Second, I recognize that some teachers might not be responsive to talking about the impact of violence on their learners because they do not believe it is their job is to provide therapy for a student (Horsman, 2000). They do not feel it is their place to offer this type of “emotional” support, but rather they must teach only “basic skills” so the students can gain stable employment. Perhaps they do not want to “cross the line” and get involved with matters that may be too personal. Others may argue that they have counselors in their program that can deal with the issues.

Finally, I realize that some teachers may have already formed common misconceptions about their learners because of these manifestations of violence. I remember in our monthly reviews of students, teachers would mention that students would stare out the window, sleep, incessantly talk to other students during class, have problems concentrating, eat, or read magazines during class. For example, I recall one colleague of mine a few years ago that spoke about a “lazy” student in our program. She maintained that during class that day, this student had not done her homework and was daydreaming in class. While the student very well may have been “spacey” during class, I do not feel the teacher’s conclusion that “daydreaming equals laziness” is just. I do not mean to claim that these actions are “acceptable behavior” for students. However, I do ask that teachers consider the reasons underlying their students’ actions. Perhaps the student’s mind was occupied with how to feed her family, how to get to the daycare in time to pick up her daughter so she will not be charged extra fees, how to deal with her child who is having behavioral problems in school, or how to get her GED in the next sixty days before her welfare runs out.