Brief Biography
Ann Van Buskirk is a licensed clinical psychologist and certified school psychologist. She has been serving the DeKalb-Rockdale GNETS program for 25 years and thoroughly enjoys her work with students, families and colleagues. In addition to providing services and consultation to the GNETS program, Dr. Ann enjoys supervising graduate students, is a Life Space Crisis Intervention (LSCI) trainer for GNETS, and has a private practice in East Cobb. Kimberly Oliver Robinson is a certified school psychologist and has been serving the DeKalb-Rockdale GNETS program for 4 years. She is also a part-time instructor at Georgia State Unibersity and has a private practice in Gwinnett County where she specializes in play therapy for young children, Autism Spectrum Disorders, and family behavioral therapy.
Highest Degree of Presenter(s)
Ann Van Buskirk - Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, Emory University
Kimberly Robinson - Ph.D. in School Psychology, Georgia State University
Presentation Abstract
Everyone has encountered someone who is hard to like and may not "fit" well with our own personality. As parents, we do not choose the temperament of our children, and as educators we often do not choose the students in our classroom. Studies have suggested that for every 10 students, 2-3 will be a "perfect match" for the teacher, 6-7 may be a “good fit” and often at least one student will present significant challenges for her or his teacher. Many of the challenges faced by parents and educators in working with students are exacerbated by lack of understanding and differences in personality or temperament. This presentation will emphasize the power of positive relationships in facilitating behavioral, academic and emotional development. Participants will be provided with tools for understanding themselves, their students, and why some relationships are more challenging than others. Strategies for creating and sustaining positive relationships will be discussed. While this presentation emphasizes the student-teacher relationship, it is hoped that the strategies presented will be useful for parents and all those who work with children and adolescents at home, school and throughout the community.
Recommended Citation
Van Buskirk, Ann M. Ph.D. and Robinson, Kimberly Oliver Ph.D., "Understanding Each Other - Developing Positive Relationships with Challenging Students" (2015). Georgia Association for Positive Behavior Support Conference. 6.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/gapbs/2015/2015/6
Understanding Each Other - Developing Positive Relationships with Challenging Students
Everyone has encountered someone who is hard to like and may not "fit" well with our own personality. As parents, we do not choose the temperament of our children, and as educators we often do not choose the students in our classroom. Studies have suggested that for every 10 students, 2-3 will be a "perfect match" for the teacher, 6-7 may be a “good fit” and often at least one student will present significant challenges for her or his teacher. Many of the challenges faced by parents and educators in working with students are exacerbated by lack of understanding and differences in personality or temperament. This presentation will emphasize the power of positive relationships in facilitating behavioral, academic and emotional development. Participants will be provided with tools for understanding themselves, their students, and why some relationships are more challenging than others. Strategies for creating and sustaining positive relationships will be discussed. While this presentation emphasizes the student-teacher relationship, it is hoped that the strategies presented will be useful for parents and all those who work with children and adolescents at home, school and throughout the community.
