Academic Success for All Learners/
Understanding Individual Differences
Becoming a Therapeutic Teacher for Students
With Emotional and Behavioral Disorders
TEACHING Exceptional Children, Vol. 38, No. 2, pp. 40-45. Copyright 2005 CEC.
Brian J. Abrams
Teachers who work with students with
emotional and behavioral disorders
(E/BD) know that their job is often challenging. High levels of stress and
burnout are common among these
teachers. Therapeutic teachers, however,
are able to meet these challenges, as
well as meet the academic and social
needs of students with E/BD. This article
will describe what a therapeutic teacher
is, how such teachers can create a therapeutic environment for these students,
and how they can manage the “stressors” of teaching these students. Most
important—becoming a therapeutic
teacher is a process of continually maintaining positive attitudes toward oneself,
one’s work, and one’s students.
Students with emotional and behavioral disorders (E/BD) exhibit a number
of negative behaviors. Some of these
students act out and are both verbally
and physically aggressive. They can be
hyperactive, oppositional, and argumentative. Other students are withdrawn, depressed, anxious, and defensive. Many have poor impulse control,
are easily frustrated, and lack self-control. They often have limited insight into
their behavior, blame others for their
behavior, and exhibit poor social skills.
Added to these characteristics is the
reality that many of these students have
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limited academic skills, poor attention
span, and low levels of motivation in
the classroom (Coleman, 1996;
Kauffman, 2001). As a result of these
deficits, students with EBD often dislike
school and do poorly in academic work.
How can teachers manage students with
such a variety of negative behaviors,
and yet still effectively teach them academic and social skills?
Teaching these students can be a very
challenging task. Many special education
teachers who succumb to the inherent
stress of the job risk developing physical
or emotional problems. They either stay
in the field but become ineffective teachers (i.e., experience burnout), decide to
work with a different population of students, or leave the field of teaching altogether (Nichols & Sosnowsky, 2002;
Whitaker, 2001; Zabel & Zabel, 2001).
Teaching Students with E/BD:
Student Stress and Teacher
Stress
The educational stressors of students
with E/BD may include the following:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Limited academic and social skills.
Unmet psychological needs.
Limited insight and self-awareness.
Emotional and behavioral deficits.
Disorganized or inconsistent teachers.
Boring or irrelevant curriculum.
Overuse of punishment.
Feelings of powerlessness (Shores,
Gunter, Denny, & Jack, 1993).
The social lives of students with E/BD
are often very stressful in and out of
school The behavioral, social, and emotional deficits of these students often
result in low self-esteem, a negative selfimage, and a social environment in
which many of their psychological
needs are unmet. Their lives are often
chaotic and unstable; many have experienced rejection, loss, neglect, or abuse
in their young lives (Paul & Epanchin,
1997).
Students with E/BD are often filled
with anger, rage, fear, sadness, and
grief. They are unable to understand or
control their emotions. Frustration is
their common companion. Their behavior is often inconsistent, antisocial, maladaptive, and self-defeating. Schools
should be a safe haven for them, but in
many cases the school environments
are not therapeutic. The behavioral and
social deficits of these students are often
met with anger and punishment from
teachers who react to their behavior
rather than understanding the whole
person. These students have learned to
be mistrustful of adults, and they often
have negative expectations of themselves and others. They want approval
and security, but they expect rejection
and failure. “Most antisocial students
experience academic failure and rejection by peers and adults in school”
(Kauffman, 2001, p. 352).
Teachers of student with E/BD also
experience a number of stressors. These
may include:
• Having unrealistic expectations of self
or students.
• Experiencing a lack of support from
peers, parents, or administration.
• Having too many tasks and too little
time.
• Feeling an increased emphasis on
standardized testing.
Working with students who are often
angry, aggressive, or oppositional can
be very stressful for teachers, and teachers often react with fear, anxiety, or
anger (VanAcker, 1993). Many teachers
may be unprepared to work with such a
difficult population, and may lack the
necessary instructional or classroommanagement skills to be effective.
These teachers may also have limited
self- and stress-management skills.
Too often the result of student stress
and teacher stress in classrooms for students with E/BD is teachers’ doing very
little teaching, and students’ doing very
little learning. Much of the time is spent
in off-task behavior, and high levels of
tension are often exhibited among staff
and students. Students and staff engage
in negative behaviors, and the stress
and tension in the classroom often escalate.
