NEA: Dealing With Disaster





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Dealing with Disaster

Tools to Help Students Cope

Houses flooded after Hurricane Katrina With round-the-clock TV news coverage of natural disasters, scenes of devastation are inescapable and can be extremely troubling to children. They may wonder, Am I safe? Could this happen to me? Why did this happen to those other kids?

These questions are difficult to answer and may spark hard questions of your own. Here are some resources to help you address common fears and anxieties.

TeacherTV Video Clips

NEA's TeacherTV visited Valmeyer, Illinois, after it was engulfed by floods in August 1993. Eighty percent of students and a third of school employees lost their homes to the raging waters.

Find out how teachers and students faced this catastrophe and found the strength to rebuild. The lessons they learned can help anyone dealing with disaster.
(You need the Real Video player to access these files.)

Introduction 56k \| Broadband Total running time: 1.9 minutes	Summary. How is education affected by disaster? How can teachers keep learning alive while helping students cope with loss?
Part 1 56k \| Broadband Total running time: 4.23 minutes	Summary. Valmeyer lost not only its school, it lost the backbone of its town. Housed in a temporary structure, educators formed a committee to assess needs and organize relief efforts, but this only addressed logistics. They also needed to help students (and each other) acknowledge their loss and work through grief before teaching and learning could take place.
Part 2 56k \| Broadband Total running time: 3.41 minutes	Summary. The flood was incorporated into daily curriculum. Lessons took on a sense of immediacy and allowed students to talk about their experiences. The temporary school became one of few stable elements in students' lives. Gradually, they began to accept their loss and look to the future. Planning for a new school signalled a new beginning for the residents of Valmeyer.
TeacherTV is a multiple Emmy award-winning television show that aired on The Learning Channel. Produced in partnership between the National Education Association and Discovery Networks, it featured real teachers in real classrooms, and showed what's right with America's public schools.

Additional Resources

National Association of School Psychologists
Advice for educators, parents, school mental health professionals, and others who are helping young people deal with the hurricane.
After the Storm: A Guide to Help Children Cope with the Psychological Effects of a Hurricane
Information and activities for adults to use with children in the aftermath of a hurricane.
FEMA: Helping Kids Cope with Disaster
Suggestions you can use to help children recover from a devastating event.
Hurricane Help for Schools
Department of Ed site aimed at getting additional supplies to schools serving students displaced by the hurricane.
Dealing With Trauma and Loss: Practical Strategies for Enhancing Resilience
Practical strategies for working through the stress of a traumatic event.
Facilitating Conversations with Youth
Unexpected good can emerge from disaster. Includes lesson plan/family activity.

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