As I read the article on why students need to be trauma informed, I was surprised by how little I knew about this and started wondering about all the schools I’ve been into and whether or not they had the systems in place for traumatized students. We’ve been learning throughout this semester, and throughout the education program, about creating safe school environments where students can take risks and feel relaxed, supported, and cared about when they walk into the classroom. This article adds another level to that because for some students, the school is a place where they can get the support they don’t get at home, and can even be the only place in a student’s life where they can feel safe. However, this article had me asking a lot of questions. The author states that many stress behaviors present themselves in similar ways as misbehaviors, so if these behaviors look the same, how can we tell the difference? Also, I am sure we all want to create a warm classroom climate, but with this extra level of security, what are some of the ways in which we can ensure that we create the supportive classrooms our students need? Overall, I found this article very enlightening because I want to be the kind of teacher that my students feel comfortable talking to, so I do want to create a classroom environment where they do feel safe and supported. In order to do that, I need to know the kinds of things my students need, because this will help in both their self-confidence, academic success, and success in life, which, as their teacher, will be really important to me.
I think it will also be very hard to tell the difference between a misbehavior and stress behaviors, but I think we will eventually be able to determine the difference with time and practice, and of course knowing our students. I think the more they see us trying to help them, and trying to make them feel safe, the less we will actually see those stress behaviors. Also, I think one way we can help to create a supportive classroom for these students is to first have some kind of stability. For many of these students, their lives change rapidly, so if we give them something, an activity they always do when they first come in our room, or a phrase we always say, something to let them know they are in this class and now they are safe, I personally think that could benefit them.
This week’s reading on trauma and the effect that it has on students led me to thinking about the second class we had. Dr. Horowitz, when filling us in on what she expected from our Interest Inventories, stated “we’re not trying to psychoanalyze the students”, to which I half-jokingly replied “really? I was”. Through my own interest I took three courses in psychology, four if you include CEP315 during my undergrad at URI. As I was writing my Interest Inventory I was trying to ask questions that would give me a deeper understanding of what made my students tick. Now inferring that Suzie gave the answer that she gave for one reason or another can be a slippery slope, but there were things I was trying to uncover when I wrote the questions. The next thing that struck me was something Dr. August said one day in 346, “you have to remember for some of these kids, school may be the safest and most stable environment that they experience in their day-to-day lives.” While the author quickly points out that teachers are not therapists, I’d like to think that if my student was struggling academically for some reason other than ability or effort I’d be able to spot it. The truth, however, is that it’s very likely I wouldn’t, and almost assuredly I wouldn’t catch it right in the beginning. So where does that leave us as teachers? Can we count on the other members of the school system to point it out? Is there any other option we have? The scariest part is that some of the symptoms look all too much like disinterest or apathy. We all consider an apathetic student to be a problem of motivation, but how do we tell when it’s a physical problem without trying to play novice analyst at some point?
I agree with you, I think that there are times when teachers do cross over the line and become therapists in a way. Like you said, sometimes the school is the safest and most stable environment for a student, so sometimes the teacher is the only person a student feels that they can trust. I'd also like to say that I can figure out the reasons my student was struggling, but I don't know that I could either, and it's kind of a scary thought. I don't want to reject my students, especially if they've felt rejected in every other aspect of their lives.
I liked that you brought up the Interest Inventory, because I agreed with you. I think there needs to be a purpose for everything we do and question. If the purpose behind the Interest Inventory is to get to know our students better, than maybe that is the best way to see if they are struggling with anything like traumas in their lives. You are right, we are not therapists and we aren't here to psychoanalyze our students, but I think it is still important to find out about our students lives and what they need from us as teachers and a school in order to be successful.