What Is a Therapeutic Teacher?
Attitudes of Therapeutic Teachers
Therapeutic teachers are able to create
an environment that meets the academ
ic and social needs of students with
E/BD. The teachers’ attitudes toward
their students, their job, and themselves
are essential elements in being “therapeutic.” “To be therapeutic, teachers
must listen, talk, and act in ways that
communicate respect, caring, and confidence, both in themselves and in their
students” (Kauffman, 2001, p. 536).
Teachers must recognize the importance of managing their own stress and
taking care of their mental health to be
effective and therapeutic in teaching
students with E/BD. Therapeutic teach-
ers have developed effective stress-coping skills. They have good mental health
and high levels of self-awareness and
self-confidence. They exhibit and model
self-control in managing stress (Long &
Newman, 1980).
Understanding Students With EBD
Therapeutic teachers show respect for
each student’s dignity, even when the
student engages in antisocial behavior.
Teachers are able to understand the
frustrations and anxiety that trigger students’ negative behavior, and are able to
avoid reacting with anger or fear. They
do not resort to threats and revenge.
They are able to establish a positive
classroom climate of trust and rapport
with their students. These teachers have
the training and skills to defuse tension
in the classroom. They are able to establish order, structure, and consistency in
the classroom. Therapeutic teachers
establish class rules that are enforced
with positive and negative consequences. These teachers rely primarily
on preventive discipline. By creating a
positive classroom climate, these teachers are able to reduce much of the frustration and stress that trigger negative
behaviors in the classroom (Abrams &
Segal, 1998).
Helping Students
Experience Success
Therapeutic teachers are well-organized
and have clear, realistic, and positive
Teachers must manage
their own stress and take
care of their mental health.
expectations of themselves and their
students. They enjoy teaching and are
able to maintain their enthusiasm for
teaching and learning. By recognizing
the needs, talents, strengths, values,
and interests of each student, these
teachers are able to create a classroom
climate in which the curriculum is relevant to the students’ lives. The lessons
use individualized instruction and
implement a knowledge of students’
learning style (Dunn & Dunn, 1993) and
multiple intelligences (Armstrong,
2000). Students begin to feel comfortable in the classroom and show an
interest in learning. Therapeutic teachers are able to create a positive classroom environment in which students
experience success and feel safe.
“Teachers must be skilled in using the
setting, the curriculum, and most especially the relationship with the child to
provide the atmosphere that promotes
both academic and social development”
(VanAcker, 1993, p. 31).
Realistic Expectations of What You
Can Accomplish
This description may sound like therapeutic teachers are one-half saint and
one-half Superman or Wonder Woman,
but this hyperbole is not true.
Therapeutic teachers are realistic about
what they are able to achieve. They
make mistakes but usually are able to
learn from their errors. Many educators
have tried to be “perfect teachers” (and
as far as the author knows, they have all
failed); this ambition is unrealistic and
leads only to frustrations for teachers
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and students. Do not try to be perfect—if you were perfect, growth would
be impossible.
Becoming a Therapeutic
Teacher and Creating a
Therapeutic Environment
Therapeutic teachers are able to create a
positive classroom climate. “The
teacher’s primary task is to structure or
order the environment for the pupil in
such a way that work is accomplished,
play is learned, love is felt, and fun is
enjoyed by the student and the teacher”
(Kauffman, 2001, p. 533). How does a
teacher working with students who
exhibit a plethora of challenging behaviors create such an environment? Aside
from the students, two major components of the classroom environment are
the teacher and curriculum. If we want
to help students to grow and change,
two things we can change first are ourselves, as teachers, and the curriculum,
that is, how we provide and modify
instruction.
Becoming Aware of
Your Expectations
Many teachers working with students
with E/BD have been unsuccessful
because they have had unrealistic
expectations of themselves and their
students. Teachers must examine their
attitudes and expectations. Do you
believe your students are “bad” or troubled? Do you truly care about each of
your students? Do you respect the dignity of each student each day? How do
your actions in the classroom demonstrate this caring and respect? How
often do your words and actions conflict
with caring and respect (e.g., by becoming angry and hostile, not listening to
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Figure 1. Annotated Resources on Teaching Students With Dignity
Combs and Gonzalez (1994) discussed the importance of perceptions, beliefs,
empathy, communication, and self-concept—all essential elements of the therapeutic teacher. Caring and respect are crucial to developing helping relationships.
