The year 2020 seems to always come with an asterisk. Since then, an unbelievably high number of conversations have begun with, “Well, you know, before COVID.” We still shiver at the memory of lockdowns, social distancing, footprint stickers on the floor, online only services, rampant sickness, isolation, and everything else that turned the world on its head in 2020. As adults, many of us were angry, frustrated, and scared. We lived a decade in one year. But we have soldiered through and are four years on the other side, but have we considered the impact the pandemic had on the students we teach—namely the children?
Experts are suggesting that the COVID-19 pandemic wreaked untold havoc on our children’s emotional and mental health. One week they were going to school, looking forward to spring break. 2020 still had a few days left of that new year’s smell. The next week they were locked down for “two weeks to flatten the curve.” Those two weeks turned into months. During that time, children lost family members and friends to COVID, and many of them were not even allowed to visit or say goodbye. These are the children we are ministering God’s Word to every midweek and weekend. How do we teach students in trauma?
In his Formed Podcast interview, St. Louis counselor Tim Bizelli defined trauma as “an emotional response to an intense event that threatens or causes harm.”
In addition to all the intense events we face in life, the global pandemic certainly checks the box for an intense event that caused harm. Since all of us—children, youth, and adults—were in the same oversized boat (social distancing, of course) during the pandemic, we may admit that all of us have dealt with trauma, whether we realize it or not. So, how do we teach students in trauma?
We Must Be Healed
As teachers, we must first be healed if we are to help others heal. We must have a daily devotion with God where we allow His Spirit to minister to us. If you don’t already have a daily time with God where you talk with Him and hear from Him, during your prayer and from His Word, begin today. Nothing is more valuable than the time we spend with God. Manage your own stress through exercise, eating, and a hobby. So, ride your bike to get frozen custard, and you’ve checked all three boxes in one delicious exercise.
If you are still dealing with trauma, be humble enough to reach out for help. Reach out to a Christian counselor or to a spiritual authority who can walk with you through the healing process. Once we are healed, we can help others heal.
Identifying Students in Trauma
Children, youth, and adults will display different traumatic markers. Since our brains are not quite fully developed until twenty-five years old (that explains why car insurance costs so much in our teens), children and teens don’t quite know how to deal with trauma. Children will often lash out in anger or increased temper tantrums. Teens often become withdrawn and quiet. They may look disengaged or flat (think: “meh” body language). Adults may be more difficult since we are fairly good at masking how we really are. Yet adults may still display some of the same markers, such as increased anger or withdrawal. If you have ever been mad for no good reason, trauma may be that “no good” reason.
Helping Students Heal
Just as identifying trauma varies from age group to age group, so do the ways we help students heal. Children often respond well to tactile (touch). Stories abound of children who have been neglected or abused, and they appear rebellious and defiant, but many times they are just hurting. Be sensitive to know if they need discipline or a hug. Sometimes they may need both, but taking time to appropriately hug or hold their hand could be all they need to realize someone in their world cares. Keep in mind that any physical contact you have with a minor needs to be appropriate; children do not need teachers in church adding to their trauma or confusion. If abuse has caused them to fear human touch, offer them something they can hold, like a stuffed animal, to show that you see what they’re going through and they are safe in your care. This technique known as “grounding” helps keep children in the present and takes their mind off what caused their pain, helping them to better learn what you are teaching.
The tactile approach may work for teens and adults as well, but focus on building closer relationships with them. Let them know you are there and you see what they have gone through.
Offer sincere sentiments such as, “I’m sorry for what you have been through. That must hurt. I want you to know I am here for you.”
Practice reflective listening. As students open up to you about what they are going through, reflect back to them what you are hearing. For example, “I can’t believe they’re gone. I miss them so much.” You might respond, “You really loved them. I’m sorry for what you’re going through.” In those moments, students don’t need an anthropology lesson on the necessity of death for the propagation of life; they need the compassion of Jesus.
Steer Clear of Compassion Fatigue
As we bear one another’s burdens, we must not take their trauma home with us. That can be tougher than a $2 steak at a truck stop. When you wake in the morning, before your hit feet the floor, say to yourself, “I am not the Messiah, but I will lead people to Him.” We cannot heal students, but we can pray for them and lead them to the only One who can heal them. Jesus can heal everyone of everything. Let’s love and lead our students to Jesus.
To hear the entire interview, visit The Formed Podcast playlist on our YouTube channel.