Trauma
As a school nurse, I am called to many classrooms for
different reasons. This is especially true of the 4-year-olds in
the building. Many of these younger
students have difficulty expressing how they are feeling. I was called into a classroom the other day
to check out a boy who woke up from his nap and would not stop crying. I brought my thermometer and looked him
over. He did not appear sick. I looked up his information so that I could
call home. His grandmother was the
primary contact person. I spoke with his
grandmother and relayed the concern on behalf of the teacher. The grandmother told me that sometimes he
wakes up crying because he misses his mom.
What I learned through this conversation was that Mom and Dad had a drug
overdose and died while he was in the room.
This boy is largely nonverbal so he cannot tell anyone what the root of
his tears are. I felt so sad for this boy. I told the teacher that his grandmother said
that crying after a nap was a common occurrence for this student. I did not go into detail as I felt the conversation
between myself and his grandmother was a private one.
Trauma is real to people.
We all experience some type of trauma throughout our lives. One never knows what another person is
dealing with in their lives. It is
important to remain patient and respectful because we never know what another
person is dealing with. As a teacher in
the classroom, this is especially true.
Students come into the building and often this is their safe space. Building relationships and creating an
atmosphere of trust is essential to the overall health and well-being of not
only the student(s) but the entire school.
So heartbreaking to hear this boy's story. So many children do experience trauma that the schools may or may not know about and most of the behaviors stem from this. It can get frustrating as a teacher when students lash out but at the same time, you can't take it personally. Last year we had a student in 5th grade with a similar situation, who lived with his grandmother, his dad died of an overdose, and his mom didn't want him. He was extremely confrontational with the staff and would flip desks, throw objects, and refuse to do work. Unfortunately, he directed his anger towards everyone around him.
ReplyDeleteVery sad background and hopefully this little boy and other children like him will eventually gain the support they need to process their emotions and mature into a young adult as best they can.
ReplyDeleteThis broke my heart I can't imagine at the age of 4 with no mom or dad.It's always important to know what someone is going through before judging them
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing this story, Katy. It is a heartbreaking, but essential reminder that there is so much beneath the surface with each student. I cannot imagine this sort of loss, even at my age, and it is vital that we approach each student as the complex individual that they are if our goal is really to connect with and inspire them.
ReplyDelete