Teacher Responsibility We May Not Think About ...

While doing research and gathering information concerning adolescent behaviors for a final project for another class, I came across a PBS video that is worth watching. The title of the video is Cry For Help. The content of the video involves the issues surrounding teen depression and suicide. It reveals information about mental illnesses in teens by focusing on two high schools that go to great effort to identify teens at risk and the preventive measures they have employed through school wide programs.

Throughout the video school officials, counselors, teachers, and adolescent behavior experts give commentary. They give valuable advice on warning signs and signals to watch for in high school students — things we need to be aware of as future teachers.

In addition to all the before mentioned, Cry For Help recounts real-life tragic events, by means of commentary and the use of media clips, that occurred at high schools over the years as a result of the actions of teens who suffered from mental illnesses. One of the instances involved the horrific tragedy that occurred at Columbine High School, and the events leading up to that day. What stuck out to me the most — my main point of sharing this with all of you — is the fact that prior to that awful day one of the young men involved in the massacre had written a creative writing piece for a class. The piece eerily foreshadowed what was to come in describing a scene in gory detail. The teacher, who had given the writing assignment, graded the paper and wrote comments on the creativeness of the student writer; although the teacher felt they were gruesome, the teacher also remarked on the use of vivid details.

Sadly, the paper by this student was brought to light only after the horrible events of that day occurred. I, like I am sure many others, had to question why this did not send up “red flags” for the teacher. In asking students to write creatively we want to see them reach deep and write with meaning. Often times, and what is hoped for, is that this allows them to open up and share feelings and thoughts through their writing — reveal things about self through writing. This made me think about the responsibilities we will assume as future English teachers when we ask our students to produce writing. Those responsibilities will go beyond “the bones” of grading if we come across something that could indicate serious issues.

So, over three-hundred words later, my point is we need to be good at what we’re going to teach — we get that. Yet, in addition to the skills we need to teach content we also need to have an awareness of adolescent issues and how to recognize those possible “red flags” we may come across when reading our student’s work.