Imagine a scenario where thousands of text books are soiled, equipment damaged, chairs and tables caked with mud and you have just stepped into many classrooms in Japan - on the second and third floors! And that is the visible evidence of an earthquake and tsunami. But what about the mind of a kindergartner who saw it, felt it, and heard it? With no understanding of what is happening or any comprehension on how to deal with loss of all kinds.
It s fair to say that children will need counseling for a long time to come. In the mean time teachers are just trying to keep kids busy - cleaning up muddy walls and removing debris. Schools resumed this week in the epicenter area of northeastern Japan. Many classes are held in makeshift spaces, providing some kind of safe haven for children to reunite with friends.
Experts expect the worst-effected people to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder and believe that younger students will find it harder to articulate their distress. As a result, psychiatrists are being sought to volunteer at hospitals, clinics, and evacuation centers still teeming with occupants. We can expect that the physiological impact of this disaster will last as long or longer than the current nuclear fall-out.
In the mean time, the UK's Guardian's Teacher Network is now incorporating world events into lessons to help parents and children understand major global phenomena. For example it recently showed a tectonic map of Japan's sea floor complete with fault lines and animations of the tectonic plates moving that resulted in the earthquake and tsunami. This goes a long way to explain real reasons for disasters and started a very useful resource - for free.
Michael Cordier
Source: ASCD wordwide Edition 3/22/2011
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