Teaching Kids from Toxic Homes…The Atlantic
The Limitations of Teaching ‘Grit’ in the Classroom
“We are asking students to change a belief system without changing the situation around them.” by
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This article from the Atlantic comes at a time when there appears to be more knowledge and awareness in the educational sector of how children from toxic circumstances, including homelessness, need additional help in the classroom. How can you teach kids who are scared, hungry, and distracted by an often traumatic life style during out-of-school time at home, in a shelter, or at play? As a survivor from a severely dysfunctional and traumatic childhood, I didn’t know until starting my own research 5 years ago, including becoming acutely aware of “trauma informed teaching” reference from http://edsource.org. My latest e-book, My Journey of Healing in Life After Trauma, Part 2, was written to show parents and teachers how trauma circumstances at home cause children to take on the same post trauma stress symptoms as experienced in the home environment, where most of the day and night, including weekends hours are spent observing toxic behaviors by adults. Kids in these home circumstances are scared, lonely, often silent, and sometimes angry and defensive…in other words, they “act-out!” When teachers understand clearly the roots of the challenging behaviors, they discover loving ways and skills to help distracted students become more effectively engaged in the mindful and positive culture of school away from home.
So manly books and references are clinical in nature that it becomes difficult for a lay person to relate to the world of a trauma victim, especially children, who are mostly silent and have no voice that can be heard. You have to take them gently and lovingly by the hand and show kindness and caring… Help these non-typical kids to trust and show them that the world is a better place…there is love and hope. Check out my book by clicking the highlighted text below for my author page…read the excerpt from the following book review published by Michele Rosenthal, Heal My PTSD…
Steve Sparks, Author, Reconciliation: A Son’s Story and My Journey of Healing in Life After Trauma, Part 1&2…click on the highlighted text for my author page and to order books…
