Things To Know Before Teaching Alcohol And Drug Classes Grand Rapids

By Gregory Gibson


Drug and alcohol abuse is one of those classes that should be taken very seriously in every school. It may seem hard to talk to teenagers about drugs and alcohol. This is mainly because of their obvious reaction which is usually the eye-roll or completely zoning out. The real problem is that parents assume teachers teach the kids while teachers assume the parents do. This is what every educator should know before embarking on alcohol and drug classes grand rapids.

Instead of morally trying to scare them straight, try a health approach and it will encourage them. Due to mob psychology, the moral approach does not work. You can tell them about how their lives will be ruined, and they may come to jail, but they will not flinch. They have seen others before they get their life together at some point. Showing them what happens to their body with time is bound to scare them straight.

Start talking to the students at a young age. It is never too early to start. By the age of nine, that is around the fourth grade; you should be talking to the children in terms that they would understand. At this age, they have watched a lot of films or even seen people abuse drugs and may be experimenting. It is better to stop them because the problem gets out of hand.

The drugs being used today are not comparable to those of 10 years ago. Nowadays, they have been completely modified. The effects are more lethal. Legalizing marijuana in several places makes the job all more difficult. The child is likely to argue why would the government legalize something knowing well it is harmful to the people.

Teach them how their brain operates. The brain is still developing up to age 25. Teenagers tend to act on impulse especially under stressful situations. When they get addicted, the brain builds up a tolerance to the drug. They can never naturally feel anything, and they have to use the drug in order for the brain to trigger different emotions.

Some children say that they can experiment but will not get addicted because they are from a certain way of life. Make them aware that that is very wrong information. Once drugs have got you in their clutches, they will not release you simply because you act or live differently than the others. A teacher should also never assume some students cannot get affected.

Drug abuse has a lot of signs. It is possible not to be familiar with them all. But you should always keep an eye out for the change in the behavior of certain students. Do not assume everything is a way of acting out because of puberty. Make a point of talking to the student and finding out what is going on in their lives.

Try to be as involved as you possibly can. Think of any and every way you can create drug awareness. You should consult with fellow teachers, counselors and even parents. Find a way to keep the child occupied to avoid cases of drug abuse.




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