The challenges section of teaching hope focuses on a lot of
tough situations teachers may find themselves in throughout their interactions
with students. Some of the topics discussed in the chapter were teenage
pregnancy, domestic abuse, and depression and suicide. I thought this chapter
was useful because it tells stories about teachers in tough positions and how
they have handled it, giving insight on how I might respond one day as a
teacher.
One of the passages that really impacted me was section 22
which told the story of a girl named Sierra. Sierra was prone to emotional
outbursts in class, and confided in her teacher that she had been feeling angry
and depressed. The teacher did not know what do so she tells Sierra that she is
going to report her, causing Sierra to run out of the classroom in fear. Months
later, after receiving the help that she needed, Sierra returns to the teacher
and thanks her by letter the teacher read her journal. Her journal reveals that
Sierra was facing issues at home, a troubling relationship with her mother.
This passage impacted me for a number of reasons, the first
being that you never really know what a student is going through unless you
present yourself as an ally to them. Students like Sierra may be under the
impression that no one is in her corner, but when she had the persistence of a
caring teacher, who also introduced her to resources for her depression, Sierra
confided again in her teacher. I hope to be a resource to my students, and help
them in anything they are experiencing in their lives that may be troublesome
to them.
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