The Psychiatrist as Classroom Teacher: School Consultation in the Inner City

In the course of providing consultation to an inner-city junior high school, each of the authors taught a weekly class in personal and family life for eighth-graders. The teaching experience helped them gain acceptance by the school faculty and develop a better understanding of the teachers' problems, and thus improved their effectiveness as consultants. They were able to make direct contributions to the educational process, and had an opportunity to observe a wide range of normal adolescent behavior in an everyday setting. They also gained a broader perspective of the community.