In college and graduate school, fledgling teachers learn about classroom management, different types of instructional methods, and lots of other pedagogical tools to help prepare them for life in their own classrooms. There are various situations that can crop up in the classroom, however, for which teachers have little or no preparation. School violence, drug and alcohol abuse by students (or parents), and divorce are a few issues that some teachers may have to address at some point in their careers.
Peggy's companion column:
Resources mentioned in this post: