Educators as First Responders is a comprehensive, hands-on guide to adolescent development and mental health for teachers and other educators of students in grades 6-12. Today’s schools are at the forefront of supporting adolescents with increasingly complex, challenging psychosocial needs. Moreover, students are more likely to seek out a trusted teacher, advisor, or coach for support than to confide directly in a parent or even a school counselor. Succinct and accessible, this book provides tips and strategies that teachers, coaches, nurses, counselors, and other school professionals can put into immediate use with students in varying degrees of distress. These evidence-based practices and real-world classroom examples will help you understand the “whole student,” a developing individual shaped not just by parental pressure or psychiatric diagnosis but by school and broader cultural and systemic forces.
Author(s): Deborah Offner
Publisher: Routledge/Eye on Education
Year: 2022
Language: English
Pages: 203
City: New York
Cover
Half Title
Series Page
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Table of Contents
Meet the Author
Introduction
Section I: Educators and Adolescents
Chapter 1: Educators as First Responders
Chalk It Up to Adolescence
School Is Their World
“I’m Not Trained for This!”
Talk It Out: Scenarios and Questions for Discussion
Kevin
Josie
Discussion Questions
Chapter 2: The Adolescent Mind
Teenagers Are Not Adults
Teenagers Are Predictable
Industry vs. Inferiority: “Am I Competent?”
Identity vs. Role Confusion: “Who Am I?”
Development Isn’t Linear
Sexuality, Gender, and Racial Identity
Today’s Normal Is Not All That Normal
Burgeoning Capacities
The Gift of the Adolescent Mind
Talk It Out: A Scenario and Questions for Discussion
Discussion Questions
Bibliography
Chapter 3: They Did What? Risk, Reward, and Impulsivity
“How Am I Supposed to Think About Consequences Before They Happen?”
Risk-taking Isn’t All Bad
Not All Risks Are Created Equal
The Risk-taking Spectrum
Middle-spectrum Thinking
Facing Reality and Using It for Good
Encouragement Not Judgment. Incentives Not Punishment.
Set Clear Expectations and Boundaries
Solicit and Use Student Input
Be Organized
Consider the Limits of the Adolescent Attention Span
Play to Their Natural Curiosity about the World
Rely on Natural Consequences
Be Willing to Look for the Underlying Source(s) of Problem Behavior
Treat Them Like the Adults They Are Becoming
If You Are Yelling, You Are Losing
Talk It Out: A Scenario and Questions for Discussion
Discussion Questions
Bibliography
Chapter 4: Worried, Sad, or Something More?
The Major Culprits
Depression
Anxiety
OCD, Panic, PTSD
Signs They May Need Help
Don’t Fly Solo
Supporting Students with a Diagnosis
Having a Plan
A Multidisciplinary Team
Peer Counselor or Listener Programs
Karen Gross’s “Generation T” (for Trauma)
A Supportive Environment
Talk It Out: A Scenario and Questions for Discussion
Discussion Questions
Bibliography
Section II: Social Contexts
Chapter 5: Race, Ethnicity, and Culture
Perspective
Who Am I?
What’s in Your Inner Circle?
Intersectionality
I Didn’t Know You Were…
Bias Is a Two-Way Street
Code-switching
What You Can Do at School
Support Affinity Groups
Encourage Diversity-Equity-Inclusion-Belonging (DEIB) Training
Check Your Course Material for Bias
Use Racial and Cultural Insensitivity as a Teaching Moment
Approach the Topic of Mental Health with Cultural Awareness
Teach the Whole Student
Talk It Out: A Scenario and Questions for Discussion
Discussion Questions
Bibliography
Chapter 6: Socioeconomic Considerations
Money and Parenting
Intersectionality and Interaction
Cultivating Economic Sensitivity
Too Much of a Good Thing
Socioeconomics and Mental Health
What You and Your School Can Do
Take Advantage of Teaching Moments
Examine Your Own Bias
Inquire Before Accusing
Create a Parent Affinity Group
Educate Yourself About College Scholarships/Financial Aid for Lower-income Students
Closing the Wealth Gap
Talk It Out: A Scenario and Questions for Discussion
Discussion Questions
Bibliography
Chapter 7: Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation
The Generational Divide
A Few Definitions
The Danger Zone
Confusion
Insensitivity and Bullying
The Home Front: Parent-child Relationship
Suicide
Your School Has an Identity, Too
What You and Your School Can Do
Educate Yourself and, If Possible, Your Peers on LGBTQIA2S+ Issues
Check Your Own Life Experiences, Identities, and Biases
Stay Attuned to Those Teaching Moments
Check Your Course Material for Bias and Inclusion
Affinity Groups for LGBTQIA2S+ Students and Allies
All You Have to Be Is There
Talk It Out: A Scenario and Questions for Discussion
Discussion Questions
Bibliography
Chapter 8: Crisis
When Crisis Comes
A Range of Reactions
How to Prepare Your School for Crisis
Consult with the Survivors
Communicate
Increase Counseling and Monitoring
Hold a Parent Meeting (or Two)
Do Not Hold a Public Memorial at School for at Least One Year
Your Crisis Is Unique to You
How to Prepare Yourself
Secondary Trauma and Compassion Fatigue
A Turning Point
Talk It Out: A Scenario and Questions for Discussion
Discussion Questions
Bibliography
Section III: Strengthening Their Circle of Support
Chapter 9: Meet the Parents
Taking Charge of the Relationship
Partnership and Collaboration
Your Parent Management Kit
Restore Parents’ Confidence
Reassure Parents about Their Child Whenever Possible
Take Cultural and Social-class Preferences into Account
Avoid These Common Pitfalls
Are We Talking about the Same Kid?
Stuck in the Middle
Recruit Parents to Your Team
Talk It Out: A Scenario and Questions for Discussion
Discussion Questions
Chapter 10: Encouraging an Emotionally Healthy School
Gathering the Village
Using the Village
Know Who Is on Your Team and Don’t Hesitate to Use Them
Pick a Leader or Convener
Develop a Working Relationship with Your School’s Counseling, Social Work, or Mental Health Professionals
Communicate in Real Time and Real Space
Discuss Who Reports
Adhere to Policy but Don’t Become Mired in Precedent
Recognize Your Power and Maintain Professional Boundaries
Championing an Emotionally Healthy School
Talk It Out: A Scenario and Questions for Discussion
Discussion Questions
Rules for the Road
