Children who have experienced trauma such as abuse, loss of a parent, illness, violence, natural disasters, injuries, etc. are fearful of being alone and frightened to explore the world. They may find it difficult to concentrate, which may lead to poor academic performance.
This does not necessarily mean that they are naughty or need medication. Teachers need to gain information about students who show such behavior before making a decision about the nature of the child. Find out what or if anything happened to the child and make a plan to help the student recover from it.
Resilient children, however, are able to recover from or cope with life situations that have been challenging and very difficult. It is a relatively new area of positive psychology to promote well-being of children.
These children have the ability to emphasize with others who have been in similar situations. They tend to have a hopeful and positive outlook on life and do not shy away from their own problems. Because they are able to express a wide range of emotions in a regulatory manner, they appear attractive to others with their good sense of humor.
Our jobs as educators are to help them to:
Make sense of their experiences. It is in their best interest that their parents also help them with this. Notice when a child is in need of assistance and especially when they need someone to talk to.
Develop self-esteem and self-efficacy. Creating a positive and supportive environment can help them to feel accomplished and creates a sense of achievement.
Talk about their feelings in an attempt for them to blow off steam in a good way - by doing this, they may find that other children and adults may have had similar or the same experiences, feelings and problems.
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