School and Community Summer 2023

SEL in the Middle

BY NATE DYCUS, FARMINGTON R-7 A llow me to introduce you to a student named “Josh.” His name has been changed for the sake of this article. Josh walks into the school, heads to the cafeteria, eats breakfast and goes to his first-hour class. As class begins, Josh falls asleep and has a hard time focusing on instruction. After many attempts to keep Josh involved, frustrated that he won’t listen to the epic lesson planned, the teacher sends Josh out of the room. The night before, Josh could not sleep because his parents argued and he was worried they might separate. He tossed and turned, concerned for the future of his family. So, naturally, Josh finds school a safe enough place to rest and he just wants to sleep.

Countless students come through our classroom doors with similar stories. Many teachers that would have handled Josh in the same manner as the teacher mentioned above. I am that teacher... I was unaware of the situation with Josh and did not take the time to ask Josh him what was going on in his life. For most of the year, Josh would not listen to me, he did not follow instructions and he did not participate in class. We were disconnected from each other until one day when I invited Josh to eat lunch with me. During our time together, I slowed down to hear the story of Josh’s life. Josh said to me that he was shocked that I was willing to listen to him. He thought I was only worried about his test scores and reading level.

30 | SUMMER 2023 S&C