Teachers DO Make a Difference

Judy Deiro, Ph.D., has been a full-time faculty member at Western Washington University since Fall, 1997. In her 40+year career, she has worked as a teacher, counselor, and education consultant. Some positions she has occupied include vocational rehabilitation counselor, state women's prison counselor, chemical dependency counselor, and full-time postsecondary teacher and counselor. As a consultant, she has given numerous presentations nationwide and internationally on healthy teaching and parenting strategies for the prevention of high-risk behaviors. Judy's passion is for facilitating healthy understanding and collaboration between human services and education in order to promote student success. Judy is a recipient of the Washington State Chemical Dependency Educator of the Year's Award, the Washington State Exemplary Women in Community College's Award, and the Whatcom Community College Full-Time Faculty Excellence Award. She also has been awarded Who's Who in America by the Marquis Board of Publications.

Foreword - Bonnie Benard Preface About the Author 1. Our Changing Roles as Teachers Changing Student Needs and the Teacher's Role Having Healthy Connections With Young People Is Key to Their Healthy Development Meeting Our Students' Needs: The Caring Teacher Central Concerns for Caring Teachers 2. Making Healthy Connections With Students What We Do To Make a Difference How I Did the Study Meet the Teachers Different Ways We Can Make Healthy Connections With Students Creating One-to-One Time with Students Using Appropriate Self-Disclosure Having High Expectations of Students While Conveying a Belief in Their Capabilities Networking with Family and Friends Building a Sense of Community Among Students Providing Rituals and Traditions Summary of the Ways To Create Healthy Connections with Students 3. Communicating to Our Students That We Care Treating Students with Dignity and Respect The Ways We Show Respect to Students How Students Respond to Respectful Treatment Summary of How We Communicate Caring 4. What It Takes to Revitalize Ourselves How We Can Revitalize Ourselves Feeling Competent Generates Emotional Rewards Beliefs About the Role of Teacher and Teaching Personal Qualities That Enhance Connecting With Students Common Interpersonal Skills and Relational Resources that Enhance Connecting with Students Support of Family, Friends, and Professionals Summary of What It Takes to Revitalize Ourselves 5. Yeah, I Hear You, But... The Good News Responses to Concerns Concluding Thoughts Resources References Index

"Deiro has taken a complex topic and made it more manageable, functional, and instructive. For an institution that can be distracted by policies and procedure, this is a crucial reminder of what education really is all about." -- Childhood Education, Fall 2005