"How do we spot it?" That's a good question- I've heard there are work shops and in-job training that teachers have to help them pick up on signs of trauma and/or abuse, but it is still a scary thought that the very students we want to help so much might feel so helpless within our own classrooms. I also remember Dr. August discussing something similar in my class concerning the stability school offers for many students, and I think that we as educators should try and enhance that environment of safety and openness within our classrooms. If we do not pick up on a problem, the least we can do is create a safe space for our children. We are not therapists, but we are trusted with the well-being of hundreds of students every year, so a little psychoanalysis here and there goes hand-in-hand with the profession.
This article quickly reminded me of a concept that Dr. Horwitz always reminds us of; students come to class with a backpack full of stuff. They come with strengths, weaknesses, likes, dislikes, emotions, problems, etc. We as teachers start to unpack that backpack to get to know our students, and it is our job to help fill it with the content and life skills we will teach. Having a student who has experienced trauma is another thing we as teachers will have to unpack and prepare ourselves for. I think we all can say that we want to create a safe environment for our students, but what does that look like? How do we prepare for that? I can say that I want to make my classroom environment welcoming and judgment free, and I want all students to feel like they can talk about anything, but how do we get there? How do we get there as a school? One idea I think that can really help is by creating a community in the classroom. I know we talked about it last week, but I really think when the traumatized student feels like they are a part of something and they feel a responsibility to that group, it could help them feel as though the classroom was a safe place for them. It could allow them to feel as though they have a number of people that care for them, and that they care about. They will be able to make connections to other communities and feel a sense of pride about their community. I want all students to feel as though they have a place in my classroom and they are an important piece to what makes it function properly. Like the article says, school might be the only place students feel some sense of safety or stability, and we do not want to discourage that. I think by preparing and training our schools and teachers, it will make for a better experience for those students. Overall, I think this article forced me to really dig deeper into my future teacher identity. It made me look at more than just the layout of the classroom, or the kinds of lessons I want to do. Instead, it made me think about the kinds of things I want to say and how I want to say them, the kind of “vibe” I want to give off to my students. It is one thing to say you want to make your classroom safe, but another thing entirely to live up to that expectation. Everything we say and do will be interpreted through our students, and I don’t want them to misinterpret anything in this regard. I want to make sure I create that safe environment for them, and maintain it.
This class has forced me to confront a seemingly never-ending series of questions that seem to never have a clear-cut answer. We are imperfect beings attempting to be as perfect as possible for students who need us to consistently be at our best. A bad day at work for some people may be frustrating, but no bad day at any job I have ever had compares to the frustration of going out in front of a group of students and leaving later in the day feeling like you wasted their time. Not only do you let yourself down, but you let children down, and so it is important for us to do the best we can by them. I have many of the same questions concerning how we do that just like you Shelby, and I agree with you whole-heartedly when you discuss fostering the types of environment students can feel safe in. Will we always be perfect, will everyday in our classroom be a success? No. Will we save every student? That question haunts me sometimes, because the fact of the matter is that I almost certainly won't. But I will try my hardest to do my best by my students. I will try my hardest not to let them down.
I think that in all we do we try to foster a feeling of safety, and also trust. The more I have thought about the class presentation we saw on this, the more I think that there must be trust. If the students don't trust you, they are not going to tell you anything is wrong. Well, that seems obvious. But what about if we look at it from the flip side? What if we expect a child is a victim of trauma, only to find out that there really isn't a problem? Seems to me that if the student doesn't trust you then you'll never be able to get that student back afterwards.
I like the connection you made between making a community and making a place where our students can feel safe. I think you're right, if we do create that community then students have a role and a place in our classrooms, and they will feel like they fit in and are always welcome. It is only then that they can start to open up and allow us to unpack their backpacks, and it is important that we do that because if we reject our students without even knowing it, then we are just another person who has failed them.
