The holidays are upon us. Many teachers and students alike rejoice in the vacations, the seasonal changes, and the impending threat of the "s" word (I'll be careful not to jinx us, as last year we had a winter storm that laid about 45 inches of the stuff in one weekend). Although this is a season for celebration, family, gathering, and fellowship, many of our students look at the holidays with great dread.
I would be remiss if I didn't remind you that I have spent this year as the newly-appointed emotional support teacher for 6th grade in my district. In the past few months, I have seen almost every level of behavior from students, and the experiences I've had equal years in other classrooms. My students, who struggle with emotional and social disadvantages, have something in common this time of year-for many of them, the holidays (and the vacations from school that come with them) are a time of great instability in their lives. Recently, I had a very insightful chat with one of our school counselors. She and I both remarked that we are the stability for many of these kids. Think about it this way: School represents much more than learning to a kid with emotional and behavioral issues. For them, school is a place where the following things are true (and always will be):
I will always contend that any staff member in a public school needs to make relationship-building their #1 priority. As Rita Pearson points out in her TED Talk, “Kids aren’t going to learn from someone they don’t like.” There’s also this point to consider: As an adult working in a public school, you are responsible for every relationship you have built. For all you know, your interaction with a student may be the only positive interaction with an adult they’ve had all day.
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