The Boy who was Raised as a Dog

So, for Behavior Theories and Practices, I have to read a book.  I chose to read the book The Boy who was Raised as a Dog and I am not going to lie, it is a really hard book.  The book talks about large stress in the early years of life and how it truly effects everything once the child is older.

One thing that is the hardest for me is that I realize that working in the field of emotional behavioral disorders (EBD), I am going to be dealing with students like this.  I don't know if I have what it takes to teach a student who was molested between the ages of 4 and 8 (the first story in the book.).  I don't know how to teach them, I don't know how to teach a child who grew up in a cult (The fourth story in the book).  I don't know how to teach a student who had their throat cut twice and survived and tried to drink some milk and the milk came out of the cuts.  How can one teach in the midst of so much pain?

A few weeks ago, one of my teachers said that we are supposed teachers, not counselors or friends or anything like that, we are teachers, so we should teach.  I understand what she means, but I don't think I agree with it.  Last semester, a teacher from an alternative school came in and talked to us about how some of her students can't focus during the school day because at 3AM, the police came in to their house and put a gun to their head. How can a student learn when 5 hours later they are supposed to learn.  I think that a good teacher IS a counselor and a friend and anything that the student needs.

I don't understand Maslow's hierarchy of needs very well, but I realize that he basically says that in order for a student to learn, they must have certain needs met.  I agree with this, and I need to help my students get what they need, which will be tough because many people think that I should be just a teacher.  But I need to be more than a teacher in order to be the best EBD teacher.  I need to realize and recognize when my students are getting stressed and find out why.  And some may say that my teaching is very counselorish or friendish, but I am being the best teacher I feel I need to be.