Jeaneen,
Interesting post. What are some of the most common positive and negative HABEs your current students bring with them?
Jeffrey Schillinger
While I would agree that a great deal of our time is spent mentoring and advising students, I would caution the misuse of the term "mental health" business. As a health professional (albeit a veterinarian) we must recognize that persons with mental health issues suffer from real metabolic derangements. Mental health issues are not something that an individual can be "talked out of" or coached into performing alternate behaviors. In my time as an instructor, I have come across students with personal crises who merely need someone to listen and advise and those who are truly mentally ill; the latter need medical intervention, something that I for one, am not qualified to provide.
I absolutely agree. Many of my students have personal issues that distract them from their studies. Some have a mental health diagnosis that he/she must also battle with. Many have poor study habits and unrealistic expectations. All of these factors cause me to find myself drawing from my other profession as a Behavioral Health RN.
I agree with the mental health. I have students on drugs, recovering from drugs, dealing with a bad divorce, severe financial burdens, and some extreme cases of being "BI-POLAR" severely. I take the students mood and known problems to heart. A smile and "You can do it" has helped several students. Unfortunately, not all have stuck to their goal.
I agree. Students today have a lot on their plate. Especially when they are enrolling in a career school. We need training on how to handle all of their anxiety and "drama" and help them focus on why they are there anad to look at the bigger picture. As an Admissions Rep I try to paint a picture for them on hoew their life would change once they complete school. I love the idea of the vision/goal form that you included in this module. I can't wait to start using it in my interviews! :)
I definitely think we are in more than one business. The college isn’t just working with the student to be successful in the classroom. We are helping the student to be successful in life. Whether it’s helping the student address the instructor appropriately or just managing their time, we are developing student to be successful in their professional life as well. Our students learn more than what’s in the course, they learn how to develop their resume, interviewing techniques and have personal mentors to help lead them through life’s challenges.
Yes, absolutely! Students often require a mentor, direction, and/or surrogate Moms and Dads. Often, school is the only place where they feel someone cares about them, and I've often been more like a Dad than a teacher. This can be draining at times, especially with so many students, but also very rewarding.
I would have to say we are in both education and in the mental health business. Most students come to class prepared physically and as well mentally prepared, but this is not the case for everyone.
As educators, we can see students physically present in our class but occasionally we have a student that seems to have their mind somewhere else.
Every good instructor will recognize this disconnect and will try to use their intructional 'tools' to bring back the student to the learning environment.
Sometimes the root cause for this disconnect is not so obvious and we must 'dig a little' to understand the perception of the student. Maybe then we can offer ways to cope or succeed.
It would be interactions like this that bring us into the mental health business and as well the education business.
I agree to a certain extent. Mental is defined by Dictionary.com as "of or pertaining to the mind." An education expands/builds on what one knows. This building on the current state of one's mind is impowering. Educationing/impowering an individual will affect their outlook of themselve and their view of life in general (mental health).
Agreed, more so with the younger crowd, at times the gray line between teaching and parenting becomes blurred. Many students will drag problems or issues into the classroom, some are low key with nothing more that some encouragement will resolve. Other have deep emotional or personal problems which will be outside of a teacher control or help. I have found that speaking with the student on a one to one and listening is a first step in giving some guidance.
Garry,
Attention is the first step to retention. Listening the your students is important. What do you do when a student brings you a problem that needs specific assistance that the school does not provide?
Jeffrey Schillinger
Absolutely. There aren't any counselors on campus but we have to hear students out and outsource to the proper professionals that can help them with their issue. Many times students just need someone to listen. Their issues and their problems are real. Positive student retention is knowing your student body and helping them achieve their goals.
I agree. Getting an education is not a guarantee of success, or guarantee of a job/career. Much of success is based on the perception of what the education will lead you towards. The HABE's are so important to moving forward in your career/life. The education is the foundation, but mentally, everything else is created around it. Without a healthy mental focus, the education can be devalued. It is my responsibility to help students understand this.
Dallan,
What are the HABEs of successful students in your school? in your career?
Jeffrey Schillinger
I hate to buck the trend, but I will disagree with the claim that we as educators are also mental health workers. There is quite a difference between maintaining a healthy learning environment in the school and professional relationships with the students, and getting personally involved in their mental condition. The mental health business revolves around revealing issues, diagnoses of mental conditions, counseling and medicating. None of which are we qualified for or legally sanctioned.
In a sense, our work as educators cannot really progress in mentally unhealthy students. Sometimes our students will have to seek professional help outside of our areas of expertise before they progress through our training.
Bruce,
It is true that sometimes our students need access to help we are not able to provide. Our school has contracted with a third party counseling service.
Jeffrey Schillinger
I agree we are more than educators we are mentors role models and sometimes mother's figure for some students
I would say that we have more than one role in our day to day activities and the business of mental health is just one of them. Physically student show up for their education but many times there are mental distraction that cause them to disconnect from the learning environment. It is our place as Educators to use our gifts and tools to bring them back to the learning process. In many situation we must understand what the mental challeges are before we can help that student.
Yes, because we are ultimately shaping lives, emotionally, educationally, and even somewhat reshaping personalities. Because, with education, comes wisdom, wisdom definitely changes personality!
Also, we need to be able to encourage the students, which is definitely a "mental" process of changing the image they have of themselves.
When it comes to education, one is invariably in more than one business. How can you separate the process of educating the student from the personal needs of the student? You cannot deliver instructional material to a student if they’re not in the seat (or at the computer) to receive the instruction.
Therefore, when it comes to education, (and especially the business of education), you have to address the motivational issues that affect their “being there†to receive it, or you won’t have a student to teach. The instructional methodology and approach is one factor, and the students desire to learn is another.
Then two are inextricably interwoven. We are then instructors, counselors, and business generators all lumped under the title, Teacher.
