The presentation on students at risk led by Shannon Garcia and Reggie Washington offered several insights into the minds' of students that may need extra support from the educators in their lives. Having students work with convicts with the aim of curbing behavioral problems made me cringe at first but after the presentation I saw how it could have some benefit to a select group of students if the parties involved were carefully selected and screened. I could foresee having difficulty getting the parents to buy into this program though for the same reason it made me cringe. Generally a parent does not want to send their offspring to collaborate with a convicted prisoner. Nonetheless, the plan could help illustrate the relationship of school behavior and performance with position in life as an adult. Ideally the practice could also teach troubled students to cut back on using behavior as a means of communication because that is a slippery slope.
I think it is important to note some of the problems shared by most troubled students like abuse as a child or dependence on controlled substances. Although these factors identify at-risk students they surely are not a direct indicator of troubles as an adult. These issues can be combated if detected early and educators can work with students to build resilience. Of course educators will not be able to address the issues unless they bring them up in the first place and sometimes work somewhat as an investigator trying to find out what makes certain students do certain things. Working to eliminate the issues responsible for behavioral outbursts will be far more effective than only addressing the behavior and not going any deeper.
I also liked that the speakers brought up the issue of putting all of the problem students together in continuation schools and the juvenile court school system. Spending their time with other troubled adolescents could conceivably exacerbate their poor choices. However, putting these students in a regular high school has the potential drawback of pulling new students into bad situations where poor choices will be more likely. So then where do the at risk students go if mainstream schools want to keep them away but continuation schools and the JCSS is a breeding ground for further behavioral difficulties? The answer may be that reform is needed at the secondary school systems or the public mainstream high schools need programs to better support and guide the actions of their at-risk students, like Reggie Washington's Project A.W.A.R.E.
A few simple recommendations that Reggie Washington made hit home with me. These included frequently asking how students were feeling, being genuine and vulnerable with them and trying to see things from their perspective. I also liked the advice of recognizing the peculiarities of students. I remember trying so hard to be different as a high school student although what I thought of as showing my difference was really the same thing all my friends were doing. I think what I wanted was to be recognized as an individual but also as a part of something bigger. That is a delicate balance that I think many young adults deal with and paying attention to the little things students do differently without making them feel singled out or ostracized could go a long way.
I think it is important to note some of the problems shared by most troubled students like abuse as a child or dependence on controlled substances. Although these factors identify at-risk students they surely are not a direct indicator of troubles as an adult. These issues can be combated if detected early and educators can work with students to build resilience. Of course educators will not be able to address the issues unless they bring them up in the first place and sometimes work somewhat as an investigator trying to find out what makes certain students do certain things. Working to eliminate the issues responsible for behavioral outbursts will be far more effective than only addressing the behavior and not going any deeper.
I also liked that the speakers brought up the issue of putting all of the problem students together in continuation schools and the juvenile court school system. Spending their time with other troubled adolescents could conceivably exacerbate their poor choices. However, putting these students in a regular high school has the potential drawback of pulling new students into bad situations where poor choices will be more likely. So then where do the at risk students go if mainstream schools want to keep them away but continuation schools and the JCSS is a breeding ground for further behavioral difficulties? The answer may be that reform is needed at the secondary school systems or the public mainstream high schools need programs to better support and guide the actions of their at-risk students, like Reggie Washington's Project A.W.A.R.E.
A few simple recommendations that Reggie Washington made hit home with me. These included frequently asking how students were feeling, being genuine and vulnerable with them and trying to see things from their perspective. I also liked the advice of recognizing the peculiarities of students. I remember trying so hard to be different as a high school student although what I thought of as showing my difference was really the same thing all my friends were doing. I think what I wanted was to be recognized as an individual but also as a part of something bigger. That is a delicate balance that I think many young adults deal with and paying attention to the little things students do differently without making them feel singled out or ostracized could go a long way.