Should teachers just teach or should they also be concerned about students' socio-emotional well-being?

Question

How much of which? How to strike a balance? Do teachers have time for both? Can one be neglected at the cost of the other?

Answer 1

The social-emotional well being of a child is closely tied to academic achievement--just like socio-economic staut is tied to academic achievement.

I am a teacher and I work in a poor, mostly minority urban school. Some of my students come to school hungry because they didn't have anything to eat for dinner the night beofre. Some live in rough neighborhoods where they can't go outside to play for fear of being shot. Some come to school exhausted becuase they spent the night at the police station because mom and/or dad got arrested. Some bounce between famly members, sleeping in different beds every night becuase their parents are working so many jobs, they aren't home at night. They come to school with all those things on their minds, and they are supposed to leave that at the door and focus on reading, writing and math in order to pass a state test that determines the school'd funding for the next year? I dont think so. If my children aren't well cared for I certainly cannot expect them to do their best in the classroom. I spend a lot of time helping them deal with life--the issues that come up for them. It is exhausting, but if I don't, I truly believe I have failed the child. I cannot rescue all of them--that's too hard to deal with. I try the best I know how to help them learn to deal with their circumstances and how to overcome them and get that education--because without it, they won't get anywhere better. They know that--their parents know that. It's not about knowing, it's about learning how to deal with it.

Unless teachers, and community leaders, and politicians--start looking at the whole child--instead of just numbers on a test--then we can get down to the business of educating children at the level that is necessary for them to compete in the global economy as adults. Until we do that, we will continue to have finger pointing over the "bad" schools and "unintrested" teachers and messed up systems.

Answer 2

Both are important and a good teacher should be concerned about more than just the academic progress of his/her students. It is a challenge to find time for everything but given the fact that students with outside distractions (such as socio-economic ones) don't learn as well, combined with the pressures on us from NCLB, we can't afford not to be concerned. For most students this doesn't mean that much time needs to be spent on non-academics but presenting a caring attitude and showing concern for the 'whole child' goes a long way in making students more interested in doing well in class.

Answer 3

A good teacher will be concerned about both! Students who have problems at home whether financial or personal are going to focus on those problems and not be as eager or willing to listen and learn. Teachers should be willing to listen, but not be a best friend. They should make time for both, so many students today do not get the guidance they need at home. Neither should be neglected by the good teacher.

Answer 4

I'm not sure you can have one without the other. Of course, some teachers over-do it, but research shows that kids who have socio-emotional roadblocks have trouble learning. Mazlow wrote that one attends to the most immediate needs first. So therefore, if a teacher is to do the best he or she can in helping the student learn, they must sometimes try to attend to these roadblocks. I also think there is SOME room for character education in the schools, as long as it does not supplant the curriculum that is based in raw learning.

Answer 5

Me myself is a teacher in a secondary school. It actually depends with what type of student u r dealing with. Of course we as educator , must teach n at the same time care for ur pupil. Without caring for them, they will have problems in communicating as well as learning with us. Further more, both the teaching n balance can be balanced. When we teach , we can also show our care for them such as using the pupil as a certain subject in our teaching as good examples n always make sure they ask us questions in a happy n comfortable way by not just showing our anger but sincerity in guiding them. Besides, if problems arise always investigate n communicate with the pupil involved before carrying out any actions.

Answer 6

i think both are important, as a student myself, i want a teacher to be involved with the kids personally to a point, but they should still teach and have a business relaionship with the kids. just knowing what's ging on will make the kids feel important and not the 3rd wheels all the time, and no favorites. that happens when you do the whole socio-emotional.

Answer 7

Teachers should just teach. They aren't qualified to make assesments of a students "socio-emotional well-being". It isn't a teachers place to pass judgement on students. Everyone has different values, beliefs, personalities and will behave accordingly.
I think they should spend more time learning how teach and conduct a classroom; and less time blaming student behaviour for their failure.

Answer 8

I couldn't have it any other way. A teacher prepares students for life. socio-emotional well-being is very important. Let them see that you are human first then a teacher. In my case I'm an artist first then a teacher.

Answer 9

there are too many teachers out there that do just teach, and so many children that aren't learning because of that. i chose to be a parent, but ended up being a mom. there is a big difference. if a teacher cant make time for both, than maybe he/she needs to find a different profession. if you cant find out the way a child ticks, then you will never be able to teach them. all it takes is letting a child know that you care about them , that's what makes all the difference

Answer 10

I believe that teachers are in the classroom for only one purpose, to teach. The parents should be the ones to be concerned with all other asspects of a childs life. However, a teacher should be somene to be trusted in the event of crisis such as abuse by other students or even at home.