Hanging In: Strategies for Teaching the Students Who Challenge Us Most

by Jeffrey Benson

Figure 5.1 Signs of Countertransference When half the adult team is outraged at the student's behavior and the other half wants to protect the student. When you are sure that you alone can make the difference for the student and you are willing to do the work solo. When you are lecturing the student well beyond what the student can fully comprehend and make use of for personal growth. When you want to make an example of a student. When you want to make more than one significant exception for the student, especially when you may not want to tell the rest of the team about it. When your feelings for a student are so strong that you want to express closeness; for example, giving hugs that you don't give to other students who behave the same way. When you are being harsher with one student than with others because you don't want to seem like you are showing favoritism. When you are irritated by the way a student looks, or talks with friends, or laughs, or sits. When you wish you could take the student home with you. When you want to make extra sure that the other team members dealing with the student do or say things exactly the same way that you are doing and saying them.