Florida Teachers: Beware of Post-Hurricane Stress in Students
By: Christine Hammond LMHC After being closed for over a week due to the devastating effects of Hurricane Irma, some Florida schools are attempting to return to normal operations. While the schools may be fully-functional, the teachers and students might not be. Educators should be properly equipped to handle basic first-aid for mental health care as many students will be in need of assistance. Here are a few potential problems that may happen in the classroom and some possible solutions: o Shared Common Experience. Tragedies that effect entire communities, let alone those that change an entire state, are shared common experiences. It is very helpful and therapeutic for students and teachers to tell their own unique story of how the hurricane effected them. However, too much sharing could traumatize or re-traumatize students who had a mild experience compared to those whose loss was significant. - ...