I have been thinking a lot about Daniella and her teacher. I am struck by how the teacher was very thankful to Bertie for pointing out that the BOTH of them were victims and might want to seek support. 
How often, do we as teachers, check in with ourselves and notice whether we need support after dealing with a difficult issue in class? Is it easy to get this kind of support? Who can we reach out to for this kind of help?
Any thoughts? 
Daphne


>>> alcdgg at langate.gsu.edu 01/16/06 5:13 PM >>>

Bertie,
You make great suggestions. In answer to your questions, apparently Daniella did not want to press charges. Apparently, she had been the victim of many attacks near her school and the police often psychologically abused her, making fun of her way of dressing, calling her derogatory names, and telling her that she deserved to be beaten up. She did not feel comfortable reaching out to counselors, apparently she did not have good experiences at her high school with counselors telling her that she had to dress more appropriately (i.e. like a boy) when she attended school.
The teacher wants me to thank you for your comment:
"Daniella and the teacher were both victims of violence against women...They both needed support."
The teacher was traumatized by this event, feeling responsible for Daniella getting beaten up.  Although she knows that she did not commit the crime, she does feel very guilty about not making sure that noone could eavesdrop while Daniella was talking to her. No one had ever mentioned to her that counselling may help her with this experience, and she is going to look into it. She thanks you. Up until now she focused on the impact this all had on Daniella without thinking about the impact it had on her.
Daphne
   


>>> bertiemo at yahoo.com 01/12/06 12:05 PM >>>

I feel  very sad and angry about what happened to Daniella.  Unfortunately this is after the fact, but I have a few suggests for this teacher>
   
  1.  I encourage everyone of the students in my Freshman Success Class and also who is in my opportunity program to make a private 15 to 20 minute appt. with me so we can get to know one another....and we can talk about issues such as nick names, unusual issues..All behind closed  doors..
   
  2.  Be more careful about issues of privacy and confidentiality....some issues are best discussed during office hours behind closed doors
   
  3.  Safety of classrooms needs to be discussed with sponsors of literacy programs.
       After the incident was there a discussion about follow/up steps...
   
  4.  Did Daniella and the instructor receive  counseling and support after the incident...
   
  5.  Was she ask about pressing charges and how she would be supporting to do this...
   
  Daniella and the teacher were both victims of violence against women...They both needed support.  
   
  Several years ago, I was experienced an apt. invasion by a homeless  man...I was pretty outraged when I didn't receive support from the police, or the few  friends that I called...I wasn't physically hurt, but I felt psychologically invaded.  I think I moved home to my parents house for a while after that incident.
   
  Best,
   
  Bertie Mo

Daphne Greenberg <ALCDGG at langate.gsu.edu> wrote:
  In response to a few postings that have been shared on this listserv, someone shared with me a story that she wanted me to post on her behalf. The names and some of the details have been changed to protect the identity of the people/site involved.
A 17 year old, named Daniella F. showed up in the teacher's GED class. She had only sporadically attended classes at her highschool and once she could legally drop out did. One day she overheard people in a public library talking about a GED class and she decided to registar. She went to the office of the GED program, registered, got tested and then was placed in an appropriate class for someone at her level. She attended every day. After a few weeks of class, the teacher noticed a discrepancy in the names of the students that the office had sent her and the names of the students who showed up in class. Specifically, her roster showed a Daniel F. and not a Daniella F. So one day, she asked the class if anyone knew a Daniel F. Noone raised their hand. She then, asked Daniella if by any chance Daniel was her brother. She said no. Then she asked Daniella if she had enrolled in the program, because she noticed that she did not have a Daniella F. on her roster. Daniella replied th
at she did. At the end of class, Daniella went up to the teacher and admitted that she was Daniel. Apparently, because her official name is Daniel, she enrolled as Daniel, but she likes to be called Daniella. When she enrolled as Daniel, she dressed like a male, but once she attended class she dressed the way she feels comfortable, which is as a female. Unfortunately, both the teacher and Daniella did not know that there were some students in the hallway who heard Daniella share her information. When Daniella left program that day, they followed her as she walked away and in an empty and deserted lot they beat her up. They were a group of 3 teenage males who found her offensive. Daniella did not return to the program. The teacher was able to keep in touch with her for a few weeks and even tutored her for awhile, but then Daniella left town without leaving any contact information.
Any thoughts or reactions to the above? 
Daphne

Daphne Greenberg
Assistant Professor
Educational Psych. & Special Ed.
Georgia State University
P.O. Box 3979
Atlanta, Georgia 30302-3979
phone: 404-651-0127
fax:404-651-4901
dgreenberg at gsu.edu

Daphne Greenberg
Associate Director
Center for the Study of Adult Literacy
Georgia State University
P.O. Box 3977
Atlanta, Georgia 30302-3977
phone: 404-651-0127
fax:404-651-4901
dgreenberg at gsu.edu

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