‘I Didn’t Know It Had a Name’: Secondary Traumatic Stress and Educators
It wasn’t long ago that many educators complaining of burnout were greeted with a collective shrug from school leaders. Teacher exhaustion or stress were dismissed as signs of weakness and an inability to cope. Schools and districts were not going to offer much in the way of support, so the burden was always on educators to deal with whatever was dragging them down.
Although this scenario still plays out in too many schools, districts are becoming more aware and sympathetic to the pressures teachers face in school every day and the adverse impact it has on the profession and students. This acknowledgement leads to – hopefully, eventually – strategies and programs designed to support educators.
Experts caution, however, that policymakers resist a once-size-fits-all approach. Yes, educators are burned out, they are stressed, they are fatigued, they are demoralized, and many are now coping with trauma—all conditions with similar symptoms that require proper diagnosis to treat effectively.
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), more than half of all U.S. children have experienced some kind of trauma.
Whether you’re a teacher, paraprofessional, counselor, or school resource officer, every staff member cares deeply about students. And that means being exposed to the traumas students bring into school every day, including poverty, grief, family CONTINUE READING: 'I Didn't Know It Had a Name': Secondary Traumatic Stress and Educators