march 2003 dr john worthington psychologist, educational consultant and guidance officer. west end...

March 2003

Dr John Worthington Psychologist, Educational Consultant and Guidance Officer. http://www.jweducation.com

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West End State School West End State School March 2003March 2003

Discussion Notes: In stressful Discussion Notes: In stressful times what can we as teachers times what can we as teachers

do?do?

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OutlineOutline In stressful times what can we as In stressful times what can we as

teachers do?teachers do?

• That every one is affected That every one is affected • We need to care for ourselves to be We need to care for ourselves to be

able to support othersable to support others• All children are affected but their All children are affected but their

experience is uniqueexperience is unique• Adults can control the impact of Adults can control the impact of

media to some extentmedia to some extent

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• Listen to children and acknowledge Listen to children and acknowledge their emotions Use relaxation their emotions Use relaxation strategies to help manage stressstrategies to help manage stress

• Seek out information about how stress Seek out information about how stress can manifest in children and adultscan manifest in children and adults

• Keep issues in the broader contextKeep issues in the broader context• Collect resourcesCollect resources• Know your responsibilities and Know your responsibilities and

limitationslimitations

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Everyone is affectedEveryone is affected

• Understand that the issues and Understand that the issues and information which affect our information which affect our thinking and functioning also has thinking and functioning also has an effect on the children we an effect on the children we teach, their parents, carers and teach, their parents, carers and others.others.

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We need to care for We need to care for ourselves to be able to ourselves to be able to

support otherssupport others• Understand that we need to consider Understand that we need to consider

and look after out own mental and and look after out own mental and physical health and recognize we are physical health and recognize we are as vulnerable as others in our school as vulnerable as others in our school community. While we need take a community. While we need take a professional interest to become professional interest to become informed about world issues we also informed about world issues we also need to become more informed about need to become more informed about how those issues can impact on us how those issues can impact on us and others in our school community.and others in our school community.

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• As part of personal care everyone As part of personal care everyone needs to emphasize good health and needs to emphasize good health and wellbeing routines. Children and wellbeing routines. Children and adults should maintain good regular adults should maintain good regular nutrition and get regular adequate nutrition and get regular adequate sleep. Individuals feeling physically sleep. Individuals feeling physically sick, worried, depressed should sick, worried, depressed should consult their family doctor.consult their family doctor.

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All children are affected All children are affected but their experience is but their experience is

uniqueunique• Acknowledge that the children Acknowledge that the children

in our classrooms are all in our classrooms are all affected by the current affected by the current stresses but that what they stresses but that what they experience as individuals will experience as individuals will be unique. be unique.

• The child's own resilience will The child's own resilience will also determine the long and also determine the long and short term impact on them.short term impact on them.

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• Children's own prior experiences will have a Children's own prior experiences will have a part to play in how they are affected and how part to play in how they are affected and how they cope. In particular apparently unrelated they cope. In particular apparently unrelated and possibly issues unknown to teachers may and possibly issues unknown to teachers may arise in the context of the current situation. arise in the context of the current situation. These issues may relate to current or earlier These issues may relate to current or earlier experiences of grief and loss. While these experiences of grief and loss. While these experiences can be profound and variable experiences can be profound and variable (e.g. death of someone known to the child, (e.g. death of someone known to the child, family separation, family dislocation, illness, family separation, family dislocation, illness, abuse experienced or witness by the child, abuse experienced or witness by the child, death of a pet etc), the impact on the child will death of a pet etc), the impact on the child will not necessarily be in proportion to the not necessarily be in proportion to the experience. experience.

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Adults can control the Adults can control the impact of media to some impact of media to some

extentextent• Because of the overwhelming presence the Because of the overwhelming presence the

media in our lives and in our school media in our lives and in our school community and expediential increase in community and expediential increase in 'information' relating to world events it is 'information' relating to world events it is advisable to place limits on what children see advisable to place limits on what children see and hear in terms of traumatic world events. and hear in terms of traumatic world events.