Charles (2002) described the principles of “Helpful Discipline” and the importance
of meeting the basic human needs of students and teacher. Two of these needs are
the need for hope and the need for dignity. This book described the characteristics
of helpful teachers and detailed how teachers can create a classroom environment
to meet the needs of students and teachers.
Curwin and Mendler (1999) presented teachers with a useful approach to classroom management for difficult students. The authors discussed the role of teacher
attitudes and beliefs related to developing trust, respect, and optimism. This book
described teacher strategies that emphasize the importance of students’ experiencing dignity, respect, hope, and success in the classroom.
Gallagher (1997) discussed how teachers can promote dignity and competence in
students with emotional and behavioral disorders. Important concepts include
communicating caring to students, discovering students’ strengths, and promoting
positive teacher-student relationships.
Purkey and Novak (1996) focused on teacher skills related to teacher and student
perceptions and to teacher–student interactions. Teachers can learn to recognize
the importance of students’ perceptions and feelings. This book described how
teachers can create an inviting environment for all students.
Thomas and Montgomery (1998) discussed research on students’ beliefs regarding good teachers. Four characteristics valued by students were gentleness, caring,
understanding, and fun loving.
your student, or focusing on their
deficits rather than their strengths)?
What can you do to be more consistently caring and respectful? Developing
and maintaining positive and realistic
expectations of oneself and each student are essential to becoming a therapeutic teacher (Abrams & Segal, 1998).
Gallagher (1997) discusses the
importance of promoting dignity in students with E/BD and describes specific
methods to achieve this goal.
Therapeutic teachers take the time and
effort to get to know each student as a
unique, capable person. They learn to
recognize and celebrate each student’s
abilities. Their instruction focuses on
the abilities, talents, and interests of all
students rather than on their disabilities
and limitations. Their instruction integrates academic and social learning.
They permit and enable students to
interact with others, and they model
social skills, both directly and indirectly
(see Figure 1).
Improving Your Instructional Skills
Prior to 1990, most of the research on
teaching students with E/BD dealt with
classroom management and interventions to modify behaviors. Since then,
much more research has focused on
effective academic instructional strategies for students with E/BD. Variables
related to the effectiveness of classroom
instruction include task difficulty
Therapeutic teachers create
a positive classroom
environment in which
students experience success
and feel safe.
(DePaepe, Shores, Jack, & Denny, 1996),
students’ interests (Clarke et al., 1995),
and curricular modifications and functional assessments (Gunter & Denny,
1998; Johns, 2000; Kern, Bambara, &
Fogt, 2002). The increased emphasis on
academic standards requires effective
academic instruction of students with
E/BD. Effective instruction requires
ongoing assessments of students’ inter-
were occurring that required the first
governments?” “What do you think
were the first laws?” “How did we learn
about the laws of early civilizations?”).
Effective listening informs the teacher
what students have learned and where
they may be confused. Teachers are
more effective when they give clear and
concise instructions for academics and
classroom management.
Helping Students Manage Stress
Therapeutic teachers take
the time to know each
student as a unique,
capable person.
Teaching stress-management and problem-solving skills are important components both of a social skills curriculum
(Goldstein, 1999) and of an emotional
intelligence curriculum (Goleman,
1994; Obiakor, 2001). Teachers who
actively teach students these skills help
students acquire more self-control,
which, in turn, promotes learning and
reduces stress and tension in the classroom (Jackson & Owens, 1999). The
point was made previously that important elements of a positive classroom
climate are play and fun. Students
should enjoy learning and the time they
spend in the classroom. Teachers can
make learning fun by using humor and
games to promote a positive learning
environment. Promoting dignity includes celebrating our humanity and
recognizing the importance of joy, fun,
and laughter in our lives; sometimes we
need to remind ourselves of this precept
in light of the recent emphasis on stan-
Figure 2. Creating a Therapeutic Classroom Environment
ests and abilities, and creating and
adapting lessons that are relevant to students’ lives and that meet the learning
styles and multiple intelligences of each
student.
