BLOG #10
The article by Ginwright, "Healing Centered Engagement," discusses the multiple ways of addressing trauma and challenging behaviors in young individuals. As someone who regularly works with students in IASE, a behavioral classroom, I witness firsthand the struggles many students face due to traumatic experiences or difficult home lives. From dealing with drug-addicted parents to neglect, these students often are likely to display disruptive behavior in the classrooms. While some teachers resort to disciplining by yelling or punishment to handle such disruptive conduct, I have found that understanding the root of their anger and communicating with empathy gets much better results. As Ginwright mentions, discipline can cause more problems and acting out rather helping individuals.
Ginwright points out that “disruptive behavior is a symptom of deeper harm, rather than an act of willful defiance or disrespect”. Just as I've discussed with my students, their outbursts of anger stem from the traumas they continue to deal with on a daily basis. This reminded me of the documentary "Teach Us All," where one student shared how frustrated teachers would react to their disrespectful or disruptive behavior without considering the events that may have occurred at home or on their way to school.
Ginwright presents different approaches aimed at understanding and addressing the underlying issues. One such approach is trauma-informed care, which includes a set of principles guiding our perception of the impact trauma has on the mental, physical, and emotional well-being of young individuals. Focusing on just treating the individual is not enough since it does not address the environmental factors that continue to influence these behaviors.
Another approach, which he describes, is a healing-centered approach to trauma. Instead of asking "What happened to you," let's shift our perspective and ask, "What's right with you." Rather than simply seeing individuals as victims of their traumatic experiences, we recognize that they need to work toward their well-being. A perfect example is Marcus, who boldly declared, "I am more than what happened to me, I'm not just my trauma." By providing young individuals with opportunities to empower themselves and discover their strengths, we allow them to shift their focus on their possibilities. This gives them a sense of purpose and encourages young people to work towards what they want to achieve. Changing one's perspective on life is not an easy task, especially for those who have faced discouragement and harm throughout their lives. However, it is a first step towards the healing process.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fcwAj1hG9s
My question for class, since some schools use this approach is if anyone uses this in their schools?
I like how you pointed out that there is more going on with a student when they are being disruptive. Empowering our students is such is effective method in helping them heal. Focusing on the trauma is not enough because it doesn't address the cause of the problem.
ReplyDeleteWe should all practice patience and understanding when dealing with people. You never know what they are dealing with.
ReplyDeleteExcellent points Jennifer. I tend to use a version of healing empowered teaching, focusing more on getting to know the student so they can open up and be more comfortable in my classroom.
ReplyDeleteReally great blog! It is important to understand root causes of trauma, and how to work as a community to better those problems.
ReplyDeleteGreat points jenn. Understanding the roots of trauma will help gain a halpful and better understanding of why someone may feel the way they do
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