I'm currently at the International Literacy Association Conference in New Orleans. While sitting in the highly engaging and thought-provoking Opening Session, this statement resonated with me: a study showing the impact that trauma has upon a person, many of our students have higher levels that they deal with on a daily basis than those who are on active duty in the military. There are two differences between these two entities: a soldier's time to serve ends and a soldier chose to be in that situation. Our students do not have that power.
Trauma is something that I got a peek into on July 7, 2018...less than 60 seconds after posting my last blog post...when I received a phone call telling me that my husband had been in an accident and was airlifted to the trauma unit. No other information was given. NONE. The "twitter" version of the story was that a tractor-trailer truck came over on top of him as he was traveling to work. The car caught on fire, he was cut out of the car and placed in a medevac helicopter. When I reached the trauma unit of the hospital where he was, I was escorted back to him. I had no idea what I would find. When they took me to his bedside, I told them that I was with the wrong patient because that person was unrecognizable...a person I've known since middle school. It was him. That vision still haunts my dreams.
The journey we've been on the last 16 months has been filled with unexpected twists and turns. The word "normal" simply doesn't exist. Trying to find a pattern for life and ALL the therapy and doctor appointment lent itself to mental fatigue, emotional unrest, and physical exhaustion...and yes, I continued to teach as much as I could last school year. To say that I struggled and that I needed a LOT of grace from others is an understatement. And I am an educated adult who spends her days communicating and working with others.As I reflected on that idea above through my own lens, I couldn't help but think about my students who face trauma on a daily basis. How can we teach them, if they don't have teachers who understand them and know that we are only seeing a very small piece of their lives? When one is dealing with trauma, things like whether or not homework is completed or supplies are in class become minuscule. Most of our learners are not equipped with the social-emotional skills to communicate what they're dealing with. (It's difficult for adults to do this.) We need to KNOW our students, truly know them as people, so that we can support them and give them the tools they need to cope and take the next step forward in life. They may need quiet time alone. They may need to rage to let it all out. They may need time to cry. As teachers, we have to feel comfortable and open with this part of their lives and provide them with the time, tools, support or care that they need. After all, it's our obligation to teach the whole child.
Here are a couple of resources if you'd like to do some additional reading on students and trauma:
