Teachers Do More Than Teach!
Entry by: The Doctor of Good News, December 17, 2011
As I take a break between sessions I'm struck by progress recently made with one of my clients.  There are efforts being put forth by myself, the child and their parents with gradual progress being made along the way.  Yet, today, a giant leap forward was made. 

But after looking at all of the interventions utilized and tireless involvement of the family, the most pronounced change came after one key piece of the puzzle was put into place.  This piece of the puzzle was input and sincere concern on the part of the child's school.  From the school counselor, to the teacher, to the parent, and to my role as the psychologist, all have worked in unison to bring about change.  And the video above illustrates that point in so many ways.

And this caused me to take a step back and reevaluate not only my role as a psychologist, but also my past experience with teachers in an academic setting.  And rarely, and I do mean rarely, has it ever been about "just the books."  I can recall with much fondness not only the names of every one of my teachers, but their individualized efforts at not only helping me with "the books", but also helping me through periods of doubt, conflict resolution, and yes, even character building.  As I now see these two fields merging seamlessly to better the life the children and families I serve, I'm humbled by how much of an impact teachers can have.  And now, with teachers often on the "hot seat" when it comes to budgets, increased class size and also managing the stressors their students bring with them from home, I realize that we must expand how we look at what teachers do day in, day out.

Of all countless examples of what teachers can do, the one that automatically comes to mind is the work of Jane Elliot.  She's the teacher who back in the early 70's challenged young and old alike to question how they perceive race, culture and class.  Her work with her class has been replicated countless times and continues to be studied to this day as an example of how we view ourselves and others, and how these perceptions not only shape self-esteem and issues of equality, but also significanlty can impact academic performance.  Please check out the video above as it highlights how one teacher's idea can change not only those in her class room, but also challenge a nation to look at each other with open eyes, and ideally, and ultimately with open arms.