Connecting With Troubled Students
The sad truth of teaching in prison is that certain elements transcend the prison walls. Elements such as the psyche of our students and the experiences our students bring with them into the classroom are good examples. These are the same as in schools outside of prison. The difference is that our students generally have lived harder, more stressful and more unstable lives than the traditional student outside of prison. As such, they carry a lot of baggage with them. This is baggage we must overcome if we want to connect with these troubled students.
Our Profession as Prison Educators
Let’s face it: our profession is one of last hopes. Our students generally come to us beaten down, angry, confused, and even scared. They’ve been sentenced to a number of years away from their families and friends. They are in fight or flight mode. And once they realize that fight mode is not an option, they tend to fortify their mental walls. They tend to mentally move away from the forefront of their existence and hide in their mental recesses.