School based support essay

Student number: 2388637

crisis
Sometimes, the unthinkable happens and it is important schools can respond effectively to a
crisis. A crisis can be defined as a sudden situation of emotional distress in which typical
stress coping mechanisms fail, is brief and has the potential to result in self-destructing
behaviour (Cusick, 2007). A crisis can be classified into four types; however, for the
purposes of this essay, two will be highlighted: situational crisis and environmental crisis
(Roaten, 2007). The former deals with the unanticipated crises such as gang-intrusion or a
fire on the premises. The latter often concerns natural disasters such as earthquakes or floods.
Therefore, we could call a situational crisis – a school crisis. There are instances where the
school and the surrounding communities itself are victim to an environmental disaster.
This is where crisis management plays a pivotal role. A well thought out crisis management
plan can save lives and in the process the community. If the surrounding community is victim
to flooding perhaps it is the school that can provide shelter to the community affected. Thus,
it is imperative that schools are able to mitigate and respond to a crisis.
A crisis management plan is a host of strategies that ensures that plans to prevent, respond
and recover to a crisis are executed (Cusick, 2007). Within the school context, it involves all
the stakeholders within. The administration, counsellors, teachers, maintenance staff and
security are responsible in executing this plan. All with the intent to minimize crises and
ensure student and staff safety. Thus, teachers have an important role to play this regard. In
South Africa, whilst the government has passed a bill called the Disaster Management Act of
2002, it would seem the only part of the bill which concerns schools is the amendment made
in 2021 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic by the minister of education – Angie
Motshekga (MRS AM MOTSHEKGA, 2021). The Independent Schools Association of
Southern Africa, however, does have a crisis policy management file which contains things
such risk assessments and planning guidelines. it contains compliance, prevent and respond
measures (Staff Writer , n.d.). In essence, the plan seeks to set standards that reflect global
best practices whilst also noting the specific needs and situations of various school (Staff
Writer , n.d.).
It looks like most schools need to make their own plans for how to respond to a crisis. A
major part of that plan is the formation of crisis response team. This team will be the one to
meet in an event of a crisis. A member – a teacher in this case - of this team is often
responsible for assisting administrators, debunking rumours, offering psychological first aid
to students, coordinating volunteers, distributing essential resources, and striving to restore
the learning environment, if possible.
A critical review done by Monique and Werner de Klerk (2020) showed that crisis
management policies are sorely lacking in South African schools. In particular, policy which
ensures the physical safety of people on the premises. The review also found that educators
need to be trained with the necessary skills such as providing psychological first aid (Klerk &
Klerk, 2020). Crisis management is team effort which cannot be decided on the spot amid
crisis but rather prepared for (Cusick, 2007). Thus, it is important for teachers to make
themselves aware of their school’s crisis management plans, if there is none, then the teacher
should work with administration and fellow staff to develop one.

trauma
The school environment should be a safe space for children to learn and grow however many
schools in South Africa are affected by the surrounding communities’ problems which seep
into the school environment. A walk to school can become a traumatising event when a child
is apprehended by criminals and mugged of their belongings. The school environment itself
can be become a microcosm of the outside where gangsterism is emulated inside the school
because said school struggles to maintain or even create a safe and secure environment. Both
examples are from my own lived experiences, the former being from my apprenticeship of
observation and the latter being something witnessed during teaching experience this past
month. We certainly do not have to look far to see that the average South African student has
in some way whether directly or indirectly experienced an event that would traumatize them.
These events have an impact not only on students but on teachers as well.
These traumatic events impact learning. It could be argued that not addressing the trauma that
students are going through, is what leads to ongoing problems within schools across the
country which would be hard to mediate without looking at the root cause. For example,
behavioural issues and violence between students which can lead to poor academic
performance (Singh, 2024). However, this issue of trauma also become quite precarious to
address if the source of the trauma that a student is experiencing is coming from within the
school environment. For example, a female student being sexually harassed by a teacher.
Therefore, it is possible that trauma can be compounded as students experience violence and
anxiety inducing events on a constant basis. The recent statistics released by the South
African police services shows that children are not safe at home, school, in their
neighbourhoods, or among their peers (SAPS, 2023). It is therefore important that trauma
interventions are enacted to help improve learning outcomes and personal development. Not
doing so can lead to children developing a post-traumatic stress disorder which can hinder
their personal development as they grow (Cruz, Lichten, Berg, & George, 2022).
It is important then for schools to adopt a post trauma intervention for children experiencing
trauma. This intervention can a be school wide effort that allows teachers to effectively
respond to and aid children who are experiencing trauma. Teachers are in the best position to
identify changes in behaviour and performance as they have most likely already formed close
relationships with the students. Examples in changes of behaviour include withdrawal from
social activities, absenteeism, academic decline and change in personality characteristics such
as aggressiveness or emotional withdrawal (Cruz, Lichten, Berg, & George, 2022) (Clary,
2018). Therefore, there are a multitude of options that teachers can utilise to help traumatised
children which includes the creating and maintaining a safe and positive classroom
environment. This means teachers make sure that children treat one another with respect and
dignity. For example, no use of swear words or strong language, instead there should be a
better and healthier way for children to air out their grievances. Another option that teachers
can use is to prevent behaviour that traumatises such as bullying. Bullying prevention is
paramount to ensuring that no additional trauma is inflicted on children who are already
going through chronic trauma (Clary, 2018). Another option that teachers can use is
psychological first aid. Not to be confused with counselling, psychological first aid is an
informed response to traumatised individuals aimed at reducing stress (Clary, 2018). Using
the three L’s, looking, listening and linking, it is possible to help a traumatised student to start
recovering (Hansen, 2019).
However, teachers are not psychological professionals and psychological first aid may not be
enough to help a traumatised student. Signs such as self-harm and abuse of harmful
substances may indicate that the next step is to refer the student to a psychological
professional. This is where students would receive targeted trauma treatment.
It is also important to note that the school environment and the staff must be trauma sensitive.
Simply moving on from a traumatic incident because it is a common occurrence and thus
deducing that the students in the school are desensitised can lead to the development of
chronic trauma which in turn affects students’ academic performance (Clary, 2018).

