The school had been watching the teenager who was distant with learning and socially ......... How could they help? Or could they? (Part Two)

Most teachers in primary and high schools are hard working caring people who want to do the right thing for all students. When they have a student who isolates herself or himself from classmates and does not attempt the work they feel at loss to know how to deal with the problems let alone how to fix it.

This is how the Art teacher was feeling, she saw a frightened child who liked to draw, a girl who showed a lot of skill and promise as an artist. There was a side of her that was very likeable. The teacher found out through trial and error that talking about the teenager's drawings and paintings produced a highly animated conversation. But, she also discovered that if she mentioned anything personal about the teenager's parents or home, the discussions came to an abrupt halt.



So the Art teacher decided to visited the school's psychologist for assistance in understanding this girl. She was sure something was very wrong with her life. Her drive to do something to help the student led her to a meeting with the school psychologist.

The psychologist listened patiently as the teacher talked. She was impressed with the teacher's caring and compassion for the welfare of the teenager. The psychologist felt alarm bells ringing recognising signs of possible abuse and neglect, she had seen so many students like her. The biggest handicap to helping these students is their silence. Unless they tell a trusted a teacher that something very wrong is happening at home, there is little that the school or the system can do.

Part pf the psychologist's role in the schools she worked in was to train teachers on "Laws of Child Protection," reporting is mandatory in every state and independent school in every State in Australia. But, it was necessary to get the information or to have enough evidence to report to the principal. The psychologist always knew that a percentage of children in schools were victims of abusive homes, children who did not say anything to a teacher or counsellor. They are usually too scared.



The psychologist talked to the teacher about the 'Protective Behaviours Program' where students were involved in lessons on feeling safe and talking to a trusted adult like a teacher when something is wrong. A strong message that students need to hear is that *Nothing is so bad that you can't talk about it. * It is a program that primary and high schools choose to run with or not.

The outcome of the meeting with the psychologist and the Art teacher was to organise a meeting with all the subject teachers and to discuss any issues that might have been observed etc. Every teacher expressed concern at the behaviour of the teenager. It was decided that all the teachers could do was to focus on the positives with the teenager, develop an open communication channel with her and to show kindness and caring. It was important to gain the trust of the student. Another plan was to ask the mother and step father in to a meeting with the teacher, psychologist and deputy principal to discuss educational concerns of the teenager.

The primary school reported similar efforts to help the student but the records showed little progress. The school records showed that the mother only spoke of her care and support. The principal expressed his concern about the honesty of the parent. The psychologist suspected that the mother might also be a victim of abuse in the home.

Regardless of this, the teachers pursued their plan to make a positive difference in the life of one teenager. They could only try and do their best. If only they had a magic wand.

Cheers and Blessings



(A photo of a little garden on a street in the city of Hobart in Tasmania, Australia)