Home | How It Works | Stats Login | Register         Go Back                 Case Posted on September 21, 2012 12:32 pm Add to Favorites Jennifer Hong Reps: 46 Student with recently divorced parents How can I help one of my 4th grade students whose performance seems to be affected by his parents' recent divorce?                 Submit a Possible Solution Please read response(s) below (if any) before posting your solution.                 Solution 1 Posted October 2, 2012 3:25 pm amaJud Reps: 114 I would keep lines of communication open with both parents so no one feels like I am excluding them from their child's education. I also will maintain my classroom procedures so the child can have a safety net during this time in his life. If the student needed a moment I would give them as much time as needed. I would let the guidance counselor know the situation so they can handle other conferences with the student appropriately. Votes: +15 / -0 This Solution Is Useful   This Solution Is Not Useful   Comments posted for this solution Add a Comment                 Solution 2 Posted October 2, 2012 3:00 pm atuLyD Reps: 111 I would try to keep the classroom as normal as possible for the student so he can feel less anxious about his parent's divorce. It is important for the teacher to be understanding and patient with the child. If the student still seems to be still affected, then I would contact the parents to let them know that the child is affected by the situation and might need to see the school counselor to help. It is important for the teacher to keep all lines of communication open for the parents and the child and to do what is best for the child to succeed in the classroom. Votes: +9 / -0 This Solution Is Useful   This Solution Is Not Useful   Comments posted for this solution Jenna Herberson Reps: 200 I think this is the best solution, the student is already going through an uproar at home, now having two homes, they need to feel safe, secure and like school is the one stagnant piece of their life.   Posted on: February 22, 2018 7:21 pm Add a Comment                 Solution 3 Posted October 4, 2012 5:30 pm vusyHa Reps: 112 This student probably feels abandoned by the situation so I would pair him or her up with a classmate that doesn't mind working with people and pair them up at study partners. This may give the student a friend to confide in and help with school work. Votes: +6 / -0 This Solution Is Useful   This Solution Is Not Useful   Comments posted for this solution Add a Comment                 Solution 4 Posted October 2, 2012 3:26 pm edaPab Reps: 147 I would talk to the student and tell him or her that you are always there. I would keep classroom management the same and keep class going. I would also maybe allow some extra time for that student so that he or she can get back on their feet and the new news subsides. Votes: +3 / -0 This Solution Is Useful   This Solution Is Not Useful   Comments posted for this solution Add a Comment                 Solution 5 Posted October 5, 2012 9:49 pm David Corrigan Reps: 137 I would let the student know that I was always there for them if they wanted to talk. I would also ask if felt comfortable talking to me or did they want to see a councilor. If the grades really started to slip I would set up a meeting with the parents, even if I had to do it in two separate meetings. Votes: +2 / -0 This Solution Is Useful   This Solution Is Not Useful   Comments posted for this solution Add a Comment                 Solution 6 Posted October 11, 2012 9:26 am Vivian Winston Reps: 123 This is a very common situation when students are dealing with issues at home. The first thing I would do is talk with the student privately to let them know that they can always come to you when they are upset or need to talk about something. If their grades continue to suffer after a while I would talk to the parents. They may not realize how much their divorce is affecting their child and hopefully they would want to help the situation in any way possible. Votes: +1 / -0 This Solution Is Useful   This Solution Is Not Useful   Comments posted for this solution Add a Comment                 Solution 7 Posted October 17, 2014 6:12 am BuqeNu Reps: 100 Divorce is a tough situation for students. Of course, it is important to conference with parents to discuss how the divorce is affecting the student's behavior and academic progress. I would get the consoler involved to get the student to open up and possibly refer the family for group support. Finally, I would suggest a personal journal to write down their thoughts or feeling as a release of emotions. Votes: +1 / -0 This Solution Is Useful   This Solution Is Not Useful   Comments posted for this solution Add a Comment                 Solution 8 Posted February 20, 2015 10:20 pm uheZeg Reps: 100 It might be a good lesson to talk about different types of families. Have other teachers or students come in and share about their family dynamic. Incorporate that families can be any close group, such as the class. Perhaps the student would feel better if he had the support of his "school family" Votes: +1 / -0 This Solution Is Useful   This Solution Is Not Useful   Comments posted for this solution Add a Comment                 Solution 9 Posted October 11, 2015 7:32 pm dubaNu Reps: 190 I would talk to the student and suggest that they see the school counselor. I would also let them know I was there for them and would like to help them feel better in the classroom. Votes: +1 / -0 This Solution Is Useful   This Solution Is Not Useful   Comments posted for this solution Add a Comment                 Solution 10 Posted October 2, 2012 3:22 pm guPeRu Reps: 135 I would show empathy by talking with the student privately and explaining that you are always there if the student wants to talk about anything. I would also contact parents explaining that the divorce and change is affecting their child's performance. Suggesting that the parents talk with their child and ensure that the student has the space and opportunity to study at home is vital. The school's counselor may need to be contacted. Votes: +1 / -2 This Solution Is Useful   This Solution Is Not Useful   Comments posted for this solution Add a Comment                 Solution 11 Posted October 12, 2012 5:26 pm Rachel Ressler Reps: 121 I would find an online support group for young students that he can go to during recsess or before or after school. Where he can talk to like minded kids who are going through the same thing. I would also tell him that any questions he may have that I can answer I will. I would also have a conference with both parents perferably at the same time to talk about how we can help him together. Votes: +1 / -4 This Solution Is Useful   This Solution Is Not Useful   Comments posted for this solution erugyn Reps: 100 Great solution.   Posted on: October 18, 2014 8:25 pm Add a Comment                 Solution 12 Posted February 19, 2015 6:30 pm uHugyT Reps: 100 I think that it's important to try to keep things as normal and the same in the classroom as they can be, since they will be going through so many changes at home. The student may even look forward to going to school since it's consistent each day. I would keep lines of communication open with each parent, and call them or schedule a meeting in the event that the divorce is negatively affecting the student's academic achievement or mental health. Other than that, you should just be there for them, and you could try to find a book on divorce for the student to read so that they understand that the divorce has nothing to do with them. Votes: +0 / -0 This Solution Is Useful   This Solution Is Not Useful   Comments posted for this solution Add a Comment                 Solution 13 Posted October 4, 2015 2:54 am uZyvaP Reps: 204 I would refer this child to the guidance counselor. They usually have more experience for handling situation like these. Votes: +0 / -0 This Solution Is Useful   This Solution Is Not Useful   Comments posted for this solution Add a Comment                 Solution 14 Posted February 24, 2020 4:20 am agejeM Reps: 102 I would reach out to both the student and parents to find out how they are feeling, and gain a better understanding of what the home situation is. Outside of that, provide support to the student as you can, listen to their needs, and if necessary, an important resource such as a licensed therapist to help them work through what is going on. Be as understanding as possible in this situation! Votes: +0 / -0 This Solution Is Useful   This Solution Is Not Useful   Comments posted for this solution Add a Comment                 Solution 15 Posted October 7, 2023 2:21 pm zuLuZy Reps: 208 As a teacher, I think it is important at this time to maintain communication and connection with both parents for their student's education. But also recognize that this could be a time for students who are changing a lot and we should try to maintain their school schedule to be very reliable. Votes: +0 / -0 This Solution Is Useful   This Solution Is Not Useful   Comments posted for this solution Add a Comment                 Submit a Possible Solution Please read response(s) below (if any) before posting your solution.