Read the first post in this series.
I should tell you now that what happened in the end with Section 8C could be called a success story. That class turned out to be my most defining experience in education. Educators knew so little back then about the brain or stress reactions. I flew by the seat of my pants, followed my gut, and remained determined to reach and teach this group of learners. To do that, I had to feel them, to sense them, and what might set them off.
In this class of 28 learners, most of these students had rich histories of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). The child study team (CST) might easily have classified 10 as emotionally disturbed (ED). Mental health professionals might diagnose them with post traumatic stress reaction (PTSD) or some other mental disorder. Believe me, there were so many times I wanted the CST to take these kids, fix them, and send them back in a "teachable" condition. How I laugh at this reaction now!
For children with these biographies, it is essential to understand the stress reaction and how to dial it down—for their well-being and for the health of the entire school community. Stress reactive behavior—theirs or ours—especially in high risk environments significantly affects culture, climate, learning, and performance. Highly stressed learners operate with a volatile dynamic. They generally over-estimate the severity of threat and under-estimate their resources. Instead of developing as resilient learners, Section 8C students and the lik