An iPod is stolen. Getting it back can be a daunting task. It's a small item, and there are so many kids. What is a Sheepdog to do? Having a rapport with your students can make this an easier situation to resolve.
I was faced with this dilemma yesterday. A student had an iPod Touch fall out of his pocket. It was found, and placed on a teacher's desk. The teacher asked the class about it, found the owner, and then found that the iPod was missing. An allegation was made concerning one of the students.
I spoke to the student, who said he had "found" the iPod, and had taken it home to see if he could "find out" who it belonged to. When he brought it back to school, someone "stole" it out of his locker. Yeah, I didn't buy it either. I told the young man I wasn't buying it, and that I wanted the iPod returned.
The next day, I had another student in my office who was having a very rough day. He looked like he needed some time to decompress, so I passed him my iPad and and showed him how to play Angry Birds. He played that for a bit, until he heard me talking to my secretary about the missing iPod. He asked me if I wanted to know where the iPod was.
Within a matter of minutes, I had yet another student down to the office, who had the iPod in his locker. He had taken it and loaded his own apps and music onto it. He gave me the iPod, which I was able to return to the rightful owner.
A simple thing like allowing a student to decompress with a video game unlocked a secret, and allowed me to solve a crime.
The relationships we build with students are free, yet can have great dividends. When students know they can talk to you, they will tell you where and when drugs are being sold, who has taken what, and when horrible things have happened to them. This isn't about being their "friend", but being approachable, and treating them like real people. Having that rapport can also alert you to when a student is lying to you, which we know will occasionally happen.
As a Sheepdog, you are a leader. One of the aspects of leadership is providing a model for others to follow. Lead your teachers to develop rapport with their students. When we are teaching, and a child comes to us with a concern, it is NOT an imposition to listen to them. Acting like it is will lead the child to stop coming to you, and thus you will not have vital information when you need it.
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