That war has to change in our schools

Teachers now need to become real psychologists - both for students and for themselves by statistics, nowadays psychological assistance require almost 4 million Ukrainian children. In the future, this figure will only grow. Children suffering from traumatic stress develop reactions that will affect their daily lives in the future.

It is emotional lability and difficulty in regulating emotional manifestations, difficulties with sleep and nutrition, behavioral changes, problems in relationships with the environment, etc. The topics of the mental health of participants in the educational process and the rethinking of the profession of teacher are now actively discussed at different levels. From now on, the culture of care of mental health is becoming special in content.

This culture should be cherished in the family and fixed in school, because this is where the basic interaction of the child with the formative environment occurs. Schools can help children cope with trauma through psychosocial support and learning. But for this purpose, teachers need to learn how to recognize signs of trauma and use special tools that mitigate its impact on the learning process. It is usually possible to recognize signs of injury among students on the basis of behavioral changes.

These can be sudden aggression or apathy, sharp fluctuations in an emotional state, including anxiety and panic attacks, as well as physical symptoms, such as head or abdominal pain, sleep and diet problems. Teachers should also pay attention to changes in children, manifestations of fear and panic, a sharp deterioration of educational skills, as well as their overall social behavior. Timely detection of injury, response and support can help children overcome injury in the initial stage.

Today, any work with Ukrainian students should begin with the empathy and understanding of all the manifestations of the child. In our experience in working with children who are psychologically suffered from the terrible events of the war, there are some useful tips for educators: we must do everything to help children experience painful experience and not break. Create a safe space for them.