Not only as teachers, but as adults and members of society, it is our responsiblity to help children with the many issues they face. Children face trauma, adversity, and hardships just like adults do; unfortunatly, they have not yet developed the understanding or ability to comprehend them without assistance. Adults play a large role in assisting children in their responses to these situations.

Everyday tragedy, as well as events such as 9-11 and Hurricane Katrina, should be discussed in the school system; and it is the teachers’ role to lead the discussion. In order to approach situations appropriatly, teachers should research the topic before hand. Resources such as the news, publications, documentaries, and associations such as NASP are all means of gaining more information on the topic at hand. When breaking down the material and knowledge gathered, teachers should take age and grade into consideration, as well as the extent to which the children have been exposed to a particular event. Children of all ages are able, or unable, to comprehend certain information. The teacher may need to include or leave out various information for the sake of the students understanding.

Children, like adults, learn from their experiences; even if the experience is traumatic. The traumatic event can be beneficial to the students as they learn coping skills, problem solving, and emotion management. I believe it is the teachers’ role to assist in this learning experience.

Well, this is my first blog. I don’t know how I feel about an online diary. I always thought diaries were suppose to be private. Well, it is what it is.