School counselors receive training in behavior management

Dr. Shani Shillingford addressing participants

The Ministry of Education and Human Resource Development continues to provide support to schools as they seek to minimize behavioural problems among students.

The ministry held a training workshop for primary and secondary school counselors and pastoral care coordinators this week at the Public Service Training Centre.

The workshop focused on equipping teachers with the skills to identify signs of psychological problems among students which may lead to anti-social behaviour.

“We are hoping that they will return to hold sessions with the pastoral care teams at their schools to help develop an awareness in the classroom for student behaviour and hopefully be able to figure out how to manage their students,” said Psychologist, Dr. Shani Shillingford.

“First we have to identify the reason for the behaviour and decide how to cope with the behaviour. Sometimes we find that an aggressive child is met with an aggressive teacher. So, we are learning how to cope with the child and trying to decrease some of the bad behaviours,” she explained.

Participants listen to guidance counselor, Joanne Carrette-Rolle

Shillingford, who holds a PhD in Educational Psychology, joined the Ministry of Education and Human Resource Development earlier this month and said her work will take her to schools all around Dominica.

According to Shillingford she has already established ongoing group counseling sessions at the Portsmouth Secondary School and the Isaiah Thomas Secondary School for students identified as repeat offenders.

“We are concentrating on developing life skills, anger management, conflict resolution and helping develop awareness of what causes aggression and how to deal,” she said.

Patsy Letang and Joanne Rolle-Carette, Guidance Counselors with the Ministry of Education, also facilitated sessions on conflict resolution and behaviour management.

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27 Comments

  1. solomon
    May 27, 2012

    This i am sure will go a long way however behavioural problems needs to be detected very early and dealt with. Schools require developing adequate programmes to deal with students with such problems. If the effective school principle is emphasized it will become much easier to harness a culture where there is a caring attitude so that all stake holders benefit equally. The work always continues we should never give up but to persevere.

  2. train dem
    May 26, 2012

    i would like to urger readers,,stop critcriticizing spelling and so on. i just notice that i have a few typos..the point is once the message is received. you never know the person typing may just be in a rush at cafe trying to hurry or some other..i say this cause when i was finished typing my comment earlier i noticed a few errors and i realize why people like to finger point on simple errors.

    • train dem
      May 26, 2012

      urge is the word i don’t know y i keep pressing the r..c how easy it happens..lol

  3. train dem
    May 26, 2012

    counsellors they really need training. when they meet with their clients on the stret they must resist the urger to dicuss in public..i know of a few who will ask in public, they don’t worry who around..what’s going on with so and so and they expect u to answer immendiately not even realizing that u are in an embarrassing spot right away..sometime u are with someone who does not know about the problem. this is an awkward moment..please train them in that area too. I’d gladly appreciate.

  4. Rachette Voice
    May 25, 2012

    Good job Dr. Shillinford!

  5. Patriotic B
    May 25, 2012

    The workshop focused on equipping teachers with the skills to identify signs of psychological problems among students which may lead to anti-social behaviour.

    The operative word is IDENTIFY. The article did not say that teachers are responsible for behaviour problems. It is critical that teachers are able to identify behaviors that require attention so as to make a proper referral to counselors.

    In addition, all counselors should be required to have a master’s degree a the minimum in order to handle such students effectively. A Bachelor’s degree in Psychology does not give the required hands on training and certifications. Because this is an area of need I do hope the government can open up avenues for those already with the Bachelor’s in Psychology to serve in the school system. Great example of an area we can capitalize on as a nation.

    Great start!

  6. -
    May 25, 2012

    good

  7. me and me alone
    May 25, 2012

    teach the counsellors to keep the children’s personal stuff between them and God and the child in quest..some of them discuss the situation and gosspi about it..they also bring up another child’s situation as an exxample while counselling others..it has happened to me. a counsellor told me things that i should not know but i told no one bout it..i know others children’s situation through this counsellor..i don’t think she is trained and because of that it made it difficult for me to tell any body about the problem i am facing..that is y i drop out..no one could help me becuase i trust no one..and i and i and i do no what next i just pull up. my parents no example. i trying but it hard.

