Trauma in students’ lives affects teachers too. Don’t forget to take care of yourself.
Five tips to cope with stress as you create a trauma-informed classroom.
Trauma in students’ lives affects teachers too. Don’t forget to take care of yourself.
Five tips to cope with stress as you create a trauma-informed classroom.
By Jesse Mintz
“They always say, put your own oxygen mask on before you help someone else,” explains Kennedy. “That’s the most critical first step for everyone, to sit and reflect on how they’re doing themselves when it comes to trauma.”
According to the 2018 National Survey of Children’s Health, nearly half of children have gone through adverse childhood experiences, ranging from abuse and neglect to entrenched poverty or witnessing violence in the community. As a result, there are children who have suffered trauma in every classroom, and this impacts how they learn. Experts like Kennedy say educators would benefit from using a trauma-informed approach to help students understand their pain, heal and learn.
Partnering with WE, Kennedy and her team from Mental Health America developed a new program to support you as you work with students experiencing trauma. Called WE Teachers, it offers free evidence-based resources, online curriculum and virtual learning opportunities, drawing on the latest developments in social and emotional learning and school-based mental health services. The expert-informed resources have everything you need to create a trauma-informed classroom and make a difference in your students’ lives, no matter what issues they’re facing.
Kennedy says being a teacher is stressful enough, considering standardized tests and overcrowded classrooms. And working with traumatized students can be even more overwhelming. As you help your students understand, unpack and resolve their trauma, you need to check in with your own journey. Awareness is key. Symptoms of secondary traumatic stress run the gamut from feeling emotionally numb and detached to low job morale and lack of motivation.
The first step for teachers, according to Kennedy, is to ask themselves a series of questions. What experiences do you bring to the classroom? What informs your perspective and the way you interact with students? What forgiveness can you offer yourself?
“To really show up, to bring compassion and empathy to your students, the first thing you need to do is to be compassionate with yourself,” she says. Put your proverbial oxygen mask on first.
“To really show up, to bring compassion and empathy to your students, the first thing you need to do is to be compassionate with yourself.”
Join WE Teachers today to get expert insight into vicarious trauma, and to become part of a network of like-minded educators on a journey of self-discovery and to help your students. In the meantime, here are five things you can do to ensure you’re taking care of your own mental health while looking after students in need.
1. Recognize that change is slow and that outcomes are sometimes beyond your control
There are hundreds of early adopters of WE Teachers across the country—educators using the free resources to help their students deal with trauma. In surveys, they all say the same thing: they became teachers because they want to make a difference. They—and you—do, every day. But when you’re dealing with trauma, the issues can be deep-seated and take time to resolve. That’s why Kennedy advises teachers not to get discouraged if they don’t see the outcome right away. Your small acts of compassion contribute to students building trust again after experiencing trauma, but it can be a long process.
2. Create coping strategies
Working with traumatized students can be overwhelming, if not downright confrontational. When you feel stress building, you need tactics to diffuse it. It can be as simple as a breathing exercise or imagining a calming place. Students who have experienced trauma aren’t trying to push your buttons and your frustration will only hurt you in the long run. After class, carve out time for a ritual—like a few moments of calm, a favorite piece of music or a journaling exercise—to help you stay grounded.
3. Take care of your spirit
It can be difficult to leave work behind when the final bell rings—especially if you’re worried about your students’ well-being. But you need to devote some of that energy to taking care of your spirit as well. Meditation, deep breathing, mindfulness and self-reflection can allow you to shift some of that focus back to yourself in a healthy way. Self-care routines can also be fun and lighthearted, from yoga and a jog to video games, movies or a crafty hobby. Whatever helps you unwind.
4. Routine matters
In stressful situations, the small things are the first to go. But if you can maintain positive habits, you’ll be that much more likely to find constructive ways to deal with your students’ trauma. Make sure you’re taking care of your body with enough sleep, nutritious food and regular exercise. These things are easier said than done—but seven to nine hours of shut-eye a night, a balanced diet and physical activity can decrease stress, anger and tension, and boost your mood.
5. Break through the isolation
Trauma is isolating for teachers. You’re asking your students to trust you and come to you for help—take your own advice and do the same. Connect with colleagues to share experiences and support each other’s wellness. Tell your friends and family if you’re having a hard time, lean on other WE Teachers in the network and find a professional who can help you work out what you’re feeling.
This is the third in a series about WE Teachers and how you can bring a trauma-informed approach into your classroom. Look for more articles for additional tips from fellow teachers and insight from experts. And become a WE Teacher to access free resources and modules. — Register here.
Walgreens knows that at the heart of every community are our unsung heroes—teachers. That’s why they’ve partnered with WE to develop a program that provides free tools and resources to teachers nationwide to help them address the changing needs of their classrooms, like funding and addressing critical social issues.
