As teachers we are around our students so often that we have the ability and responsibility to observe changes in their behavior and be a supportive person who helps them through so many challenging situations, including the trauma that so many students face.
I find it eye opening how all of the ways trauma manifests itself.
Sometimes, the teacher is also a victim of childhood trauma and can empathize with a student.
Teachers need to look for the signs of trauma and report immediately. low level behaviors if ignored may go away. Must not use sarcasm and be respectful when dealing with possible trauma victims
Teachers need to look for the signs of trauma and report immediately. low level behaviors if ignored may go away. Must not use sarcasm and be respectful when dealing with possible trauma victims
Everyone responds to trauma differently. Impacts of trauma vary greatly, but can include physical, social, emotional, and behavioral impacts. Trauma also greatly impacts the brain and how it develops in teens.
Engaging with empathy is paramount
Untreated trauma can have an impact on a student's ability to focus ( attention span) and reading comprehension ability.
In attempt to diminish traumatic experiences , teen use/ abuse alcohol or drugs to self medicate. Due to the lack of emotional intelligence even for previous generations, it is serves as been difficult for educators and adults to recognize and cope with students who display behaviors associated with trauma.
The importance of a positive relationship with a trusted teacher can be of immense value to the traumatized student.
An astonishing 59% of teens with PTSD will turn to substance abuse. That's incredibly high.
It was thought provoking to learn the behavioral results of trauma in adolescents. It helped in understanding how to recognize the possible reasons for behavior.
Trauma truly can impact the body physically and emotionally. Teachers should be aware of both. This will allow teachers to help support students more effectively.
Some academic tools we as educators can introduce to a student who has experienced trauma to help them with their assignments would be to introduce time management tools such as planners or apps like Google Keep, Todoist, or Notion to manage tasks and reduce overwhelming feelings that they are not in control when really, they have plenty of control, they just need to realize that they can break down tasks that loom large in their minds into smaller more manageable milestones.
