Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1190776
"It's been survival. Kids and teachers are tired," Kiefer says. "But I believe in our little town." One way they've been trying to help their young stu- dents is through the healing power of mindfulness. With the help of an Orinda-based organization called Mindful Littles, these educators lead their first and second grad- ers through weekly mindfulness sessions, helping them learn how to identify their feelings and teaching them breathing techniques to calm stressful moments. Giv- ing students the tools to provide themselves with inner space is critical when so many of them are impacted by having very little personal space of their own these days, according to Mattly. "We're seeing more anger than usual," she says. "We teachers are helping all of our kids to learn how to pro- cess and get through it." When asked what they're doing to take care of them- selves and deal with their own trauma, the three teachers stare silently before nervous laughter tells a familiar story about educators putting their students' needs first. Even if they wanted to take a personal day for self-care, Woodmansee says, another unexpected impact of the fire is a near-complete lack of substitute teachers, so any time off means the rest of their colleagues shoulder How to Help Students After Disaster • Remain calm and reassuring: "We will be OK." • Acknowledge and normalize their feelings. Use active listening. There are no wrong feelings. • Encourage students to use multiple forms to express their feelings about disaster-related events. Don't force it. Follow their lead. • Promote positive coping and problem-solving skills. Review spaces and activities they can use when feeling upset. Be flexible and model the skills. • Emphasize their resilience and community resil- ience. Focus on what they have done before to feel better when upset. Identify the helpers. • Strengthen social bonds and peer supports. Assign collaborative group work. Encourage them to be kind to each other. • Take care of you. Classroom Specifics • Maintain structure and routine. • Shorter lesson plans. • Slower pace. • More time for personal expression and discussion. • Plan hands-on activities. • Structured opportunities for positive social connections. • Expect an overall performance decline. • Model positive coping skills. • Stick to the facts. • Limit media exposure. Classroom Activities Elementary — Creative expressions, including drawing, writing and talking about memories, feelings and thoughts. Hands-on/active tasks, including organizing or building projects like scrapbooks or replicas, to give them a chance to organize chaotic or confusing events. Secondary — Creative expression like art, music, poetry, or keeping a journal to describe their feelings and experiences. Active tasks, including developing a disaster plan for their home or school, or facilitating community involvement. Before school resumed in Malibu following the Woolsey Fire, educators prepared to welcome students. Photo from Boewe. 33 D E C E M B E R 2 019 / J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 0