Trauma

This week was a very hard and touching week for me.  I have a few students in my classroom that suffer from trauma throughout their home environment.  It is hard for me to see them suffer, which also directly effects how well they do in school.  Below is a poem that I wrote about trauma.  Not only does trauma have an impact in their home environment, but many other factors as well. 

Trauma happens in everyone.
Whether it is shows a huge impact or only in one.
I have adjusted to the impact that it has
Not only on her, but the others it makes sad.
Being an educator, it is my job to support every child
Even if it drives me wild.
Trauma has a major impact on many students at young age,
Which we all need to work to save.

"We Can't Say That Stuff in Class"

Yesterday I was at the grocery store, making my biweekly grocery trip.  I came across a woman that was shopping with her husband and she was on crutches.  The reason that she was on crutches was because she only had one leg.  There was a family of four that was down the same isle as myself and the lady that was on crutches.  The littlest child, probably around five years old, pointed to the lady on crutches and loudly said: "what's wrong with that girl, she is legless."  The parent must not have heard the child say it, because the same child pointed to the lady on crutches again and said: "mom and dad, that lady is legless."  The mom turned to the children and said: "that's not nice, she has one leg.  But she can still get around just like we can."  Then the dad chimed in and said: "she is no different than any person here.  She is the same as everyone, she just has one leg."  After the parents said that to their child, the child could not stop staring at the lady.  The lady on crutches did hear the child say that she was legless both times because she looked at the family both times, but did not say anything. 

The message that was communicated from the mother and father to the child is that: even though she may look different and not have two legs like almost everyone else has, she is still the same as anyone.  This is great to hear the parents say and make sure that their child does not have any stereotypes. 

An educator would have said the same thing.  The educator may have also gave several other examples.  They would have tried to have the students act like they were in that lady's shoes.  The educator would ask the student how they would feel being made fun of if they only had one leg.