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The frustration I have is since when did it go from "safe touch" to "no touch?" The safe touch training I've had in the past stated no touching in areas normally covered by a bathing suit unless medical emergency, avoiding excessive tickling for overstimulation purposes, and limiting contact to short hugs and light contact on the upper back and shoulders while avoiding contact with any child who asks not to be touched. When I was little we even had the good touch and bad touch from adults lectures which stated a lot of the same information. I just think that everything going to an extreme this way is highly disturbing. Psychology has even documented positive effects from appropriate physical contact.
The frustration I have is since when did it go from "safe touch" to "no touch?" The safe touch training I've had in the past stated no touching in areas normally covered by a bathing suit unless medical emergency, avoiding excessive tickling for overstimulation purposes, and limiting contact to short hugs and light contact on the upper back and shoulders while avoiding contact with any child who asks not to be touched. When I was little we even had the good touch and bad touch from adults lectures which stated a lot of the same information. I just think that everything going to an extreme this way is highly disturbing. Psychology has even documented positive effects from appropriate physical contact.
Where did you find a training program that said this?
The district handbooks in my area also state to minimize physical contact as much as possible at all grades. This directive is given to substitute teachers as well. There are no hi-5s, no pats, no hugs even for a crying child. Obviously, some contact is necessary with the younger children, but it is to be kept to the minimum. Even if your cooperating teacher was being considered for sainthood, any type of hugging, no matter whether male or female, senior or junior teacher would be considered a serious infraction. With all the scares about ebola, measles, meningitis, even if the disease cannot be passed by physical contact, schools have cracked down on physical contact between students, let alone teacher-students, just to avoid the potential problems caused by angry and upset parents.
For your own safety, do not share personal information. No, you should not mention that you live in an apartment or house, whether you have a S/O or not, and defninitely the location where you live. You never know when one of your students is disturbed enough or sociopathic enough to turn it against you. Look what happened to that teacher in upstate NY who shared with her 4th grade students a personal fact about her allergy. Her own students used that knowledge to make her ill. You can connect with your students emotionally in other ways. Use humor. Make references to shared experiences regarding school life. Within reason, you might use a film or TV show popular with your students' age, such as The Hunger Games, as an illustration for a concept that you wish to teach. You can talk about a local sports team and their losing streak or winning streak. But remember, you are not their friend and don't let them veer you off-topic. Weave these things into your lessons.
... maturity has had to make slow progress so I can finally be developed to the level ...
The reason my clinical placement was delayed for them to find the right teacher was because there was a concern over open plans of suicide ... I'm just trying to find a solution to being happy as a teacher without having to conform to prejudice and ignorant society standards.
1) You are confused and we went down a windy path that keeps morphing (changing). 2) If this is true, I don't care what your schedule is, you need counseling and it can be free offered in your county wherever you live. 3) It has gotten so personal now that continuing this to see another change of direction would not be good 4) You are writing way too much personal information. The internet is an open book.
Okay. So since I'm not getting new information from anyone can someone just delete this thread so it doesn't keep going in circles? Obviously people are getting upset or creeper out by my anonymous personal information, and I can't figure out how to delete the thread to stop upsetting everyone.
The frustration I have is since when did it go from "safe touch" to "no touch?" The safe touch training I've had in the past stated no touching in areas normally covered by a bathing suit unless medical emergency, avoiding excessive tickling for overstimulation purposes, and limiting contact to short hugs and light contact on the upper back and shoulders while avoiding contact with any child who asks not to be touched. When I was little we even had the good touch and bad touch from adults lectures which stated a lot of the same information. I just think that everything going to an extreme this way is highly disturbing. Psychology has even documented positive effects from appropriate physical contact.
When did it go from "safe touch" to "no touch?" When people started becoming immensely litigious and looking at lawsuits as paychecks. People getting witch-hunted is highly disturbing, as well.
The contact you specifically mention (tickling, etc.) is discouraged/emphatically not okay in nearly every situation I've ever been in, regardless of the age group. The only students I have EVER had where unorthodox contact was not only allowed but in some cases, part of a behavioral or treatment plan was when working with children with severe autism and marked sensory processing issues, who required various types of touches (deep pressure/squeezes, light touches like tickling with a feather or soft brushes or "Koosh ball"-type sensory tools) when in sensory crisis. This is therapeutic, though, and in a totally different league than, "Hey, I tickle my fourth graders all the time, they love it!" People are specifically trained on how to safely and appropriately make available proper sensory input. And when I worked with a population where therapeutic contact was the norm, YOU WERE NEVER ALONE WITH A CHILD, and EVERYTHING WAS ON CAMERA. This was for the protection of the service providers, as well as for the protection of the child.
Things are different now, somewhat because of the small population of predatory creeps who caused problems, but far, far moreso, to protect the vast majority of teachers, therapists, etc. who are consummate professionals against an inundation of scurrilous and opportunistic lawsuits.
Physical contact and affection is absolutely important for development. But it's gonna have to come from family/loved ones, NOT FROM TEACHERS.
Also, powers that be, my hope is that you leave the thread posted. There is important information on here.
OP, there is a lot going on with you that doesn't have much to do with standard best practices in the field. I hope you continue to get assistance from your counselor(s) to help you come to terms with things.
I guess I'm saying that being gay is not a big deal, so it shouldn't be a big deal if people know.
I think the point people are trying to make is that your social status is not your student's business. Whether you're single, married, engaged, gay/single, gay/married, in the middle of divorce proceedings, etc. is not something they should be thinking about. In school, it never occurred to me or my friends to wonder whether Mrs. So-and-So, or Mr. Math Teacher were married or had a significant other. The students should be focussed on schoolwork, and it's the teacher's job to maintain a professional distance from the students, while also being personable.
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