COMING BACK TOGETHER
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In her June 2020 book , Trauma Doesn ’ t Stop at the School Door , seasoned educator , policy advisor , and former college president Karen Gross proposes the term “ Generation Trauma ” or “ Gen T ” for the generation of students enrolled in school ( K-12 and beyond ) since 2001 . She argues that this generation
... has experienced outsized trauma that has been and is person caused and nature caused . It starts with 9 / 11 and those in school then may now be in post secondary education . We have had hurricanes and fires and school shootings and bombings ; places of historic safety ( Houses of Worship , marathons , movie theaters , outdoor concert venues for example ) are the sites and places of vicious attacks .
The enrolled students since 9 / 11 have experienced trauma — as have their families . And that trauma is carried into the educational system , often in invisible backpacks . And that trauma has impacted learning , psycho-social development and health / wellness now and into the future . This generation is not based on birth years : it is premised on their being in school during decades of trauma .
You will notice from the June 2020 publication date that Gross started — and probably finished — writing her book prior to the current crisis .
In Part II , we will turn our attention to how you , and your school , can respond to trauma effectively this year .
Part II •
Now what ? Educators as First Responders
While mental health professionals research the effects of trauma and design interventions , it ’ s schools that have always been on the front lines when it comes to kids ’ daily lives . Even pre-pandemic , educators were “ First Responders .” As a teacher , administrator , nurse , coach , or dorm parent , your role as confidante and [ unofficial ] counselor is more crucial now than ever . Here I draw on my own experience with students as well as trusted professional sources to suggest how you — and your school — can support your community from a traumainformed perspective .
A Range of Experiences
As you enter your classroom or office , remember that your students ’ experiences in this crisis , and their emotional reactions , will vary widely . The situational disparities that pre-dated COVID-19 , the recession , protests of the longstanding racial justice crisis , are even more pronounced this year than before . Differences between individuals and groups span social , economic , racial , ethnic , medical , and psychological domains . Consider an asthmatic student , a Black student in a predominantly white school , a student whose father is immunocompromised , parents whose church lost a dozen members to COVID-19 , a student whose mother is a
Page 6 Fall 2020 CSEE Connections