Teachers must act as emotional coaches of teenagers: Expert

BENGALURU: Over-protective parents,

confusing teenage years

, excess exposure to information. These are some of the challenges students of this generation have to handle.

Teachers

, too, face tricky situations in schools. Handling children with epileptic disorder is one among them.

The

Times NIE

Teachers' Meet held jointly with Vikram Hospital and AMC Cookware on Thursday , was aimed at empowering teachers with the right information to make this task more manageable. The meet had many experts giving useful insights into the various factors that influence and shape adolescent behaviour.

A short, but refreshing yoga session set the tone for an informative day . Yogacharaya Sathish BG, HoD of yoga, DPS North, got the teachers all pumped up with some asanas, and pranayama sessions.

Consultant neurologist & epileptologist Dr Santhosh N of Vikram Hospital enlightened teachers on recognizing signs of epilepsy.

Nearly 50 million people worldwide suffer from epilepsy at some time or the other, 20% of whom are children. Seizures are often misdiagnosed as day-dreaming since some of them last for less than 10 seconds, he pointed out.

He demonstrated a simple test teachers can use to identify seizures. Rubbishing the practice of placing a key in the hand or mouth in the case of an epileptic attack, he said all one needs to do is put a kerchief between the teeth to prevent biting of the tongue.“Low grades among children could point to a combination of epilepsy and autism which would need neuropsychological assessment and training,“ he added.

Founder and chairman of

Banjara Academy

Dr Ali Khwaja spoke about managing expectations of parents from schools and teachers.

“Children come with parents as a package deal. The focus and involvement of parents have changed. Both parents and teachers want the best for the child,“ he said.

When the objective is the same, he wondered why there should be a conflict between them. He advised teachers to build a rapport with parents and ensure a personal touch in their relationship. “Make parents partners, not competitors. Children are very good at mimicking adults, so it is important that teachers project themselves as being fair and just,“ he said.

Peadiatrician and adolescent specialist Dr Anuradha H S of Prameya stressed the need for teachers to understand the problems adolescents face and guide them in a proper manner.

“Disciplining teens is difficult because neurologically they are on a dopamine high, so it is important to deal with teenagers with love, limits and latitude. Since teens are always seeking independence, we must provide them with choices, listen to them and give them an opportunity to make decisions. Set clear negotiable and non-negotiable rules, state our expectations and provide consistent reinforcements. Teachers need to be their emotional coach,“ she said.

CEO of

AMC Cookware Suresh Venugopal

also spoke at the event. AMC Cookware was the prize sponsor.

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