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