ALTON – An Alton native who has continued to serve her community through her professional career has written a book for teachers and instructors dealing with young women, who have some problematic attitudes inside of the classroom.
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Called “Girls, Check Your Attitude: Best Practices for Working with Teen Girls with Challenging Attitudes,” the book works as an instruction manual for teachers. It was penned by Angela Gray, who has worked in the Alton School District as a social worker for as long as 17 years. During that time, Gray said she has come to realize many of the young women with unacceptable behavior in the classroom are most likely coping with large problems outside of it.
“Teachers don't always see what is going on beneath that attitude,” Gray said. “Students are sometimes hurting and feeling ashamed. Some of them are the main breadwinners for their family, some are raising siblings, some have been molested. They are carrying a lot of hurt, pain, and trauma, and sometimes that causes them to lash out at the people who try to help them and give them love.”
These young women may not always trust adults, either, Gray said. She said adults are often the people who have hurt them the most – especially from trusted positions in their lives – so she said they were not quick to trust them. She said once that trust is earned, however, the young women often begin disclosing everything to a person they trust.
Some of the advice outlined in the book seems relatively simple, Gray said. First of all, she advises teachers to interact with their students by using their names. She said if teachers are unsure how to pronounce a student's name, she said the best practice is to ask and remember what the student tell them in the future.
Another method in the book is to make sure classroom rules are in writing for students to see. If there is no eating allowed in the classroom, Gray said a sign should be on display for all saying just that.
Gray also advises to avoid labeling students as “good and bad,” instead of saying to label situations as “acceptable,” “disruptive” or “unacceptable.” She said avoiding labeling students as good or bad will help them view themselves in a more positive light.
Raised in now-defunct and demolished housing projects in Alton, Gray said she herself was raised in poverty, but did not know it as that until after she was in high school. She said she had “a bit” of an attitude as a student in the Alton School District, but would channel that into achieving and creating for school activities. She said she advises young women she counsels to do the same.
Since she was a child, and even since she started her career in the district, Gray said young women are facing ever-increasing troubles in their lives. Like Gray, many of the students she counsels are coming from single-parent households. She said students are getting increasingly burdened and traumatized as time continues.
As for the reception of the book, which is currently available on Amazon, Gray said many of the teachers and administration of the Alton School District have purchased and promoted it. She hosted a book release on May 4 at Julia's Banquet Center in the currently developing Eastgate Plaza. She was also mentioned in a tweet by the district. Anyone who would like to purchase the book may do so on Amazon.
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