Why Divorce?
The issue I have decided to address in this assignment is
the impact of Divorce and Separation on families, and in particular the effect
it can have on children. I initially decided to research this topic
because of the frequency that divorce occurs in the society I hope to work in. Nearly
48 000 divorces were granted in Australia in the year 2007, and almost half of
these involved children (Australian Bureau of Statistics [ABS], 2008). As a future teacher I want to know how to help
my students to get through this trying time and to develop a greater
understanding of my roles and responsibilities in these cases.
It is only through reflection that I sense perhaps another reason for my choosing this issue. My own life experiences have been touched by divorce and separation. I come from a rare background where my parents separated when I was about 6 years of age, and their 'temporary separation' really was only temporary and they got back together a couple of years later.
I am aware that this experience has an immensely influential role in creating my own bias on the issue. I sometimes find myself wondering maybe if people had worked harder or been more forgiving then perhaps their love for each other would not be over.
It is only through reflection that I sense perhaps another reason for my choosing this issue. My own life experiences have been touched by divorce and separation. I come from a rare background where my parents separated when I was about 6 years of age, and their 'temporary separation' really was only temporary and they got back together a couple of years later.
I am aware that this experience has an immensely influential role in creating my own bias on the issue. I sometimes find myself wondering maybe if people had worked harder or been more forgiving then perhaps their love for each other would not be over.
It is because of this viewpoint that I must continuously remind myself to be open minded, and to maintain my appreciation for the individuality of people, their beliefs and opinions. Just as every individual is unique, so are their relationships and I could never agree with someone living a life of unhappiness or neglect. Whatever my opinion might be on the issue, I would never let this show in my teaching practice. I hope that once this research is completed, I will have some guidelines in place to follow for when (unfortunately not ‘if’) I need to help a student deal with their family separation.