  8. morne rachette
    May 25, 2012

    great work dr. shillingford

  9. Blkqwn
    May 25, 2012

    A few years ago a group of students graduated from Cuba with degrees in psychology and were told by the government that there were no available positions. Most of these students save one or two left for other islands where they found high paying jobs as school psychologist etc. now all hell break loose in our schools the government want to hire people and set up all kinds of programmes. We could have prevented all this turmoil if they had been placed in schools from before

  10. May 25, 2012

    WE MUST ACKNOWLEDGE THAT MOST KIDS WHO TURNS OUT TO BE LITTLE THUGS AT SCHOOL ;THEIR PARENTS ARE THUGS …THEN BEST THING TO DO IS SEE WHAT TYPE OF PARENTS THEY HAVE AND START FROM THERE ,NONE THE LESS I AM AGAINST THE IDEA THAT TEACHERS SHOULD BE THE ONES TO HELP THESE KIDS,,,THEY DO NOT HAVE THE TIME FOR THAT,,,THEY MUST TEACH ,THEY HAVE THERE OWN FAMILY AND WHAT EVER ELSE THEY HAVE TO DO..YOU NEED SPECIALIZED TRAINED PEOPLE TO TAKE CARE OF KIDS WITH BEHAVIOUR PROBLEMS.

    • flipflop
      May 25, 2012

      C.B open ur eyes further ,,,i know parents who have rought up their children in a proper manner ..at home they are angels and at school they r influenced by other children. because of peer pressure they ruen out just like the others..parents lets open our eyes to see which friends that r influencing our childrena and pray pray pray

  11. hmmm
    May 24, 2012

    Dominica needs counselors. School counselors should hold a Masters Degree in School Counseling; they should be trained and qualified with the sole purpose of working with students in the school settings. Counseling should not be an additional job for teachers who already have enough on their plate. Furthermore, Dominica needs qualified and trained Counselors in general.

    • Anonymous
      May 25, 2012

      I agree, ABSOLUTELY, COUNSELORS IN GENERAL!!!!

  12. concerned
    May 24, 2012

    ADMIN.. i would like to know why when your articles are written you use American spelling and not British spelling, in school and even CXC we were taught to use the British spelling …..just wondering, look at how behavior and not behaviour is spelt.

    I have been meaning to ask for awhile now.

    • Shameless
      May 25, 2012

      American or British spelling does not matter. They are both internationally accepted. In places like China they have Chinglish (very funny) and Turkey (Turglish). As long as the sentence structure is ok and the message is not lost; who cares?

      Some of our journalists were educated in America and in countries that recognizes the American vocabulary etc so get on board the changing world before you are left behind. Case in point, I am not a journalist but a professional educated in the US after my high school years in DCa and I use both spelling forms in my writing.

  13. Whey??????????
    May 24, 2012

    sit down under allu air conditioning unit and play all kinds of games on allu computers and when allu tired go and shop all around Roseau, then come and continue to pour down all kind of things upon the already stress out teachers in the classrooms who are overburdened with people children stress for poor salaries and extremely poor working conditions????????????????

    • i agree
      May 25, 2012

      Amen to that. well said

    • me and me alone
      May 25, 2012

      nanananananan..no way tell those teachers to stop bringing their home problems at school..when their husband or boyfriend ..girlfriends or wives have issues with them they coming in school well boooway and want to stress out children..i have been there..one teacher come in class and say..all u better behave because i doh eat breakfast and just doh make me vex..a hngry man is an angry men””” how can u come to school like that..a teacher or councellor suppose to treat a child as his or hers..that is part of a counsellor/teachers..stop blaming children and leave allu problems under allu bed when allu go home allu can take it up or live it or better yet give it to jesus. smdh

    • Anonymous
      May 25, 2012

      Amennnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn to that…

  14. Hm!
    May 24, 2012

    Good stuff. Very informative and interesting workshop.

  15. ?????????????
    May 24, 2012

    Congrats Min of Eduction and Dr Shani Shillingford!

  16. ?????????????
    May 24, 2012

    Yes this is a very good start. Good programme but please do not leave out the spiritual part. These repeat offenders have to be told about the one true lover of all time and what he did for us all. And also I can do all things thru Christ who strenghens me. Put God first in all we do. With him out of the equation, we won’t be equipped to take the challenge.

    Again, I reiterate and say a good programme and let us help, pray and stand with our guidance counsellers at our various schools.

  17. Bigpepe
    May 24, 2012

    Keep up the Good work, Ms. Durand as Pr of the Min of Ed.

  18. Bigpepe
    May 24, 2012

    Great initiative by the Ministry of Education. Not only should teachers focus on cognitive development but also on their psycho social needs and growth…

  19. nigel paul
    May 24, 2012

    Let them family. Sort it out

  20. May 24, 2012

    The ministry of education and Human Resource management needs to TARGET THE PARENTS as well!!!!!!! the counselors and pastoral care coordinators can’t do it alone. Some parents seriously need the help.

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