits) that we currently have to support our students who have experienced, or are currently experiencing, the separation and divorce of their parents.
The information that I have already obtained through my research on this topic for my Course Project (Major Assessment) has led me to learning how age, gender, and timing play a part in the impact that parental separation and divorce have on a young child’s development. As I continue and complete my research on this topic, I would like to be guided by ideas from you on what information would help you support the children in your classroom or program who are experiencing the separation and divorce of their parents?
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Julie,
ReplyDeleteReading your post was well thought-out indeed. I thank you for the research you are completing on behalf of all the children who have experience, and will experience the divorce of beloved parents. I think it is important for you to allow the child to know that the divorce is not his or her fault. In addition, continue to collaborate with parents to attend after-school events, lunch date with their child, field trips, parent-teacher conferences(alternating of course due to the nature of the situation) to provide the child with some sense of normalcy in his or her life. You may also want to consult your school counselor as I have mine in the past, she is great at situations such as this.
Joy Overflowing,
April
Thank you April!
DeleteYou are right in addressing the importance of how parents should maintain their presence in their child's education, and also to ensure that the child knows that they are not to blame for the decision that their parents have made.
It is extremely helpful having both a guidance counselor and psychologist in my school building to consult when situations like this do arise.
Julie
Julie,
ReplyDeleteHow great to get the opportunity to actually sit down and talk with your guidance counselor and psychologist. They are very knowledgeable in dealing with students who are experiencing difficulties. It is also very important to know our students and as much about their home life as possible. Many times, this valuable information explains so much and gives us great insight into why children behave as they do. Good luck and I look forward to hearing from you!!
Leigh Anne
Leigh Anne,
DeleteThank you!
The perspective that both a guidance counselor and psychologist have is so different than that of a teacher. Their ability to speak to a child one on one, outside of the home and the classroom, is an opportunity that allows them to observe the many emotions that a child may be feeling and to hear a more personal side to what they are experiencing; both of which are beneficial to providing appropriate support for meeting the child's specific needs.
Julie
Julie,
ReplyDeleteGreat post. It sounds as though you have gained a wealth of insights that will not only help you with your research project but will enhance your teaching for years to come.
Patti
Thank you, Patti!
DeleteJulie
Julie,
ReplyDeleteSeparation and divorce is a critical issue especially for young children because it is hard for them to understand why it is happening. Some children, depending on the age, blame themselves. You picked two great people to interview because they have a personal connection with the students and families. Although some of the information is confidential, you will gain more insight on this issue.
Brittini,
DeleteThank you. After completing my interviews I discovered that the confidentiality they needed to maintain did not hinder the information that they shared at all.
It was truly an insightful process!
Julie
Although divorce is an emotional time for all parties, it is often time the best thing for the family unit. How does the age of children effect their outcomes?
ReplyDeleteZ Jones,
DeleteThank you for your response and question.
Depending on the age of the child during the separation and divorce process, there are differences in their levels of understanding, their concerns for what others may think, their concerns for what they think about themselves and whether they are to blame, and their concerns for the responsibilities they currently have, as well as the addition of other duties once the process is complete.
The way in which a child is able to face these consequences of the separation and divorce process depends heavily on their age and level of development.
Julie
Julie,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your post; it sounds as though your research is proceeding well! And it is such an important, and universal, topic!
I would be interested in knowing how the guidance counselor and the psychologist see the collaboration with the classroom teacher. What is their role, what is ours, and how much of an overlap should there be? Is there time to communicate back and forth about an individual child? If so, is it one way, or two way sharing? In my own research, I keep finding "silos" when it comes to working to meet the needs of vulnerable children, and I wonder what you are hearing from the field...
Stephanie,
DeleteThank you!
In my own experience with both our guidance counselor and school psychologist, if the child that we are conversing about is a student in my classroom, they tend to be open about sharing information, especially if it will help me to help the child on a daily basis.
With the addition of an on-site therapist through a school-based clinic in my district, it was emphasized by the therapist herself that she plans on working closely with the students, their parents and family, and the teacher, in order to have one cohesive team to support the needs of the child.
Julie