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Excerpted and adapted from Creating Emotionally
Safe Schools, by Jane Bluestein, Ph.D. © 2001, Health Communications,
Inc, Deerfield Beach, FL.
Educators at Risk*
by Jane Bluestein, Ph.D.
Characteristics of educators
at risk**:
feels personally responsible for a student's successes and failures
measures personal success by student behavior and achievement, or
by approval from others
has an overwhelming need to avoid conflict and generate approval from
others (which can manifest as attentionseeking, maintaining status
quo, or even rebelliousness)
compromises student needs to avoid "rocking the boat," either
with administrators, parents, or other students
believes that the job would be easier to perform if only the students,
their parents, the administration, and/or "the system" would
change
has difficulty setting and maintaining boundaries between self and
other people
has difficulty setting and maintaining boundaries between self and
job
deals with discipline problems by shaming, blaming, complaining, manipulating,
ignoring, or dumping them on someone else
feels threatened by another teacher's progress or success
feels as though "things would completely fall apart if it weren't
for me."
swings from chaos, helplessness, and victimization to moral superiority
and self-righteousness
often rescues students by ignoring misbehavior, offering inappropriate
second chances, or failing to impose previously-stated consequences
protects a student from failure or negative consequences in an effort
to feel successful, valuable, or powerful
over-identifies with, and even adopts, another person's feelings
appears to be "fine" and "in control"
probably denies that any of the above are personally relevant
These patterns can ultimately
interfere with a teacher’s ability to:
Other contributing factors:
Some assumptions on reducing
risk factors:
It is possible to adopt
healthy patterns of behavior, even in unhealthy and unsupportive environments.
The “system” is not likely to change all by itself, nor is
it likely to take care of (or support) a teacher’s needs regardless
of that teacher’s enthusiasm, instructional skills, dedication, or
good intentions.
Change happens best in supportive environments; teachers tend to function
effectively, grow professionally and personally, and avoid stress and
burnout when they can create a support network for themselves, either
in or out of schoolpreferrably in both environments.
Change is most effective when individuals take responsibility for their
own growth, rather than attempting to change or blame others.
Change is most effective when encouraged rather than coerced.
As individuals change, the system will change.
(c) 1999, Jane Bluestein,
Ph.D., I.S.S. Publications
*Originally entitled “Codependency in the Classroom,” listing
“Characteristics of Codependent Educators.” In searching for
a more generic (and less passé) title, I’ve borrowed the idea
of “Educators At Risk” from Orville Dean, educator and consultant,
in Medina, Ohio.
**We're probably all guilty,
to some degree, of many of the above from time to time. This list is simply
a sample of the ways at risk factors can show up in the classroom. These
patterns become problematic when they become typical of a teacher’s
feelings and behaviors.
Survey: Is Your School (or Classroom)
an Emotionally Safe Place?
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© 2008, Jane Bluestein, Ph.D., Instructional Support Services, Inc.
Last updated on
October 16, 2006 5:36 PM
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