Hello,
Thank you to all of you who participated in the NBPCB training last night.
We will have Part Two very soon. We'll get the Zoom link to you once we
determine the date. Please send your request for a certificate of
participation and any feedback you may have to admin at nbpcb.org
. Meanwhile, here are notes from last night's
training. I apologize if I missed anything or if I misinterpreted anyone's
comments.
Category 1 Keeping relationships with students professional.
1. How to respond to students who call or text outside of typical work
hours.
Text them back , "You have reached me after hours. I will be glad to talk to
you once I am back at work."
Forward text to appropriate person such as someone who is on call
Only give out work numbers and not your personal phone number
Only check messages during work hours
Let calls go to voice mail
Introduce students to others in the community so that they have others to
call when they want to talk to a friend
Set boundaries very early on and explain that they should only call-in case
of an emergency
Ask students to consider before they contact you if the situation can wait
until you see them at work the next day
You can choose to always take the call to be supportive and go the extra
mile
BE sure not to establish patterns yourself by calling students during off
hours
You may invite more communications by sometimes actually responding during
off hours so set boundaries
2. Instructor behavior when attending a convention with students and sharing
a meal as people are starting to transition back to more in-person
gatherings and travel.
Don't get too friendly, but be careful not to give the impression that your
students have to be your friend in order to get the best training you can
provide
Stay away from alcohol and other substances that may have a negative impact
on your own judgement
Be sure to develop your own sources outside of work to meet your personal
socialization needs so that students do not fill that role in your life
Always seek to form small groups when in social situations and avoid being
alone with just one student
Keep conversations G rated and change the subject if necessary
Remember to keep all interactions professional
3. A student behaves in such a way that conveys that they are interested in
a sexual relationship with you
Don't go there!
Redirect conversation
Be careful when working with the particular student and don't be behind
closed doors alone with them
Be aware of the physical space that you maintain between you and the
particular student
A different instructor may have to be assigned to work with the student
In all cases, speak to your supervisor and document the situation
Category 2 Your student thinks you are not being fair.
1. Your student thinks that you are retaliating against them because you
sent them out in the rain after you have just talked to them for the
one-hundredth time about getting to class on time.
Explain all the reasons why you are sending them out
Go with them
Have a discussion with the student about why they believe you are
retaliating against them
Use Socratic questioning to get the student to understand about why you
might be having them complete a travel assignment even though it is raining
Communicate expectations clearly for training at all times
Be sure to document the student's chronic tardiness so that it is not a
surprise to anyone that this is a problem
2. Dealing with students who feel that an instructor is showing favoritism
to a peer even when the instructor may be spending equal time/attention with
all students.
Have a private discussion with them to see where they are coming from
Be sure to be equitable and not necessarily equal with your time as all
instruction is individualized and some may need more time than others
Check in with yourself to be sure that you are not allocating your time
based on whether you like a student or not
Remember that students come in at different times and with different skill
levels so remind students to focus on their own skill development and
progress
Ask your supervisor to observe you working with students to give you
feedback on your performance
Ask student if they feel they are not getting something from training
Category 3 Student disclosures of information.
1. A student says that they need to talk to you privately, closes and locks
your office door leaving the two of you alone.
Ask them to leave the door unlocked
Ask them if this is a conversation that would benefit from having another
staff member or supervisor join in
Keep physical boundary between you and student
Before beginning, call supervisor to them know that you are having a
conversation with the student
Be sure to document the conversation and the student's behavior
Arrange furniture so that you have a short and clear path to your door with
student seating further into the room
Don't worry about stopping the conversation if it gets uncomfortable
2. A student discloses that another student has made persistent unwelcomed
advances towards them but they are not interested nor do they want them to
get into trouble.
Be sure to make your supervisor aware of the situation
Help the student who has come to you understand all possible consequences
for the other student and that it may not be as horrific as they fear
depending on the situation
If they are worried about retaliation from the other student, be sure to
bring in supervisor into the situation
Help the student understand that if they do not speak up the behavior may
continue with them or with other students in the program
Encourage them to speak to the other student if they have not done so
Check if your training facility has specific language and policies as to
what constitutes sexual harassment amongst students
Let your students know that there are some things they may tell you that you
cannot keep confidential
Best,
Maria Morais
NBPCB Office
PO Box 2373
Ruston LA 71273
318 299-7340
admin at nbpcb.org
http://www.nbpcb.org www.nbpcb.org
https://www.nbpcb.org/pages/lookup.php Click here to verify the status of
NBPCB certified professionals