Bereavement
Bereavement is something that many students experience during their schooling. Whether it
is the loss of a fellow student, teacher or parent, schools have a responsibility to make sure
that their able to guide those affected through their grief. Bereavement can be loosely defined
as the lose of someone or something in someone’s life.
The main crux of how to deal with bereaved students is not carry on as if the state of affairs
are normal because emotions are heavily involved. It is important to set aside time to reflect
upon those emotions of sadness, shock and anxiety. Thus, what teachers aim to provide in
this situation is an outlet of support and a space for students to feel and work through their
emotions (Hansen, 2019). This would mean setting aside time which would’ve been used for
normal school activities to create spaces where students are able to grieve and have a sense of
closure. The students directly affected by loss of a loved one will have to be monitored and
given constant attention. What does the child know about the situation? How is the child
doing now in comparison to the previous week? Is this bereaved coping with their
schoolwork? (staff writer , 2021)
However, it must be acknowledged that grief can be a painful and sensitive matter. A teacher
can be hesitant to be offer help in fear of saying the wrong thing or offending the bereaved. It
is therefore important to have a school environment that is supportive and can guide the
teachers and students in during this delicate process.
One of the first things that a teacher can do is to talk to the family of the bereaved. This very
important because family is the first to offer support to the bereaved child and therefore the
role of the teacher in this respect is to echo that support (staff writer , 2021). For example, the
use of language, if the family of the bereaved uses language such as ‘mommy has gone to
heaven’ it is therefore imperative for the teacher to echo those sentiments to the grieving
child. In essence, the consoling that the teacher and school provide must not conflict with the
family’s approach.
Expect that behaviour from the bereaved will be different. Perhaps the child is withdrawn and
is sad in class or may display aggressive and angry emotions, this is to be expected. Even
when a child is behaving normally in class, expect there to be some change in routine for
them. For example, the child is not able to get enough sleep due to the grief their
experiencing which can affect whether they are doing their homework. Whilst it is important
to maintain routines to give the child a sense of normality, give the child the necessary space
to work around their academic work as well (staff writer , 2021).
On the topic of space, giving the bereaved child a safe space is very important. This means
setting aside time to talk to the student and allow them to express their emotions if their
comfortable to do so. If, let’s say a student has passed away, then it is important to let the
school, and students most affected a space to talk about their emotions in the classroom. And
to have, for example, a memorial service for the said student to allow students to gain a sense
of closure. Students directly affected like close friends may need to be referred to
professional psychological services (staff writer , 2021).
Most importantly, there is not time limit on grief. This is highly important; teachers need to
patient with this process and give the student or students enough support to deal with their
grief. This means that some things may trigger a bereaved student for example, the
celebration of Father’s Day or certain dates such as birthdays. It is imperative that the teacher
talks to the students ahead of time about these things for the student to emotionally prepare
themselves.

