CDD Course Report Cri-Help 10-20-09

Instructor End of Course Report


Center Name: CRI-HELP

Beginning Date: 09/15/09

Graduation Date: 10/20/09

Names of the four Instructors: Smriti, Tyson, Robert, Francis


The course spanned six weeks with classes twice a week, on Tuesdays and Saturdays. At the beginning of the course the instructors were given a handout outlining the lesson plan for each of the classes during the six weeks. In addition, after each class the instructors had to email an attendance sheet and a report for that class to the entire team. Since there was a different set of instructors for the Tuesday and Saturday classes the handout and reports were very helpful as they helped keep the entire team on the same page with regard to the progression of the course.

The course started with teaching students the absolute basics in computers (eg: computer parts, common terms associated with computers, using a keyboard, using the mouse, etc.) and then showing them how to access the internet and type in Microsoft Word, and ended with the students having to complete and present a 500 page paper (preferably typed in Microsoft Word) about their future plans once they have completed their rehabilitation program.

Students in the class came from different backgrounds with different levels of experience with computers. While some had never touched a computer in their lives, others had experience typing reports and memos and even fixing computers and setting up computer networks in offices. Trying to get the entire class on the same level while making sure that everyone found it interesting and gained something from the course, was, in my opinion, the biggest challenge the instructors faced. Some students felt that the course was a waste of their time and they could attend other group meetings that help them overcome their addiction. However, on speaking with Kathleen it was found that many of the students were in the course because they had never completed anything after starting, in their lives. This was something new, at least for me, as I had never come across such a situation before in my life.

Another challenge that the instructors (especially the Tuesday team) faced was getting the students to be obedient and respectful of the teachers and each other. Cri-Help has students from Cri-Help and Socorro, and it was the tendency of the students to stick together based on their rehab center. This problem was overcome by dividing them into two groups with each group containing students from both centers. This forced them to work with each other and get to know students from the other rehab center. In addition, the instructors had to be strict with them and had to reinforce the idea that if class rules were not followed and they were not obedient, they shall not be allowed to graduate.

Working with these students was an interesting experience. Many of us read about people with addiction problems but actually knowing such people and interacting with them is a different experience. Seeing them and their families on graduation day and how appreciative the students were of CDD, their instructors, and their rehabilitation centers, was very enlightening. I hope to come back and be a part of the program for the next session.