This portfolio presented, is a culmination of what has been learnt over the past eight weeks of training. It’s a brief summary of the class work that will be of use in the future, when am teaching. This portfolio aims at showing my in-depth knowledge of the course matter as well as my philosophical beliefs on teaching. Some of my techniques on how to cater for and deal with students with difficulty are also brought to light. In conclusion my professional development plans will be highlighted.
PROFESSIONAL PRESENTATION
The topic of the presentation is how parents can deal with Emotional behavioral disorder in their kids. The audience constitutes teachers and parents.
When I think of rowdy students my mind races back to the hit movie; SISTER’S ACT, the one Whoopi Goldenberg acts as a nun who teaches music. The catholic school she teaches is filled with juvenile delinquents, but through perseverance and hard work she was able to convert them into model students. She motivated her students to work hard and inspired them to improve, and the movie reaches a climax when the students clinch the title, they win a very prestigious award. Her story is every teacher’s dream! What inspires me most about this movie is, underneath the entertainment value, there is a lesson. We should all learn from her how to rehabilitate rowdy students, moreover the lesson we can’t miss from the movie is that there is hope. We can change the destiny of our students suffering from EBD; we can help craft a new, brighter one for them.
I decided to present a PowerPoint presentation on this because I strongly believe that we need to actively create awareness on EBD, we urgently and desperately need to rid people of ignorance. Children suffering from EBD, are subjected to a lot of criticism from society, they are talked down at and in extreme cases beaten due to their “˜obstinence’. Yet it is not their fault .Students diagnosed with EBD, require the opposite, they need to be praised when they act well, they need attention, care and love if they are to improve. Sadly, this is not the case when the students go home. Some parents prefer to ground their children and place more attention to their child’s short comings than his/her strengths.
If there is going to be any meaningful improvement in the behavior of students suffering from EBD, we need the parents and teachers to work together towards creating a support system for these kids. By doing so, we give this children a chance to live a fruitful, happy life in the long run.
POWERPOINT PRESENTATION.
The power point presentation is interactive. I have set questions to appear first onto the screen , and before the answers/ summary is delivered I would ask the audience to brainstorm, and after I have received a few responses , the summary will then appear. In my presentation I hope to have in attendance a panel of psychiatrists, who will answer questions the parents put forward. The psychiatrist will also be pivotal in helping the parents better understand this disorder, the panel will also share stories of success cases thus reinforce hope and encourage the parents to actively monitor their kids. Participation of the audience is also required when I request them to list a few extra curricular activities that they think will improve interpersonal skills and confidence in their children. Audience will also participate in signing a petition to the school requesting for the purchase of equipment necessary to facilitate the suggested extra curricular activities.
The audience will be assessed by first monitoring the time between responses, if they take a lot of time it implies the point was not well perceived by the audience. I will then dutifully emphasize on that point. Where responses are quick and accurate it implies that the point was well delivered. I will also keep an eye on facial expressions and posture of the audience to guide me in my delivery.
At the end of the presentation I hope to have sufficiently informed the parents and teachers on EBD. I desire to spark a parent teacher initiative that will lead to the creation of a support structure that will help improve the status of students suffering from EBD in our school as well as the surrounding community. It would be a great joy if after my presentation the parents and teachers would carry on the banner, and create awareness to their friends and in this way many more people will have benefited.
ACHIEVING PERSONAL GOAL
Individuals with emotional and behavioral disorder have been referred to in a variety of terms such as; socially maladjusted, emotionally disturbed, psychologically disordered, emotionally handicapped, psychotic and seriously emotionally disturbed. These conditions were later brought under EBD because:
- EBD is less stigmatic compared to the other terminologies
- It also offers a greater utility for education
- It is not associated with exclusivity to any theory of causation
- It is a better representation of the students who are disabled by their behavior
- It is a more comprehensive assessment of the population
EBD can be split into five broad categories, they are
- Socialized aggression, students in this category are aggressive, they have a tendency of acting out and rebelling. They often join subcultures of peers who are delinquents, they play truant and usually drop out of school.
- Attention problems, students in this category have a very small concentration span. They act impulsively and may seem to be immature.