Anxiety
Children and adults alike suffer from anxiety. This mental feeling however manifests itself
differently and even intensely within the school setting. Anxiety can be defined as a constant
unease or fear. In the words of Kathariya Mokrue (Mokrue, 2019), she states that anxiety is a
feeling of uncertainty of the future and the inability to control future outcomes. Whilst the
feeling of anxiety is common among everyone depending on the situation, it becomes a
problem for the afflicted student when this feeling of anxiety becomes pervasive and
constant. Therefore, it transforms from feeling to become a consuming life force that one
begins to suffer from.
According to the Child Mind Institute (Ehmke, 2023), there are specific types of anxiety that
affect the school child. The first being separation anxiety - which commonly affects young
school children, where the child is fearful or upset from being separated from their guardian.
For example, the first day of pre-school or kindergarten. The second type of anxiety which
commonly affects high school students is social anxiety, which is when the child experiences
feelings of fear and uncertainty about being accepted by peers. This extends towards social
interactions as well. The third type is selective mutism, where the child struggles to speak in
certain settings. For example, the student who struggles to speak in front of the class during
orals but is more likely to speak confidently with friends whilst playing soccer during break
time. And lastly generalized anxiety, which is having worries about academic work and other
parts of life which can invoke the feeling of anxiety in the child (Ehmke, 2023).
All these various types of anxiety can prevent a child from proper academic progression in
school. The student suffering through anxiety may find it difficult to learn. Actions such as
raising a hand to ask or answer a question may be difficult. Instead, the student may opt to
keep quite and not engage with the academic discussion being held (Robson, 2024). If the
student’s anxiety is bad, then the student may opt to not attend school during important test
days. This extends towards social interactions as well. The student may struggle to maintain
healthy cordial relationships with team members for a group chat which can affect their
performance (Ehmke, 2023) (Robson, 2024).
On a more mental level, anxiety can affect the attention span of a student - shortening it.
Their working memory can also be affected by anxiety. This may look like a student
squirming in his seat or a distant look in the eyes as anxiety fuelled thoughts take over the
child’s mind (Staff Writer, 2022).
Thus, it goes without saying that forming a positive relationship with the child is one of the
first things a teacher can do to help. This means having a genuine and meaningful
relationship with the student. Being able to positively re-enforce behaviours whilst also
giving a space for the child to feel like their thoughts are listened to and not ridiculed, instead
supported. This allows students to talk freely about what their concerns and fears with the
teacher are (Staff Writer, 2022) (Robson, 2024).
Another strategy a teacher can employ is teaching coping strategies. These strategies can be
relaxation techniques such as deep breathing and meditation. This help children control their
anxiety. These strategies can help ground the children’s focus and shift focus from bad or
distracting thoughts. Mokrue (2019) suggests that taking time to use these relaxation
techniques will help children focus better and develop better cognitive control.
The teacher can also consider classroom practices in helping students with anxiety. This
includes things such as giving guidance in both verbal and written form to guarantee that
folks who are easily distracted do not miss out on information. Giving students early warning
of when they will be presenting, reading, or solving issues so that they may prepare.
Encouraging pupils to make errors in the search of finding solutions and enabling them to
collaborate to help each other rather than correcting one another. At the start of the school
year, ask students whether there are any parts of learning or your teaching that cause them
stress (Staff Writer, 2022).

depression
Depression can be defined as a chronic mood disorder which is characterized by sadness and
loss of interest. The hallmarks of depression include sadness, feelings of emptiness, irritation
and changes that happen cognitively which impact a person’s ability to live normal everyday
life (Chand & Arif, 2023). In other words, depression affects how we think and act. It hinders
individual’s ability to do schoolwork, engage in social activities and can strain family
relations. Depression is a serious mental disorder which can lead to suicide, thus - whilst
teachers are considered to psychological first responders, in this situation teachers must first
watch out for any sign or symptoms of depression, thereafter appropriate action must be
taken.
As a teacher, these are the signs and symptoms that must be looked out for in a student. The
first being withdrawal from friends and family. In the school environment, this would
manifest as less or no social engagement with peers and friends, as well as teachers
(American Academy of Pediatrics, 2022) (Kelly, 2019). Another sign can be difficultly
focusing for long periods of time (Staff Writer, n.d.). Whilst this sign can be indicative of
anxiety or ADHD it is important for the teacher to take note and not rule out the possibility of
depression.
As stated before, depression affects cognitive abilities. In this case, emotional regulation.
This can range from being triggered easily into an emotion or feelings of being overwhelmed
which can then lead into feeling numb or empty (Kelly, 2019). Depression also leaks into the
student’s thoughts, thus altering their perspective on life. This commonly presents as thoughts
framed by pessimism. In simpler words, the student thinks that nothing good is going to come
out of their actions. Most importantly, the most glaring indicator that teachers should not
ignore is suicidal thoughts (Kelly, 2019).
Maintaining a positive relationship with the student so that they can share their thoughts and
feelings is the first step to helping a student suffering from depression (Kelly, 2019). This
important because teachers are busy throughout the day and having some time with a student
gives the teacher an opportunity to help if a student shares that they are pervaded with
suicidal thoughts. In other words, a teacher will not know what is truly going on if they do
not regularly talk with the student.
Another tip for teachers, is to make sure that their classroom management strategies are not
negatively affecting the students. Techniques such as the use of collective classroom
punishment are to be avoided. Also avoid use of disparaging remarks, sarcasm and passive-
aggressiveness when talking to students (Kelly, 2019). Essentially anything that can be
perceived as negative which could compound onto the students existing feelings of sadness or
worthlessness.
However, the most important action a teacher can take is refer the student to the school
psychologist or counsellor (Kelly, 2019). This is best action to take as the professional will be
able to help the student in journey to recovery. It is the teachers and the school’s job to make
sure that they support the student.
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