[NLA] Fwd: Adult Learners with Traumas

[Art LaChance]

Along the lines of this discussion, I'd like to share a short essay that was
generated by an adult student yesterday as a product of a GED essay
exercise.  The content of this essay is not a product of prompting on our
part.
She is 17 yrs old and has been working dilligently at this center for
approximately two hours a day three days a week towards her GED while she
maintains a job.
The essay subject is:  "Congratulations! You have just been elected president
of the United States for one day.  What will you change in America?"

   "If I was president for a day I would change how schools are.  I would
also make sure every teacher was examined and needed more than just good
grades to be a teacher.  They would need compassion and love for their job.
   Schools have a 'no tolerance' to weapons, but if they had a 'no tolerance'
to kids being made fun of and taunted then they would have to worry much less
about kids bringing weapons.  In every high school shooting the popular
people who made fun of these kids were targeted.  And after so long they
snapped.  If it stopped where the problem began things would change.
    Teachers have a big impact on a childs self-esteem.  Whether the problem
be math, reading, spelling etc. They should not be made to feel stupid.  When
they are made to feel that way they soon believe it and give up.  So if they
quit trying they are no longer stupid, they just don't care.
   Teachers should understand 9 times out of 10 when a kid gives up there is
a reason, and not ot write them off as a bad kid, and no matter how strong
the wall is built up show them you care.
    Schools should be watched more closely, I strongly believe early school
is where all the problems begin, not when they start acting up."

(I added the quotes around 'no tolerance' to improve readability, but no
other changes to content were made)

art



Art LaChance
Gilmer Learning Center
Ellijay, GA








Alan Toops wrote:

> Andrea,
>
> From: Alan Toops <toopsaet at mac.com>
> Date: Tue Jan 21, 2003  9:59:35 AM US/Eastern
> To: nla at lists.literacytent.org
> Subject: Re: [NLA] Adult learners with Trauma
>
> Andrea,
>
> Yes, while EMDR is used by clinicians to treat a wide variety of traumas,
> this specific study was interested in those trauma's that were apparently
> related to experiences in educational settings. Since the focus was on
> educational success.
>
> alan
> On Monday, January 20, 2003, at 10:08 PM, AWilder106 at aol.com wrote:
>
> Dear Alan,
>
> This is very interesting and thanks for the information.  I have heard of
> EMDR but have no idea about how it works.  You say it is only educational
> traumas that are investigated?  I take this to mean trauma that relates
> specifically to school experience.  Am I correct?
>
> Andrea
>
> _______________________________________________
> NLA mailing list: NLA at lists.literacytent.org
> http://lists.literacytent.org/mailman/listinfo/nla
> LiteracyTent: web hosting, news, community and goodies for literacy
> http://literacytent.org