Believe it or not, September – and a new school year – is just a few weeks away. As children and teachers get ready to enter their classrooms and meet each other for the first time, a sensitive question often comes up: How much the teacher should know about each student’s previous year’s school performance and current home environment in preparation for the new school year.
In
their striving to create an environment of success for each child, teachers
often want to hear if there is a family issue, like a simcha, a divorce,
or an illness in the family, or, perhaps, a social, emotional, or behavioral
issue the child is struggling with, such as a diagnosis of ADHD. Was the child
affected by bullying, whether as the bully or the bullied? In all these matters,
it can be helpful for teachers to know about them. Of course, the focus of
information should always be to ensure that the teacher is well-prepared to
create the best possible environment for each child.
“Parents may not realize that a
child’s behavior in the classroom is often due to changes in the home, whether it
is a change in the family’s schedule or a situation in which the parent cannot
give the child enough attention,” says Mrs. Cohen*, a veteran teacher. “Children
will often act out more when a parent is away, a sibling or grandparent is ill,
or even when there is a simcha. Knowing
this beforehand is helpful in managing behaviors that come up in the classroom.
“This
is especially important when it comes to medical or behavioral diagnoses,” she
continues, mentioning a student who had a medical condition that made her frail
and prone to fall. “Before the year started, the mother came into school and
had a conference with all the teachers to explain the diagnosis, how it’s
treated, and what her daughter would need from the teachers. It was incredibly
helpful to have this advanced understanding of this student’s special needs.”
When
there is a behavioral diagnosis of ADHD or ADD, if teachers understand the
limitations and needs of a child before he or she steps into the classroom,
they can be aware of how to support the child before any fallouts occur.
Sarala*, an eighth grader, had been struggling for quite some time in the
classroom. Her desk was continuously cluttered, her papers were never in order,
she could barely complete her homework, and she struggled in making friends.
Her teachers were constantly finding new things that frustrated them about
Sarala, and no intervention, chart, or incentive seemed to help. Finally, her
parents shared Sarala’s recent diagnosis of ADD with the teachers. Her teachers
now understood where the behavior was coming from, and they started working
with Sarala’s doctor and therapist to create an environment where she could
succeed. With teamwork, Sarala made a lot of progress.
It
is also important for teachers to be made aware of any medication the child is
taking. Medications must often be adjusted as children grow, and parents sometimes
don’t realize that medication isn’t working anymore. Teachers see behaviors on
a day-to-day basis. Sometimes a child seems to be overmedicated and isn’t fully
participating in the social and academic scene, and sometimes there is a consistent
dysregulation in behavior. Regardless, it is helpful to have eyes in the
classroom to notice the behavior. In Sarala’s case, her doctor found it helpful
to periodically hear from the teachers how her behavior was shifting throughout
the year. They made a Google spreadsheet that the doctor, teachers, and parents
all had access to in order to get a clear awareness of how Sarala was doing; this
was an incredible resource to help Sarala stay on track.
* * *
There’s
another side to consider. While knowing about various matters may help teachers
prepare prior to the new school year, it is equally important not to label
children based on their circumstances or prior behaviors. Knowing about a
child’s behavioral or situational deficits can often cause teachers to expect those
behaviors and to react to the child differently than if they had not known
about the behaviors at all. As a social worker, I’ve worked with children who
have identified themselves as the “class clown” or the “bully” due to prior
behavior. Having these labels only perpetuates these unwanted behaviors.
Instead,
each student should come into the classroom with a new chance to succeed,
independently of how they did last year or in other situations. Some teachers
actively choose not to know anything about their class’s prior behavior because
it can be difficult to give each child this chance when knowing their
background. And some teachers choose to give each child a new opportunity by
mindfully choosing to see the renewed potential of each child despite their
prior circumstances.
Bracha’s*
story exemplifies the power of a fresh start. Bracha’s third-grade year had
been full of ups and downs. Bracha would alternate from being a great child to
being noisy and distractable. Bracha’s mother got plenty of calls from the
teacher each week until she finally brought her daughter to a behavioral
specialist. Bracha did not fit into any learning or behavioral disorder, which
left her mother puzzled. The teacher continued having a strained relationship
with Bracha. In fourth grade, Bracha’s mother made sure to prepare the teacher
for this knowledge in hopes there would be a better relationship. Again, the
behaviors and phone calls continued. Again, there were no obvious diagnosis,
yet there was another strained relationship. In fifth grade, her mother decided
to wait before telling the teacher about Bracha’s behavioral history.
Something
changed in fifth grade. Bracha seemed more eager to please and more excited
about school. Her mother, not receiving any calls, made a phone call herself to
Mrs. Spitz*, Bracha’s teacher. She shared how happy Bracha was and wondered why
she was not acting up. Mrs. Spitz had no answer. But then, when the mother
spoke to Bracha, it became clear: “Ma, Mrs. Spitz likes me. Last year, Mrs.
Bodner* always tried to get me to behave…. I hated it. Mrs. Spitz treats me
like everyone else.”
When you see the potential in a child, you
bring the potential out. So, while understanding the different areas of
deficits may be important, it is crucial to see the potential within and
alongside the deficits – and, perhaps, to view them not as deficits but as
areas needing strengthening and growth.
Considering
all the above factors, what can the teacher do to ensure each child’s success? “Sometimes,
it’s a matter of collaboration with professionals, and sometimes you need to
set up a chart, a special incentive, or a timeout,” says Mrs. Cohen, “or have a
tutor come and take a child out for a walk.”
“The
bottom line,” says Mrs. Cohen, “is to see the neshama (soul) in each
child and the potential that that neshama can bring. But most of all, as
much as you prepare, the overall hatzlacha (success) of each student is in Hashem’s hands. The
biggest hishtadlus (effort) we
can make as parents and teachers is to send tefillos (prayers) His way.”
* a pseudonym