- Motor excess, students who fall under this category are hyperactive, they also have a very small concentration span as compared to other students.
- Anxiety/ withdrawal, students suffer from low self esteem. They are usually depressed and very self conscious, they usually tend to withdraw from activities.
- Psychotic behavior, students in this category tend to live in a fantasy world, they may occasionally hallucinate and speak gibberish.
Symptom behaviors such as difficulty in learning that cannot be explained by intellectual, sensory and health issues, inability to have satisfactory interpersonal relationships, depression or the tendency to develop physical symptoms or fears due to personal or school problems can only be diagnosed as EBD if they are chronic, severe, in the sense that the student’s behavior stands out from the other students and if the child experiences difficulty in school due to these behaviors.
Several theories have come up concerning what causes EBD. There are biological factors, where research shows that emotional and behavioral health can be influenced by genetic, neurological and biochemistry factors. the only down side to these theory is that no one has ever been able to say with surety that the psychological abnormality actually leads to EBD, or is EBD just associated with it in some way. Environmental factors have also been considered in the development of EBD, three primary causal factors have been brought forward,
- An adverse early rearing environment
- An aggressive pattern of behavior displayed when joining school
- Social rejection by peers
The home, school and society greatly influence the behavior of students with EBD. The relationship between the parent and child especially when the child is the young greatly influences his/her opinions, behavior and emotions. Children who suffer abuse at home develop aggression and low self esteem. Teachers also influence the behavior of students, where the student is often criticized and punished they may develop aggression, and become defiant. The society also plays a pivotal role in influencing a student’s life and behavior. If the students live sin an impoverished environment they are likely to develop frustration and aggressive behavior.
A student suffering from EBD poses the following characteristics;
- They fare lowly academically compared to other students.
- They have an antisocial behavior they many poses externalizing behavioral disorders, they are aggressive, usually gets into fights, may steal and lies.
- The students find it hard to establish and maintain satisfactory relationships with friends.
- Withdrawn behavior, some students may be too docile, they poses internalizing behavioral disorder, they retreat to daydreaming, and they are fearful of things without reason and usually suffer from depression.
Teachers need to recognize the special needs of students suffering from EBD; we should allot more time to these students where we emphasize on instruction. Teachers should also verse themselves on how to control inappropriate behavior in the class and reinforce positive behavior in order for their students to improve academically. By setting up time out sessions we will be able to contain aggressive behavior in the class. Teachers can also encourage EBD students by citing role models in our society who have overcome EBD and have managed to become successful in life, by doing so we will motivate them to better themselves and eventually to open up.
Teachers also need to involve these students in activities that promote interpersonal skills. Teachers should clearly state their expectations from the students regarding their behavior, he/she should also define appropriate and inappropriate behavior. The teacher is also tasked with setting up a few rules that govern the class; the rules should be objective, attainable by the students and reasonable to the teacher, the student, the parents and the administration. Consequences of breaking these rules should be consistently exercised.( Coleman, C. Emotional and Behavioral Disorders)
I am confident that I better equipped to handle students suffering from EBD, I have learnt new techniques that I have practiced and found useful in containing outbursts and improve communication between the teacher and the student such as e-motion.
CONCLUSION
I want to be a teacher who inspires optimism in students. I want to instill self confidence and self worth in my students. I want to inspire my students to work towards their dreams because there is no limit to their capability. I will do this by actively trying to build their self esteem by complementing them of good behavior and work done. I will also encourage group work which will help improve their interpersonal skills as well as their productivity.
Cognitive behavioral factors and e-motion were the topics I related to most. I was blown away with how practical they were. Cognitive therapy is highly effective when it comes to behavioral disorders. For example by mildly introducing one to a stimulus can lead one to recovery from the phobia. I will also be able to read my students emotions from their pictures, thus I will be able to open up channels of communication.
I believe that I can now; in a better capacity support behavioral needs of children who are emotionally and behaviorally challenged .I intend to continue participating in training sessions, seminars and workshops relating to EBD, so that I can improve my skills and as a result brighten the lives of many more children affected by EBD.