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• Remember that children do not Remember that children do not necessarily have to be sitting in necessarily have to be sitting in front of the TV to be traumatized. front of the TV to be traumatized. They will be affected if the TV or They will be affected if the TV or radio is on in the 'background', radio is on in the 'background', when there are news updates and if when there are news updates and if there are newsflashes. Children will there are newsflashes. Children will see pictures in the newspapers and see pictures in the newspapers and may read captions and stories. may read captions and stories.

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Listen to children and Listen to children and acknowledge their acknowledge their

emotionsemotions• Individually listen to children and Individually listen to children and

acknowledge the feelings which go acknowledge the feelings which go with what they are saying. Encourage with what they are saying. Encourage children to talk to their parents or children to talk to their parents or others at home about what they are others at home about what they are thinking. In the context of the thinking. In the context of the classroom don't attempt to give overt classroom don't attempt to give overt 'counselling' or 'therapy‘.'counselling' or 'therapy‘.

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• The depth of a child's reactions and feelings The depth of a child's reactions and feelings may not be evident in an informal exchange may not be evident in an informal exchange and if the child is left without emotional and if the child is left without emotional security after a 'talk' they may then be more at security after a 'talk' they may then be more at risk. Keep track of the emotions of the class risk. Keep track of the emotions of the class and if specific needs arise ask for help.and if specific needs arise ask for help.

• Note in a low key way if the behaviour of Note in a low key way if the behaviour of individual children changes. Some children individual children changes. Some children may be expressing violent thoughts through may be expressing violent thoughts through what they are saying, their interactions with what they are saying, their interactions with peers, in their writing and drawings.peers, in their writing and drawings.

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Additional PointsAdditional Points• Use relaxation strategies to help manage stressUse relaxation strategies to help manage stress• Use relaxation strategies to help manage stress.Use relaxation strategies to help manage stress.• Become better informed about how stress Become better informed about how stress

manifests in children and adults.manifests in children and adults.• Remember to keep the issues in the broader Remember to keep the issues in the broader

context of all the events (negative, neutral and context of all the events (negative, neutral and positive) and experiences surrounding the child. positive) and experiences surrounding the child.

• Collect and use resources which are readily Collect and use resources which are readily accessible on the internetaccessible on the internet

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Examples of Internet and Examples of Internet and other resourcesother resources

• community.community.nswnsw..govgov.au/document/.au/document/factsheetsfactsheets/sept11trauma./sept11trauma.pdfpdf

• vicparentingvicparenting.com.au/.com.au/pdfpdf/Trauma2002v1./Trauma2002v1.pdfpdf auseinet.flinders.edu.au/resourcedb/index.auseinet.flinders.edu.au/resourcedb/index.phpphp

• mentalhealth.gov.au/programs/tt/index.htmmentalhealth.gov.au/programs/tt/index.htm• mentalhealth.gov.au/mhinfo/ems/index.htmmentalhealth.gov.au/mhinfo/ems/index.htm• hoi.com.au/psmhihoi.com.au/psmhi

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• Managing mental stress, Health and physical Managing mental stress, Health and physical Education Years 1 to 10 Sourcebook Module Education Years 1 to 10 Sourcebook Module (2000) The Office of the Queensland School (2000) The Office of the Queensland School Curriculum Council. Brisbane.Curriculum Council. Brisbane.

• Sanders, C. & Turner, C. (1983) Coping a guide Sanders, C. & Turner, C. (1983) Coping a guide to stress management. Good Apple. Carthage, to stress management. Good Apple. Carthage, Ill.Ill.

• STRESS pamphlet produced by the Child and STRESS pamphlet produced by the Child and Youth Health Service, Royal Children's Hospital Youth Health Service, Royal Children's Hospital and Health Service District 1999. It was and Health Service District 1999. It was reprinted with funds from the Queensland Youth reprinted with funds from the Queensland Youth Suicide Prevention Strategy in 2001. Suicide Prevention Strategy in 2001.

march 2003 dr john worthington psychologist, educational consultant and guidance officer. west end...

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