Yes are in more than one business. My primary job would be educating the students on kitchen saftey and understanding baking, On top of this we also educate on life lessons and expectations, we participate with professional growth as leaders and we enchance our technical skills. I guess you could say we are teachers, counslers, Business managers, and possibly a life coach. I enjoy my job becasue of the many aspects of this job.
Daisy,
What are the most important "life ;essons" you have addressed this term?
Jeffrey Schillinger
At some points during a course, no matter its length, some students will demonstrate or express that they are undergoing what we might safely characterize as “mental health†issues, so, yes, we are in both the education and mental health business. The mental health issues students display can be mild, moderate, or severe and a variety of factors might cause them: financial stress, domestic abuse, strained relationships, family illnesses, etc. As instructors, we are qualified to express concern and attempt to gauge if the student is in need of professional assistance. We should not, however, try to diagnose and treat any student who seems to be under psychological or emotional strain. Rather, if we think we have a student suffering from genuine mental health issues, we should notify our superiors and direct the student to appropriate counseling services.
Mark A. Coppelli
Disagree, emphatically. I can help them to zero in on what's holding them back (HABE), focus on vision, mentor and facilitate their process as it relates to the curriculum. Their success within the learning objectives and their overall retention and matriculation into a career is our product. I am not here to assume, diagnose, personally advise, hold up a mirror to, give therapy to, social work or any other such line crossing action. If a student actually has life and personal issues outside the confines of our "product" they need to seek out a person or an organization whose product is mental health, financial planning or therapy.
A few life lessons I have learned are never give up on a student, talk about your own personal experiences with the students good or bad and personally for me it is important to connect with the student no matter what. Engage, encourage, and enlite each student.
Daisy,
"Engage, encourage, and enlite each student" is a pretty good philosophy. What are some specific things you do to accomplish these things?
Jeffrey Schillinger
Yes, because education fundamentally changes who we are. It opens our minds and reshapes our worldview. Educators quite often play the role of change agent. A student may begin and end their time at school a completely different person.
I do agree because we are educating the whole student not just their acedemic side. They have so much going on it is our duty to support and advise them as best we can without over-stepping our bounds.
Kathleen,
What are the areas that are not academic that you and your teammates have to address the most often?
Jeffrey Schillinger
Yes, I believe we are. We have to be careful, though because most of us are not counselors. While it is okay to encourage students to persevere, we must know when they need more help and refer them to other resources.
Patricia,
You make a good point. We should offer advise and refer student to counselors. Some schools employ them. Others contract with companies to provide these services.
Jeffrey Schillinger
Absolutely! Students, in one way or another, will need encouragement, guidance and a good pep talk at times. Many times they also may have a serious mental health issue that has been left unattended due to financial strains. Educators can help a student identify issues and seek assistance through the Student Services Department.
Melissa,
We need to be careful not to diagnose student.
Jeffrey Schillinger
Everyone comes to the table with a certain perception of the view. How they preceive their view is based on their personal life experiences or someone close to them. As educators understanding this and realizing this perception can cause pardigm paralysis can by viewed as a hurdle. Many times as admistrators we are viewed as signs on doors. A place where the student goes for disipline. We ourselves have created this image due in part to a lack of interaction with the student body outside of the scope of our administrative duties. our job is not only to educate from a textbook but to help open the door of perception in order to help the students expand their view and abilities. This doesn't have to be a "Lay on the couch and let me analyze you life". Simply showing a concern for the student and encouraging them can make all the difference. In answer to the question. We are certainly in the "mental health" business as well as education.
I agree. People pursue an education for many reasons: Change in their lives for their kids, impress family members of the knowledge that they may have, and to feel good about themselves upon attacking a challenge that they may thought theat they could not accomplish at the end.
The implications can be of a serious nature to one or the other considering education and mental health. Again, the understanding that each student learner is a unique individual places the responsibility or at least a genuine attempt to enlighten--on the shoulders of the instructor. One hopes that the student learner is a willing participant; however, an instructor is not clairvoyant and cannot possibly understand the turer motivations of why a student has decided to continue his or her education. Now we beging to remove ourselvs from a business concept to a more serious realm of health and humanity.
Joseph,
Educators are often put in a position of advisor to students on issues not directly related to the classroom. We need to be careful to not try to be counselors.
Jeffrey Schillinger
I would state that the mental health side of what we do is more important than the educational materials we share with our students. You have to know how to reach the students before you can reach the students.
Yes, I agree. Over the years I've noticed a change in the caliber of students we now teach. I am not sure if it is the generation or their HABE's, but there is a difference.
Yes. I agree. I tell my students I'm not interested in changing their personality. I'm here to help them fine tune it and find their gift.
