NEW APPROACH ALLEVIATES FEELING OF SHAME IN THE CLASSROOM MEET MATT VIGIL
What happens to students who are misunderstood or even shamed in the classroom? If they are lucky enough to hail from Greenwood Village, Colorado, they may find themselves in the classroom of Matt Vigil, learning how to recognize their true value. Vigil is a teaching veteran who, three years ago, was asked to design a curriculum to help students who have experienced a traumatic classroom experience.
Teachers are human and sometimes don’ t act fully in the interest of their students. What they say in the classroom can, unknowingly, carry huge consequences for students, opening the floodgates for feelings of low self-worth. These emotions can overwhelm a child, resulting in poor school performance as well as worrisome changes in personality.
Vigil creates a safe space for these students, where they can learn in an environment of acceptance and open discussion. Inspired by legendary educator Brené Brown, Vigil has become an expert in teaching these students how to cope with feelings that threaten their well-being and success in school.“ So much of Brown’ s work resonated with me that I knew I had to use that as a starting point for my students,” he says. He helps students learn the proper vocabulary with which to express their inner feelings and talk constructively about their experiences.
Many of Vigil’ s students suffer in a pool of resentment that may fester for years. Residual thoughts of“ Did the teacher see me? Hear me? Do I even matter?” can take years to“ unpack,” says Vigil.“ Our entire purpose is to get them to
realize that someone does see them and hear them, and that they do matter.” His students are not on an Individualized Education Program( IEP) or a 504 plan— both of which make teaching accommodations for students with learning issues or disabilities.“ It’ s really meant for the students who would otherwise fall through the cracks,” says Vigil.
As a Master’ s-level reading specialist, Vigil uses reading and writing tools to encourage students to express their resentments in a productive way. Students are allowed a safe space to process their negative selfblame, reflect on the actions of the offending teacher, and learn how to reduce conflict by owning their own positive and negative misperceptions.
Vigil includes parents in his program, communicating with them via email, and providing educational resource materials. Parents are typically first to witness tremendous changes in their child, often calling Vigil’ s class“ life changing.”“ They see their kids pulling down the armor they’ ve been carrying around for years,” says Vigil.“ For the first time, these students are forming a constructive relationship with an adult mentor in an educational setting. They begin to feel a sense of belonging at school.”
Vigil believes that he has found his purpose in helping kids who have been shamed in the classroom.“ Shaming methods should have no part of the educational process,” says Vigil.“ Instead, let’ s embrace who the child really is, teaching them that we love them and that they matter.”
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