One of the most humbling aspects of teaching is being the adult a traumatized child trusts with their pain. But what happens to the teachers who help their students deal with emotional, mental, and physical trauma day after day? How many times can we be there for others before our own emotional and physical well-being is affected? Not surprisingly, it seems like many of us are already there. In one study, approximately 75% of 300 teachers surveyed met the requirements for Secondary Traumatic Stress (STS), “the emotional duress that results when an individual hears about the firsthand trauma experiences of another.”
Does this sound like you? Take the quiz to learn more about how coping with students’ trauma without proper support can have lasting negative consequences on teachers’ health.
Looking for more information on how your school can better address childhood trauma? Want to learn how your district can help teachers cope with Secondary Traumatic Stress? Check out STARR Commonwealth’s resources on trauma-informed teaching:
- Helping Students Cope With Trauma Starts With Taking Care of Yourself.
- 10 Things About Childhood Trauma Every Teacher Needs to Know.
- Trauma Was Hiding at This School. How Teachers Found Out And What They’re Doing to Help.
