Every morning we see students walking into their classrooms; however, are they ready to learn? Are they getting the support they need in order to success in life? As school social workers, it is important to reflect on that question and think about ways in which as a team, we can help those children to overcome any barriers they might face. As the book mentions, instruction is important; however, we need to pay attention to other factors such as lack of student engagement, motivation, readiness, or positive climate that can serve as obstacles for the student to perform appropriate in schools.
In chapter 6, the author mentions a story about students falling down from a bridge, and the different ways the staff decided to help. This story reminded me how important is for us as social workers, to
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I agree that this connection between the school staff, family and community is necessary in order to offer the best help. As a school social worker intern, I had the opportunity to assist to IEP and other meetings where we were able to discuss situations of specific students. Last year, we had a difficult case of a child who was diagnosed with emotional distortion disorder. In this case, we gathered as a team (school psychologist, teachers, vice principal, family, community resources (child guidance), and myself) to find the best way to help this student. Each of us played a different role and had something different to offer; however, everything was necessary. After we came up with a plan, the student was invited to the meeting and had the opportunity to share her thoughts and suggestions about the plan. I believe that making decisions involving the students is a way to let them know that their opinion is important and we want them to feel comfortable and