Workshop on challenging teaching situations
On 27 May, Dutch expert Bram van der Meer will visit CBH. He will give a lecture and lead a workshop on dealing with challenging situations when interacting with students.
"In recent years, many teachers have been confronted with difficult situations in the classroom. This involves what we refer to as deviant behaviour. It may involve students who are struggling with their mental health, or political views and social tensions spilling over into the classroom. We have been working for some time to improve our ability to handle crisis situations, but there is also a great deal we can do proactively to prevent situations from escalating at a very early stage,” says Sebastiaan Meijer, Head of Department and Deputy Head of School at CBH.
The lecture is being held as part of the school’s work on gender equality, diversity and equal treatment (JML). It will take place on 27 May between 10.00 and 15.00 and is open to all teachers at CBH, as well as support staff who work closely with students. The deadline for registration is 30 April.
Experienced speaker
The speaker, Bram van der Meer, is from the Netherlands. He is a psychologist by training and, according to Sebastiaan Meijer, has extensive experience in helping universities in the Netherlands with similar issues.
"It’s not always easy being a teacher. You can feel a bit vulnerable in certain situations, especially when you’re working on your own as a teacher or student counsellor and don’t have access to all the necessary tools. Once a situation has gone too far, the whole machinery kicks in and there’s a lot to do, but by then it’s gone so far that both students and staff have suffered. The more we can work early on to ensure that doesn’t happen, the better,” Meijer says.
What will participants learn?
"We hope that those taking part will gain a broader perspective and acquire the tools to de-escalate difficult situations at an early stage in the future."
Text: Sabina Fabrizi ( sabina@kth.se )