Therapeutic teachers create lessons
and an environment that meets students’ psychological needs—belonging,
security, competence, enjoyment,
power, hope, and dignity (Charles,
2002; see Figure 2). They teach students
to identify and understand their emotions. They encourage students to
express their feelings, and how to do so
in socially appropriate ways. They give
students choices about, and input into,
classroom decisions.
Improving Your
Communication Skills
Therapeutic teachers have developed
effective communication skills. They
use active listening to interpret the communicative intent of their student, that
is, the real message behind the anger or
avoidance being exhibited. Many teachers have learned that they are more
effective when they do less talking or
lecturing, and do more listening and
selective questioning to assess students’
understanding of academic material.
Teachers must continually assess students’ understanding when teaching
(e.g., by asking such questions as “Why
did early civilizations develop governments?” “What problems do you think
• Examine your attitudes toward each student:
➢ Do you believe that all students are capable of learning?
➢ Do you dislike some students?
➢ Do you become angry or hostile in reaction to a student’s misbehavior?
• Recognize the talents and interests of each student:
➢ Get to know each student as a full person, not just a student who should
learn your subject matter.
➢ Observe students in different school environments (gym, playground, art,
music, shop class).
➢ Be aware of the multiple intelligences and learning styles of each student.
• Use effective instructional methods:
➢ Teach to capitalize on each student’s abilities and strengths.
➢ Incorporate student’s interests into lessons-the curriculum must be relevant
to students’ lives and backgrounds.
➢ Use a variety of assessments to modify instruction and task difficulty.
• Meet each student’s psychological needs:
➢ Recognize the dignity of each student; recognize and value students’
feelings.
➢ Promote a classroom climate of tolerance of individual differences.
➢ Show respect for students by using active listening.
• Teach problem solving and stress management to students:
➢ Actively model ways to solve problems and manage stress.
➢ Include the teaching of social skills in the curriculum.
➢ Reinforce students’ demonstration of improved self-control Use humo
and games in the classroom:
➢ Make lessons and activities fun.
➢ Use educational games to teach and review academic materials.
➢ Use humor to promote learning and belonging; do not use sarcasm or hostile humor.
• Maintain hope and faith in yourself and your students:
➢ Believe in your abilities to teach and reach your students.
➢ Believe in the abilities of your students to grow and develop.
➢ Communicate your faith in your students’ abilities.
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dardized testing and academic test
scores.
Continuing to Grow as a Teacher
and Person
Therapeutic teachers continue to grow
as individuals and as teachers. They
read and learn about new instructional
and behavioral strategies and keep
abreast of new technology. They implement new methods in the classroom,
then use ongoing assessments to evaluate the effectiveness of those methods.
Therapeutic teachers continue to learn
about the subject matter they teach.
They communicate with fellow teachers
and exchange ideas about effective
interventions. They support fellow
teachers and contribute to a positive
schoolwide environment. They refuse to
become negative and sarcastic. They
value the power of faith, hope, and optimism. Maintaining hope and optimism
may be difficult in the face of all of the
stressors of teaching students with
E/BD, but doing so is essential if we are
to be therapeutic. One of the most
important skills needed by therapeutic
teachers is to learn how to develop a
therapeutic environment.
Stress Management for
Teachers of Students With E/BD
It is impossible for teachers to be effective and therapeutic if they have poor
self-control or limited stress-management skills. Teachers who work with
students with E/BD can learn to manage their stress. Teachers should recognize the importance of stress management as an essential skill. Too many
teachers suffer the negative effects of
stress before they try to manage it.
Teachers—especially
new
teachers—should be realistic about the types
of behaviors they will encounter from
students with E/BD, as well as about
how they might respond.
Teachers need to develop realistic
expectations of themselves and others,
and develop a realistic perception of
stressors (Brownell, 1997). Teachers
should be aware of the power of negative attitudes and beliefs. Research confirms that teachers who exhibit acceptance of self and others, along with a
positive belief system, are able to cope
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more effectively with the stressors of
teaching students with E/BD (Center &
Steventon, 2001).
Time management is also important
so that teachers do not feel overwhelmed by too many deadlines.
Setting priorities, scheduling tasks, and
engaging in problem-solving are all necessary skills needed to manage time and
tasks effectively. Teachers need to budget their time and to organize their time
through such tactics as creating lists.