The approach that many in this country take towards addressing mental illness and psychological problems is, frankly, deplorable. The system we have in place alienates the very people who need to feel included, perpetuating a cycle of outcry and subsequent rejection for many individuals in the current school system. It's why the prison system is the way it is today; it's all too easy for disenfranchised youth to be fed into the penal system, as corporate overlords pocket the cash and lives are destroyed before they even begin. We, as teachers, are the first "responders" to students suffering from trauma, emotional/physical abuse, and mental illness. We work with these students everyday, and are therefore the first to spot these patterns of behavior outside of students' immediate family, who may or may not care about the predicament of their child. This is a huge responsibility for us to bear, a responsibility that has only increased as wealth inequality in this country has worsened over the previous three decades. Being informed and capable of aiding students who are very much in need are essential in this profession, and something that teachers must not shy away from, no matter how difficult it may be. It may be "just a job" from those on the outside looking in, but we as educators know we are working towards having a positive influence on the lives of many, a serious endeavor that should not be taken lightly. We need to be their for our students at a time where they might not have anyone else, and to do everything in our power to prevent them being a victim of circumstance and our nation's penal system. This is a huge endeavor, and, if I'm being honest, and intimidating one. Sometimes I feel like I had no idea what I was signing up for when I decided to be a teacher, and in a lot ways I feel like I still don't. However, as intimidating as these many challenges may seem, I have confidence in myself that I will always hold myself to the high standards I set in everything I do in life, and will do everything I can to help my kids. They need the help- they need us. We need to be there for them.
I couldn't agree more with you, Chris. This is a small piece of what has become a really serious problem in this country, and that is how we treat and stigmatize those with mental illness. I often feel this way when the issue of gun control comes up. Should we ban them altogether? Well, then only the criminals have them. Should we make it harder than buying an Xbox? Like at least as hard as adopting a pet from the local shelter? Definitely. But all too often the young people shooting up theaters and campuses have had no psych evaluation ever in their life. I find it impossible for any parent or teacher who is paying attention to not notice something is a little off. So we blame the guns, not the illness. This continues to be situation where we throw a handful of pills at the mentally ill and expect everything to be ok. Well clearly the way we look at mental illness is anything but ok.
As I read the article on why students need to be trauma informed, I was surprised by how little I knew about this and started wondering about all the schools I’ve been into and whether or not they had the systems in place for traumatized students.
ReplyDeleteWe’ve been learning throughout this semester, and throughout the education program, about creating safe school environments where students can take risks and feel relaxed, supported, and cared about when they walk into the classroom. This article adds another level to that because for some students, the school is a place where they can get the support they don’t get at home, and can even be the only place in a student’s life where they can feel safe.
However, this article had me asking a lot of questions. The author states that many stress behaviors present themselves in similar ways as misbehaviors, so if these behaviors look the same, how can we tell the difference? Also, I am sure we all want to create a warm classroom climate, but with this extra level of security, what are some of the ways in which we can ensure that we create the supportive classrooms our students need?
Overall, I found this article very enlightening because I want to be the kind of teacher that my students feel comfortable talking to, so I do want to create a classroom environment where they do feel safe and supported. In order to do that, I need to know the kinds of things my students need, because this will help in both their self-confidence, academic success, and success in life, which, as their teacher, will be really important to me.
I think it will also be very hard to tell the difference between a misbehavior and stress behaviors, but I think we will eventually be able to determine the difference with time and practice, and of course knowing our students. I think the more they see us trying to help them, and trying to make them feel safe, the less we will actually see those stress behaviors.
DeleteAlso, I think one way we can help to create a supportive classroom for these students is to first have some kind of stability. For many of these students, their lives change rapidly, so if we give them something, an activity they always do when they first come in our room, or a phrase we always say, something to let them know they are in this class and now they are safe, I personally think that could benefit them.
