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Have a Problem Student? Dig Deeper.

Have a Problem Student? Dig Deeper.

Jan 11, 2018

Appearances can be misleading when it comes to misbehaving students. What might seem like a problem student could be a student facing serious problems that tutors can help address.

Dealing with a problem student may be every tutor’s worst nightmare (OK, aside from not getting paid), but for Colorado educator Andrea Smith, every student deserves “dignity and respect” so it’s important to “never make assumptions about a student.” What might seem like pure trouble, she cautions, could be masking serious underlying issues in the student’s life.

In one case, Smith was dealing with a problem student who was suspended out of school. She remembered that parents are educators’ natural partners and reached out to his family. By going the extra mile, Smith learned that this particular student was struggling with severe depression and anxiety, and was able to connect his parents to school counselors for a discussion about available resources to help their child.

“This situation taught me that there is almost always more going on beneath the surface,” says Smith. “It is only by working with parents and families,” she adds, that educators can “support students in finding success in life and at school.”

banner image from https://ny.chalkbeat.org/posts/co/2018/01/10/respect-dignity-and-no-assumptions-how-one-colorado-school-leader-handles-student-discipline/

Respect, dignity and no assumptions: How one Colorado school leader handles student discipline https://ny.chalkbeat.org/posts/co/2018/01/10/respect-dignity-and-no-assumptions-how-one-colorado-school-leader-handles-student-discipline/

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Clark

Clark