Thinking Out Loud.

5th January, 2016

 

Alex considers the nature of empathy and professionalism in teaching, where people are expected to ride the fine line between warmth, compassion and appropriateness. 

Throughout the working world there seem to be a number of jobs that require a balance between providing a professional service, as well as a sense of emotional connection and empathy. Perhaps the profession of teaching is an extreme case of this, as we work with children rather than adults, and there are a number of cultural expectations when working with children. Ultimately, while there might not be a specific job criteria that explicitly states you must be a warm and caring person, it seems this is an expected part of being a teacher.

While there is always a wonderful atmosphere and sense of excitement when working with children, there is a constant underlying tension to act and respond appropriately. The word appropriate is vague, as everyone’s concept of appropriate is subjective to their personal views and beliefs, and this doesn’t help when you are new to the teaching profession. Working in schools and afterschool care environments, I am aware of the requirement that you should not initiate physical contact with children. However, anyone that has worked with Foundation, year one, and even year twos, will tell you that fulfilling this aim can be extremely hard, simply due to the nature of young children.

Children beginning school are often coming from an extremely caring, warm and physically affectionate home environment. So it’s not surprising that they may experience some emotional confusion when they are promptly denied the physical contact they have come to expect at home. We all know that young children are extremely injury prone, and a comforting hug is something they have always had access to at home – yet at school students must learn that it isn’t appropriate to hug a staff member in that way. Or is it?

It seems almost a little cruel to completely eliminate all physical contact from students as they start to learn the ropes of attending school. Maybe this is why many teachers do still initiate physical contact with students in times of need – not in any extremely overt forms, but a small hug here or there when the moment seems right. Is this inappropriate? What are we truly trying to achieve when we strive for appropriate relationships between staff and students?

Given that relationships are, rightly, held up as a critical element to effective teaching (and a happy life!), I wonder how confusing it must be for a foundation student to make a connection with their teacher without any physical contact. Young children spend the first few years of their life being mostly unable to communicate their thoughts and feelings, but always being able to resort to the base connection of physical contact and affection.  To come to environment where their main avenue for connection is denied seems like a drastic and perhaps damaging change.

Yet, as teachers we are most likely the first long-term, professional, adult relationship our students will experience. We are their first opportunity to understand what it means to maintain an appropriate relationship. I believe that the regulations that restrict teachers from physical contact with students are purposeful and necessary. However, I think we need to acknowledge as a society our dual expectations for teachers; as empathetic carers of our children, and professional staff who can maintain appropriate relationships with them too. I think we need to engage pre-service teachers in the discussion of what defines an appropriate relationship and provide them with some practical training in how to establish and maintain one. We need to acknowledge the discomfort that comes with telling a crying six year that no, they cannot have a hug, and question what it means to be appropriate, and why.

- Alex