Statement of the Problem
Growing up in underrepresented communities, everyone knew that the people around didn’t have much money. Not only was NYC expensive, but most families were immigrants or working hard just to make ends meet. With this level of poverty , it often comes with dangers in the communities such as gun violence, police brutality, and neglected children. Consequently, children are growing up seeing things they shouldn’t see, experiencing things children shouldn’t have to experience, and unknowingly to them it is shaping them into who they will be in their adult life.
As I continue to build my experiences working with elementary school aged children, there are clear signs when children are being exposed to more than they should or sometimes, in more serious cases, are being neglected. With children experiencing such obstacles at a young age, I know that with this comes a lot of trauma. There is not much educators can do outside of the classroom without crossing boundaries and damaging relationships with families, but inside of the classroom educators can provide an environment to students that is more than just academics.
Students should feel cared for, seen as an individual, and treated as though they are humans navigating their way through life and making the best of what they do have in the right ways. Recognizing that most children will have some form of trauma will be beneficial, because it will force teachers to change their approach in students’ behaviors and academic challenges. Furthermore, with implementation of Social Emotional Learning (SEL), students will benefit from learning proactive strategies: how to be resilient; how to properly socialize with their peers; how to properly manage their emotions; how to fully engage in their education and see school as a safe place.
If students can be made aware of the success people have made through education, there is always a chance they will go down the right path focusing their attention toward their education. Teachers, Teacher Education programs, the NYC Department of Education, principals, educators, and City Council Members need to take a look into our communities and the students coming from them. The Department of Education and Teacher Education programs can explore the ideas of implementing SEL within curriculums, and providing teachers with the proper training and education on the Trauma Informed Pedagogy approach.
Teachers, educators, and principals have a genuine care for the students that they are working with enough to see the bigger picture of “bad” behavior and academic challenges. Educators working directly with students will be met with better responses from students not only emotionally but academically as well. The City Council needs to focus less on test scores and reading levels, they need to focus on how to better support students’ emotional needs in order to truly be able to target where they need help academically. This does not mean they shouldn’t be held accountable for their actions nor should they be treated as though the trauma has already made them who they are. However, giving these students grace and the opportunity to better themselves without biases will give them the chance to grow into their best selves.
I saw school as a place to let go of my worries, to let out boisterous laughs, and be my creative self. I felt so comfortable in school because of the teachers that I had around me, they allowed me to vent, they gave me words of encouragement and advice, but most importantly they always reminded me that I was very capable and would attain success. I may not have noticed it in school, but as I now reflect on this time of my life, I now know that this was the reason for my confidence and ability to keep pushing forward despite disparities. I was lucky enough to have teachers that made my experience in schools impactful, but I am fully aware that not everyone has had that privilege. I want to be able to make the difference for other children that my teachers made for me and all educators should strive for the same.