Most resources on stress management agree that a healthful diet, exercise, and rest are necessary for good
physical and mental health ( Dedrick &
Raschke,
1990;
Delaware
State
Education Association, 2003; Swick,
1987). Maintaining a support system
inside the school (e.g., through coworkers) and outside of school (e.g.,
through friends and family) helps us
cope with stress and put it in perspective. People who are overly stressed
often feel isolated and alone. Sharing
feelings and strategies with co-workers
can reduce our stress level and can help
us learn what other teachers are doing
to solve similar problems.
Being flexible helps us adjust to
change. People who are rigid have more
difficulty dealing with stressors. Having
a healthy sense of humor allows us to
cope with stress. When we step back
from the immediate stressors, we realize
that humor can still be found in our
lives (and sometimes we have to laugh
to avoid crying). Recognizing and
acknowledging our feelings are important adaptive skills. If we do feel anger,
fear, or anxiety in the classroom, we
should realize that these feelings are
valid. We should try to identify their
source and develop a plan to deal with
those feelings. We might ask ourselves
such questions as:
• How can I stay more relaxed in the
classroom?
• How can I feel less afraid of my students?
• How can I feel like I have more control of my class?
Talk with co-workers and administrators,
ask for help, and learn new strategies
that will help you feel more confident
and effective. Allow yourself to grow,
and try to ignore the critical voice in your
head that deals only with negatives.
Engage in personally rewarding hobbies that take your mind off problems
and provide enjoyment. Remember to
value your family and friends. Develop
ongoing professional and personal
renewal activities so that you continue
to learn and grow as a teacher and as a
person. An important skill as a teacher
is recognizing the importance of rejuvenating yourself (Clement, 1999).
Whether or not one is religious, most
of us are familiar with the quote “God,
grant me the serenity to accept the
things I cannot change, the courage to
change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference” (Neibuhr,
2004). This quote is very relevant to
stress management. Too often we get
stressed over things we cannot change,
or accept things that we can change.
Effective stress management involves
putting energy into changing conditions
for the better while accepting the fact
that
some
conditions
cannot
be
changed. Knowing the difference truly
does require wisdom and experience
(see Figure 3).
Figure 3. Stress Management
for Teachers of Students With
EBD
• Have realistic and positive expectations of yourself and others.
• Have a realistic perception of
stressors.
• Employ time management.
• Develop a support system inside
and outside of school.
• Adopt healthful diet, exercise, and
rest routines.
• Be flexible.
• Recognize the value of humor.
• Acknowledge your feelings.
• Engage in personally rewarding
hobbies.
• Continue to grow as a person and
as a teacher.
• Use problem solving to minimize
stressors and their effects.
Therapeutic teachers model
and teach effective stressmanagement skills and
social skills.
Benefits of Therapeutic
Teachers for Students
With E/BD
Therapeutic teachers promote academic
and social learning. They create a classroom environment in which stress and
tension levels are reduced; students’
basic psychological needs are met; and
students are shown dignity and respect,
and learn to respect others. Therapeutic
teachers establish trust and rapport
between themselves and their students.
In a therapeutic teacher’s classroom,
instruction focuses on students’
strengths; students experience success
each day, and student motivation and
achievement increase. Students develop
positive attitudes toward school and
learning. Students receive more positive
feedback and fewer reprimands.
Teachers model and teach effective
stress-management skills and social
skills.
Teaching students with E/BD is a
very challenging job and becoming a
therapeutic teacher does take time and
effort. Maintaining a positive attitude
toward ourselves, our students and our
jobs is not an easy task. Teachers want
to be effective and make a difference in
the lives of their students. Becoming
more therapeutic not only helps our students, but also makes our lives more
rewarding. Teachers of students with
E/BD cannot be effective unless they
care, both for their students and for
themselves.
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Brian J. Abrams (CEC Chapter #71), Special
Education Teacher, Career Preparatory High
School, Nassau BOCES, Westbury, New York.
Correspondence can be sent to Brian J.
Abrams, Career Preparatory High School, 111
Cantiague Rock Road, Westbury, NY 11590
(e-mail: bjabrams@optonline.net).
TEACHING Exceptional Children, Vol. 38,
No. 2, pp. 40-45.
Copyright 2005 CEC .
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