Treatment Abuse, Behavior Modification, Thought Reform > Aspen Education Group
First teacher - then bartender and now singer
Ursus:
--- Quote from: "Whooter" ---
--- Quote from: "Ursus" ---
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--- Quote from: "Whooter" ---Great find, Guys. What a fantastic exposure for kids at risk. She really sounds like and independent self starter and great role model for those children.
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Well, you would know all about that now, wouldn't you, Whooter? After all, she was featured not too minimally in your friend Dave Marcus' book, What it takes to pull me through. Gotta say, a 22-year-old anorexic fresh outta college still having "slip-ups," leading Group for girls with eating disorders, sounds about right for Academy at Swift River...
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People slipup their whole lives it doesn’t mean they deserve to be fired or should be denied a job. She was starting out in life and had a great deal to share with kids.
Why do you always have to point out peoples’ shortcomings and run them down just because they enjoy helping kids and happen to take a job working with at-risk youths? Have a little compassion; why not point out some of the peoples’ better qualities for a change.
Why not point out that she won a grammy or works with special needs students? Graduated 8th in her class etc.
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I'm sorry, did I miss something? Was this thread supposed to be about "The Gennarose Show?" Gee, you're right, she really does sound like a neat person. Oh, heck, I hope she has a wonderful life and I wish her the best of luck!
But... I believe you have misunderstood me, Whooter. My concern has not to do with Ms. Gennarose Domenica Pope and her life's trials and tribulations, but with the Academy at Swift River, and their professional judgment, or lack thereof, in fulfilling their responsibilities towards students and their parents. I would think that said consumers have a right to expect that ASR hires professionals with a level of maturity sufficient for such a job, eh? After all, ASR markets itself as behavioral health professionals ... right?
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Then why the anorexia comments and pointing out that she put the word "discipline" on her resume. You are not being honest, Ursus.
You haven't pointed out why she should not have been hired and/or how ASR mislead anyone. All the parents have access to the qualifications of the staff and teachers. How many teachers do you know that start teaching with 10 years of experience? Its impossible. So you think she should have started in the public sector first and subjected public school kids to her slip ups? I dont see how that would be anymore acceptable.
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The concern about Ms. Pope's anorexia is completely relevant. Do you put an alcoholic who keeps falling off the wagon in charge of counseling sobriety to other alcoholics? Let alone teen-aged alcoholics? Who can spot the slip-ups in a heartbeat?
Ms. Pope was quite young for such a job, in more ways than one. Putting her in a position of such authority and with such responsibility was almost as unfair to her, as it was to the students looking up to her for guidance and direction. She was so young, in fact, that Rudy Bentz mistook her for a student the first time he saw her in the cafeteria, according to Marcus' book.
Ursus:
--- Quote from: "Oscar" ---Such a young person can be a good teacher, but the teenagers at Academy at Swift River are no ordinary kids. They have special needs and they have questions about life the kids at my sons classes doesn't. Questions and reflections which need life experience to answer correctly. I have read the book. She gave a lot but between the lines it is hinted that she burned out.
I don't know how fast the staffing is changing at Academy at Swift River, but if they choose to hire such young people, it will be fast.
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I fully agree, Oscar. Very good point re. the maturity and life experience needed for dealing with the student profile ASR claims to cater to.
Whooter:
--- Quote from: "Ursus" ---The concern about Ms. Pope's anorexia is completely relevant. Do you put an alcoholic who keeps falling off the wagon in charge of counseling sobriety to other alcoholics? Let alone teen-aged alcoholics? Who can spot the slip-ups in a heartbeat?
Ms. Pope was quite young for such a job, in more ways than one. Putting her in a position of such authority and with such responsibility was almost as unfair to her, as it was to the students looking up to her for guidance and direction. She was so young, in fact, that Rudy Bentz mistook her for a student the first time he saw her in the cafeteria, according to Marcus' book.
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I just dont think you or I should judge from way over here. I think an alcoholic would be the most favorable candidate to be in charge of sobriety. He would understand the struggles involved, understand and accept failure and help them to succeed. He would know the signs of when a person was going to fall, offer first hand experience. A person who never drank or only read about alcoholism would be less effective in my opinion.
Maybe she was too young, but there are many people who are too old and cant relate. There are those who are just right but turn out to be pedophiles. Personally I think she was a good choice, she was understanding and compassionate and did a lot to help the kids grow. Thats what really counts in my opinion.
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Whooter:
--- Quote from: "Oscar" ---You asked this to Ursus, but let me answer this question.
My son has a 21 year old teacher in religion and math. because the math. teacher is ill. She is a good teacher. She because a substitute teacher when she left high school and we are talking form 0 with 20 kids aged 7-9 in the class. One of the students are her sister, so when we parents met in class a month ago, her parents were present as parents to her sister. It could cause some problems but it doesn't. She is professional even when she is teaching her own sister.
Such a young person can be a good teacher, but the teenagers at Academy at Swift River are no ordinary kids. They have special needs and they have questions about life the kids at my sons classes doesn't. Questions and reflections which need life experience to answer correctly. I have read the book. She gave a lot but between the lines it is hinted that she burned out.
I don't know how fast the staffing is changing at Academy at Swift River, but if they choose to hire such young people, it will be fast.
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Thanks for the response Oscar.
Turnover is high in most of these places because of burn out. It is a very tough job.. very tough… very frustrating to work with these types of kids. There are only so many years and months of patience that people have to offer.
But back to the teacher. Most of these kids were not doing any academic work at all. So getting them to sit in class all day and study was a monumental task which couldn’t be done at home. I was relieved that the staff and teachers were all young because the kids could relate to them much better and are more apt to open up. I don’t think a 60 year old schoolmarm welding a paddle would be very effective on the kids at Swift River. Telling them life stories of when she was their age. <Yawn>.
The key is to get the kids interested in something they can succeed at to build up their self esteem and get them to the point where they are self motivated. Successful young people can do this better then older people with more experience (with this type of group).
There are risks involved in hiring younger less experienced people but they don’t outweigh hiring people the kids cannot relate to.
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Oz girl:
Oscar i assume this is gennarose from what it takes to pull me through. If I remember correctly the book said she left claiming the only good thing about the place was the kids. This along with the extremely lax attitude to a suicide attempt, The eventual sucessful suicide of another student from the group, The expolsion for oding on drugs of another and practices like leaving one student to supervise the bathroom visits of an anorexic girl that she actively disliked as well as the grandiose hysterics of the egotistical headmaster should have been enough to send any sane person running a mile from the school!
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