Dana did several internships during her studies, but she has not encountered everything a typical teacher may face. She rarely had an opportunity to interact with a school counselling centre or directly address situations concerning pupils' educational problems. It is a bit different at her new school. She has already met all the school counselling centre staff. Now she would like to discuss, together with the sixth grade class teacher, a couple of situations she has witnessed after incorporating games into her teaching.
A Guide for Beginning Teachers
Cooperating with the School Counselling Centre (SCC)
School counselling centres should not only provide interventions but should act in a preventive manner so that problems in the class do not grow to such a degree where they would be difficult to address solely through the collaborative efforts of the school staff.
A teacher plays an essential part in detecting possible problems in the education of a pupil. S/he should point out minor differences in pupils’ learning outcomes or behaviour and consult the with the school counselling centre IN TIME.
In both cases, the following applies: "It is better to go and ask a hundred times than ignore the problem once.”
- It is important to keep written records of all unusual situations in the class. The crisis book (for more information, see the Glossary of selected terms) serves this purpose. It should be kept in the teachers' lounge or at the school counselling centre. Written records come in handy exactly when the issue requires a more sophisticated solution, and the school/you should have evidence that it has already been attended to.
- The school counselling centre should advise you on how to proceed (ideally, you begin to deal with the issue individually with the challenging pupil alone).
- If it is a more complicated matter, the school psychologist, the methodologist for prevention or the educational counsellor should tell you how to proceed.
- They can recommend a prevention programme (demand that it is provided by an organisation that works under the prevention regulations of the Ministry of Education);
- they create a programme which they introduce to the class themselves;
- they help you to reach out to the pupil’s parents;
- information meetings will be arranged.
- The school counselling centre should assist you with analysing your response if the situation required immediate action during class.
If you want to make sure that you are well prepared to handle these situations in your class or in the classes where you teach, do not hesitate to sign up for a course dedicated to prevention, risky behaviour, or specific learning disorders. Moreover, work on your observation skills and include group activities that might help you detect risky behaviour as they helped Dana. Finally, create and strengthen positive relations with your pupils because these serve as a prevention measure.
Be observant and do not expect anyone else to detect the problems. Unfortunately, collective blindness and avoidance of responsibility is a common phenomenon in teachers’ lounges.
Assignment 1: Stages of bullying
Do you know how the stages of bullying are classified in the Czech Republic? What stages can be addressed by the school and when must the school turn to external experts? Create a table describing the first manifestations.
Assignment 1: Stages of bullying - for international students
Describe the way bullying is classified in your country. Describe the different forms or stages in a table. Be sure to indicate the country for which this classification is valid. Hand it in via the Homework vault.
Assignment 2: Write an essay
Read the subchapter 3.1.2 Positions and roles of a pupil in Braun, R. a kol. (2014). Praktikum školní psychologie.
Write a short essay (maximum one standard page, 1800 characters) on what caught your attention the most, for instance, in connection with the class you teach (or you attended). Moreover, think about how you can use this information in your teaching.
Assignment 2: Write an essay – for international students
Read the attached document based on the Czech book Praktikum školní psychologie by Richard Braun a kol. (2014) that deals with positions and roles of pupils in the class. Then, write a short essay (maximum one standard page, 1800 characters) on what caught your attention the most, for instance, in connection with the class you teach (or you attended). Moreover, think about how you can use this information in your teaching.
The Essay
Hand in your assignment via the Homework vault: The Essay
Other interesting sources:
Czech children in cyber world research 2019-2020
Research report (.pdf)
Main activities of the School Counseling Centre staff
In the Czech Republic, you can find the job descriptions of the school counselling centre staff as defined by Decree no. 72/2005 Coll. on the Provision of Counselling Services in Schools and School Advisory Facilities.
Assignments for international students
Get to know the work of our school counselling centre staff (for more information, see the Glossary of selected terms) and describe (one standard page, maximum 1800 characters) what counselling staff you can find in your country and what their main activities are.