Five years ago, I lost my mother. Her passing was sudden, stinging, and sorrowful. I never imagined I would have survived the pain of it all. I still mourn, and quite often, I weep and scream uncontrollably at the finality of her departure.

Therefore, when I read of the tragic passing of O’Neil Stevens, principal of Jessie Ripoll Primary School, and his wife, Camesha Lindsay-Stevens, my heart ached, especially for their children. They, along with other relatives, friends, and members of the extended school community need all the prayers, comfort, and support possible during this incredibly difficult time.

Thankfully, the Ministry of Education has already deployed counsellors to the school, and they will be facilitating the grief-support sessions. However, I believe this typical response to trauma is inadequate. Sustained, trauma-informed teaching is needed in all our schools, not fleeting, one-off therapies.

Trauma-informed instruction focuses on supporting students who have deeply distressing or disturbing experiences that have affected their psychological and/or physical well-being. These experiences may involve the loss of a school leader, teacher, parent, sibling, friend, or anyone students hold dear.

Parental separation or divorce, abuse, neglect, accidents, and community-based violence can also be traumatic for students. Countless learners in the Jamaican classroom have had one or more of these adverse experiences, and they need ongoing, targeted support.

Research published in the Social and Emotional Learning: Research, Practice, and Policy journal has revealed that traumatic events can be debilitating. They can disrupt normal brain development which, in turn, can contribute to students’ “challenges with attention, language, memory, cognitive flexibility, and emotion regulation”.

Students who suffer repeated trauma may misbehave, develop low self-esteem, struggle to forge positive relationships, and underperform academically. Some, too, may become emotionally dysregulated: hyper-alert, aggressive, explosive, and antagonistic.

To help these students, schools should create a sensitive and responsive school climate. School leaders and teachers could make mindfulness activities, such as guided meditations, routine. Safe, private, and non-judgmental spaces where students can talk or write about their feelings are also essential for navigating trauma.

I often allow my adult learners to unpack, process, and regulate their emotions during presession activities. The SmilingMind platform, for example, has provided us with some excellent audio recordings for stress management, especially during COVID-19 — a very traumatic pandemic. I have also made a habit of playing soothing music or displaying lush, nature-based sceneries at the beginning of class. In general, these activities are known to aid trauma recovery.

In fact, according to one publication in Frontiers in Psychology, “some interventional studies have suggested that listening to music after experiencing a traumatic event [can] decrease the intensity of PTSD [post-traumatic stress disorder]”.

Similarly, the American Psychological Association has noted that “exposure to nature has been linked to a host of benefits, including improved attention, lower stress, better mood, reduced risk of psychiatric disorders, and even upticks in empathy and cooperation”. As such, music and outdoor classes in green and blue spaces (gardens, parks, and water-backdropped areas) can be therapeutic for trauma-affected students.

Teachers can model desirable social-emotional skills in class as well. Show students how anger, grief, and a welter of other negative emotions, for instance, can be healthily regulated and redirected. I have disclosed aspects of my trauma with students and described my coping strategies: reminiscing, journalling, talking to others, and taking long walks. My vulnerability usually encourages students to validate their traumas and seek healing.

Jessica Minahan, a US-based behaviour analyst and special educator, has further encouraged educators to establish trusting relationships with their students. She also advises against authoritative teacher directives, punitive discipline, and confrontations that could trigger fight-or-flight responses in students with trauma histories.

Other scholars have proposed that students’ choices and voices be foregrounded to prevent dangerous power imbalances in the classroom and diminished learner agency. A consistent and predictable class schedule should be maintained to alleviate anxiety and promote security. Over time, traumatised students may come to feel safe, comfortable, and supported so they can heal.

My sincere condolence to the Stevens’ family and the wider school community. Let us honour their legacy by providing trauma-sensitive care for all the students who are hurting.

Shawna Kay Williams-Pinnock is a teacher educator with a strong research interest in trauma-informed care and inclusive instruction. Send comments to the Jamaica Observer or shawna201@gmail.com.