This week’s reading on trauma and the effect that it has on students led me to thinking about the second class we had. Dr. Horowitz, when filling us in on what she expected from our Interest Inventories, stated “we’re not trying to psychoanalyze the students”, to which I half-jokingly replied “really? I was”. Through my own interest I took three courses in psychology, four if you include CEP315 during my undergrad at URI. As I was writing my Interest Inventory I was trying to ask questions that would give me a deeper understanding of what made my students tick. Now inferring that Suzie gave the answer that she gave for one reason or another can be a slippery slope, but there were things I was trying to uncover when I wrote the questions. The next thing that struck me was something Dr. August said one day in 346, “you have to remember for some of these kids, school may be the safest and most stable environment that they experience in their day-to-day lives.” While the author quickly points out that teachers are not therapists, I’d like to think that if my student was struggling academically for some reason other than ability or effort I’d be able to spot it. The truth, however, is that it’s very likely I wouldn’t, and almost assuredly I wouldn’t catch it right in the beginning. So where does that leave us as teachers? Can we count on the other members of the school system to point it out? Is there any other option we have? The scariest part is that some of the symptoms look all too much like disinterest or apathy. We all consider an apathetic student to be a problem of motivation, but how do we tell when it’s a physical problem without trying to play novice analyst at some point?
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, I think that there are times when teachers do cross over the line and become therapists in a way. Like you said, sometimes the school is the safest and most stable environment for a student, so sometimes the teacher is the only person a student feels that they can trust. I'd also like to say that I can figure out the reasons my student was struggling, but I don't know that I could either, and it's kind of a scary thought. I don't want to reject my students, especially if they've felt rejected in every other aspect of their lives.
DeleteI liked that you brought up the Interest Inventory, because I agreed with you. I think there needs to be a purpose for everything we do and question. If the purpose behind the Interest Inventory is to get to know our students better, than maybe that is the best way to see if they are struggling with anything like traumas in their lives. You are right, we are not therapists and we aren't here to psychoanalyze our students, but I think it is still important to find out about our students lives and what they need from us as teachers and a school in order to be successful.
Delete"How do we spot it?" That's a good question- I've heard there are work shops and in-job training that teachers have to help them pick up on signs of trauma and/or abuse, but it is still a scary thought that the very students we want to help so much might feel so helpless within our own classrooms. I also remember Dr. August discussing something similar in my class concerning the stability school offers for many students, and I think that we as educators should try and enhance that environment of safety and openness within our classrooms. If we do not pick up on a problem, the least we can do is create a safe space for our children. We are not therapists, but we are trusted with the well-being of hundreds of students every year, so a little psychoanalysis here and there goes hand-in-hand with the profession.
DeleteThis article quickly reminded me of a concept that Dr. Horwitz always reminds us of; students come to class with a backpack full of stuff. They come with strengths, weaknesses, likes, dislikes, emotions, problems, etc. We as teachers start to unpack that backpack to get to know our students, and it is our job to help fill it with the content and life skills we will teach. Having a student who has experienced trauma is another thing we as teachers will have to unpack and prepare ourselves for. I think we all can say that we want to create a safe environment for our students, but what does that look like? How do we prepare for that? I can say that I want to make my classroom environment welcoming and judgment free, and I want all students to feel like they can talk about anything, but how do we get there? How do we get there as a school? One idea I think that can really help is by creating a community in the classroom. I know we talked about it last week, but I really think when the traumatized student feels like they are a part of something and they feel a responsibility to that group, it could help them feel as though the classroom was a safe place for them. It could allow them to feel as though they have a number of people that care for them, and that they care about. They will be able to make connections to other communities and feel a sense of pride about their community. I want all students to feel as though they have a place in my classroom and they are an important piece to what makes it function properly. Like the article says, school might be the only place students feel some sense of safety or stability, and we do not want to discourage that. I think by preparing and training our schools and teachers, it will make for a better experience for those students.
ReplyDeleteOverall, I think this article forced me to really dig deeper into my future teacher identity. It made me look at more than just the layout of the classroom, or the kinds of lessons I want to do. Instead, it made me think about the kinds of things I want to say and how I want to say them, the kind of “vibe” I want to give off to my students. It is one thing to say you want to make your classroom safe, but another thing entirely to live up to that expectation. Everything we say and do will be interpreted through our students, and I don’t want them to misinterpret anything in this regard. I want to make sure I create that safe environment for them, and maintain it.
