As school staff help their students cope with the events and aftermath of September 11, staff members themselves may also need support. Here's a glimpse at the work of NEA member Debbie Tipton, a licensed clinical social worker and an employee assistance specialist with Maryland's Montgomery County Public Schools outside Washington, D.C., where many members of the community were personally affected by the national tragedy.

Educators are primarily concerned with how their students are dealing with the events of September 11, but it is equally important for school staff to support each other.

That's the message that Debbie Tipton conveys to Maryland educators. She's part of the Montgomery County Schools Crisis team, a coalition of counselors, school security personnel and others who are available to help students and staff when a crisis occurs.

Immediately after the attacks, the team distributed information about their Employee Assistance Program (EAP) counseling services through school counselors, administrators and listservs.

"In the days following the attacks," Tipton reports, "the EAP saw trauma reaction in some teachers, particularly those who had been through a previous traumatic event. We expect a greater need for our services as time goes on, however, as the initial crisis subsides and staff have more time to contemplate the ramifications."

Expect yourselves and colleagues to experience a range of reactions in the weeks to come. Some people may have trouble sleeping, may feel anxious and fearful--or, like their students, have difficulty focusing in the classroom.

"We don't know what a normal reaction is because we have been confronted with such an abnormal situation," says Tipton. "Help people to normalize their reactions by letting them know that whatever they're feeling is okay."

But Tipton adds that if symptoms last more than a couple of weeks or are interfering with normal functioning, then people need to seek professional help.

Tipton has urged schools to allow teachers and other staff time to talk with one another.

"People need to talk about this, and they will continue needing to talk for weeks to come. The best thing we can do is be there to listen to each other."

On an individual level, Tipton suggests that "people be really gentle with themselves. Take care of yourself. Go home at the end of the day.

"Teachers tend to work really long hours," Tipton notes, "but this is a time to lower your ever-higher expectations of yourselves and take time out to do what you enjoy. Exercise, spend time with friends and family, do what nurtures you."

--Kandra Strauss
NEA Health Information Network

From the
NEA Health
Information Network

GIVE THANKS, GIVE LIFE
This Thanksgiving, join the "Give Thanks, Give Life" campaign to raise awareness about life-saving donations. There are more than 75,000 desperately ill patients, including many children, who await a life-saving organ, tissue or blood donation. The single greatest boost to donation is dialogue--you must discuss your intentions with your loved ones so they can honor your request.

And what better time to do so than during Thanksgiving weekend, when families gather? Checking the "donor box" on your driver's license or carrying a signed donor pledge card is simply not enough.

To learn more about donation and how you can be involved in the campaign, visit www.organdonor. gov/givethanks.htm or www.shareyourlife.org.

NEA VIDEOS: SAFE SCHOOLS NOW
NEA's Safe Schools Now Network nine-part video series, created by the NEA in collaboration with several other national partners, is available for purchase. A discussion and resource guide is included with each video. $14.95 each for NEA members; $19.95 for non-members. The complete set of all nine videos is available for $115 for NEA members and $153 for non-members. To order, contact the NEA Professional Library at 800/229-4200 or order online at www.nea.org/ books.

INDOOR AIR QUALITY AND STUDENTS
Poor indoor air quality (IAQ) can cause or exacerbate illnesses in children and lead to absence from school. Recent data suggest that poor IAQ reduces the ability to perform specific mental tasks requiring concentration, calculation, or memory. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has developed a three-page fact sheet on IAQ and student performance. Go to www.epa.gov/iaq/schools/perform.html for a copy.

Quick Tip
Sameta Rush

The waning light and upcoming holiday season will challenge the best of us to get moving. Though it is particularly hard to think about exercise during this spiritually challenging time, it is crucial to keep our bodies healthy and our emotions balanced.
It is so important to rely on those around you in this time of national crisis and especially tell those we care about how we feel. I also find yoga and prayer/meditation to be helpful to quiet my mind.

Communicate what you feel as often as necessary. Take in a quiet moment and remember to breathe.

But now more than ever, we need to take stock in the great beauty we have around us and appreciate the strength we share as a diverse nation.

Sameta Rush teaches physical education, video production, and writing at Steamboat Springs High School and Strawberry Park Elementary, Steam-boats Springs, Colorado. She can be reached by E-mail at srush@sailors.steamboat.k12.co.us.