@stacyleeblythe1 Trauma impacts everything… that is one of the reasons it is so traumatic. It affects children’s ability to concentrate, to remember multiple directions, to adapt to changes in routine. It also compromises a child’s ability to regulate their emotions and respond appropriately to correction. These behaviours can often be misinterpreted in the classroom, interfere with the child’s ability to learn, impede the learning of the rest of the class and make classroom management an onerous task.
As a foster carer, I have experience caring for children with a trauma history on a daily basis. The challenge this presented caused me to seek additional training, leading to post graduate study. I wanted to better understand the children I was caring for and develop effective strategies to help them develop and grow. I regularly share with other carers, professionals and educators the lessons I learned through my study with the hope of providing the insight and understanding necessary to generate the empathy these vulnerable children need. Empathy enables us to interpret the behaviours as poorly controlled neurological symptoms, rather than carefully calculated deliberate defiance.
However, understanding trauma and its pervasive effects on a child’s life does not prevent or preclude the experience of vicarious trauma. In fact, I would argue that a teacher’s love of children and intrinsic desire to see them learn and grow predisposes them to vicarious trauma. Teachers try to create a classroom environment that facilitates knowledge acquisition, exploration, growth, and development. However, for children with a history of trauma, these environments are often threatening, overwhelming and generate extreme anxiety. The dissonance between the teacher’s intent and the child’s experience can be traumatic for all present in the classroom, including the other students.
We are living in a time where the phrase “trauma informed” is common. This is a good thing. Teachers are increasingly aware of the signs, symptoms and behavioural effects of trauma. This understanding is helpful, but it is not enough. Teachers also need to be empowered with multiple strategies to work with these children so they can effectively engage them and stimulate learning. At present, these strategies are somewhat lacking. Providing understanding without skill places teachers in a powerless position… which is, for lack of a better word, traumatic.
Finally, I cannot emphasise enough that the broader community needs to develop an understanding of trauma. I have heard countless stories, from foster carers and teachers alike, of children with a history of trauma being ostracised by other students, singled out as ‘trouble makers’ by other parents and isolated from their peers in an effort to assuage the school community. Teachers may understand, but many students and parents do not. Until the whole school community has an understanding of trauma, the teacher will be left in the middle trying to manage the challenging behavioural symptoms while educating the other students and keeping all parents happy.
Bio: Dr Stacy Blythe is a Registered Nurse and a Research Academic. Her research focuses on the health and well-being of children in out-of-home care and their families (both birth and foster families). As a lecturer in Infant Mental Health, she is particularly interested in infants who are prenatally exposed to harmful substances (eg. illicit drugs). In addition to her nursing, teaching and research qualifications, Stacy has post graduate certification in Developmental Trauma. Stacy has also been an authorised foster carer for 15 years. Drawing on her skills as a nurse, knowledge as a researcher and experience as a carer, Stacy provides training to health care workers, social service providers and foster carers in relation to working with children who have experienced trauma.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fosterfamiliescare/
Twitter: @stacyleeblythe1
Email: [email protected]
Affiliation: Senior Research Fellow, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Western Sydney University, Deputy Director Translational Research and Social Innovation Group at the Ingham Institute
As a foster carer, I have experience caring for children with a trauma history on a daily basis. The challenge this presented caused me to seek additional training, leading to post graduate study. I wanted to better understand the children I was caring for and develop effective strategies to help them develop and grow. I regularly share with other carers, professionals and educators the lessons I learned through my study with the hope of providing the insight and understanding necessary to generate the empathy these vulnerable children need. Empathy enables us to interpret the behaviours as poorly controlled neurological symptoms, rather than carefully calculated deliberate defiance.
However, understanding trauma and its pervasive effects on a child’s life does not prevent or preclude the experience of vicarious trauma. In fact, I would argue that a teacher’s love of children and intrinsic desire to see them learn and grow predisposes them to vicarious trauma. Teachers try to create a classroom environment that facilitates knowledge acquisition, exploration, growth, and development. However, for children with a history of trauma, these environments are often threatening, overwhelming and generate extreme anxiety. The dissonance between the teacher’s intent and the child’s experience can be traumatic for all present in the classroom, including the other students.
We are living in a time where the phrase “trauma informed” is common. This is a good thing. Teachers are increasingly aware of the signs, symptoms and behavioural effects of trauma. This understanding is helpful, but it is not enough. Teachers also need to be empowered with multiple strategies to work with these children so they can effectively engage them and stimulate learning. At present, these strategies are somewhat lacking. Providing understanding without skill places teachers in a powerless position… which is, for lack of a better word, traumatic.
Finally, I cannot emphasise enough that the broader community needs to develop an understanding of trauma. I have heard countless stories, from foster carers and teachers alike, of children with a history of trauma being ostracised by other students, singled out as ‘trouble makers’ by other parents and isolated from their peers in an effort to assuage the school community. Teachers may understand, but many students and parents do not. Until the whole school community has an understanding of trauma, the teacher will be left in the middle trying to manage the challenging behavioural symptoms while educating the other students and keeping all parents happy.
Bio: Dr Stacy Blythe is a Registered Nurse and a Research Academic. Her research focuses on the health and well-being of children in out-of-home care and their families (both birth and foster families). As a lecturer in Infant Mental Health, she is particularly interested in infants who are prenatally exposed to harmful substances (eg. illicit drugs). In addition to her nursing, teaching and research qualifications, Stacy has post graduate certification in Developmental Trauma. Stacy has also been an authorised foster carer for 15 years. Drawing on her skills as a nurse, knowledge as a researcher and experience as a carer, Stacy provides training to health care workers, social service providers and foster carers in relation to working with children who have experienced trauma.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fosterfamiliescare/
Twitter: @stacyleeblythe1
Email: [email protected]
Affiliation: Senior Research Fellow, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Western Sydney University, Deputy Director Translational Research and Social Innovation Group at the Ingham Institute