This class has forced me to confront a seemingly never-ending series of questions that seem to never have a clear-cut answer. We are imperfect beings attempting to be as perfect as possible for students who need us to consistently be at our best. A bad day at work for some people may be frustrating, but no bad day at any job I have ever had compares to the frustration of going out in front of a group of students and leaving later in the day feeling like you wasted their time. Not only do you let yourself down, but you let children down, and so it is important for us to do the best we can by them. I have many of the same questions concerning how we do that just like you Shelby, and I agree with you whole-heartedly when you discuss fostering the types of environment students can feel safe in. Will we always be perfect, will everyday in our classroom be a success? No. Will we save every student? That question haunts me sometimes, because the fact of the matter is that I almost certainly won't. But I will try my hardest to do my best by my students. I will try my hardest not to let them down.
DeleteI think that in all we do we try to foster a feeling of safety, and also trust. The more I have thought about the class presentation we saw on this, the more I think that there must be trust. If the students don't trust you, they are not going to tell you anything is wrong. Well, that seems obvious. But what about if we look at it from the flip side? What if we expect a child is a victim of trauma, only to find out that there really isn't a problem? Seems to me that if the student doesn't trust you then you'll never be able to get that student back afterwards.
DeleteI like the connection you made between making a community and making a place where our students can feel safe. I think you're right, if we do create that community then students have a role and a place in our classrooms, and they will feel like they fit in and are always welcome. It is only then that they can start to open up and allow us to unpack their backpacks, and it is important that we do that because if we reject our students without even knowing it, then we are just another person who has failed them.
ReplyDeleteThe approach that many in this country take towards addressing mental illness and psychological problems is, frankly, deplorable. The system we have in place alienates the very people who need to feel included, perpetuating a cycle of outcry and subsequent rejection for many individuals in the current school system. It's why the prison system is the way it is today; it's all too easy for disenfranchised youth to be fed into the penal system, as corporate overlords pocket the cash and lives are destroyed before they even begin. We, as teachers, are the first "responders" to students suffering from trauma, emotional/physical abuse, and mental illness. We work with these students everyday, and are therefore the first to spot these patterns of behavior outside of students' immediate family, who may or may not care about the predicament of their child. This is a huge responsibility for us to bear, a responsibility that has only increased as wealth inequality in this country has worsened over the previous three decades. Being informed and capable of aiding students who are very much in need are essential in this profession, and something that teachers must not shy away from, no matter how difficult it may be. It may be "just a job" from those on the outside looking in, but we as educators know we are working towards having a positive influence on the lives of many, a serious endeavor that should not be taken lightly. We need to be their for our students at a time where they might not have anyone else, and to do everything in our power to prevent them being a victim of circumstance and our nation's penal system. This is a huge endeavor, and, if I'm being honest, and intimidating one. Sometimes I feel like I had no idea what I was signing up for when I decided to be a teacher, and in a lot ways I feel like I still don't. However, as intimidating as these many challenges may seem, I have confidence in myself that I will always hold myself to the high standards I set in everything I do in life, and will do everything I can to help my kids. They need the help- they need us. We need to be there for them.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't agree more with you, Chris. This is a small piece of what has become a really serious problem in this country, and that is how we treat and stigmatize those with mental illness. I often feel this way when the issue of gun control comes up. Should we ban them altogether? Well, then only the criminals have them. Should we make it harder than buying an Xbox? Like at least as hard as adopting a pet from the local shelter? Definitely. But all too often the young people shooting up theaters and campuses have had no psych evaluation ever in their life. I find it impossible for any parent or teacher who is paying attention to not notice something is a little off. So we blame the guns, not the illness. This continues to be situation where we throw a handful of pills at the mentally ill and expect everything to be ok. Well clearly the way we look at mental illness is anything but ok.
Delete