As an elementary teacher, you know that disasters will impact your classroom in some way. As much as you wish you could shield your students from all trouble, you just can’t. What you CAN DO is learn how to effectively and compassionately help students cope with disasters when they inevitably come!
The Impact of Disasters on Students
Disasters— whether it’s hurricanes, wildfires, or human-made crises— can have significant impacts on children. Some of your students may experience the loss of a loved one, their home, a pet, or stable routines. All of these losses can result in feelings like anger, sadness, or anxiety.
Other kids, even if they aren’t directly affected by disasters, can process these events with big emotions like fear, stress, or worry. They might hear their caregivers talking about disasters, hear about them on the news, or even find out about them on social media.
When students feel these types of feelings, it can negatively impact their ability to concentrate at school, interact with peers and teachers, and even disrupt their sleep or appetite.
Students may have difficulty:
- Staying on task
- Meeting deadlines
- Staying awake at school
- Joining in play at recess
- Participating in class
Understanding the different ways disasters can show up in a child’s life is the first step in providing effective support for them.
Ways to Support Students in Disaster
As a trusted adult in your students’ lives, your support can truly make a world of difference in how a child copes with disasters in their lives.
Consider these ideas as you respond compassionately during hard times:
1. Create a Safe and Predictable Classroom
First, focus on creating and maintaining a safe and predictable classroom. The routines that children anticipate when they enter your room can create a sense of normalcy when everything else in life may feel like it’s spiraling out of control.
This predictability can help reduce anxiety and provide feelings of peace and comfort for students who are trying to cope with hard situations.
2. Introduce Helpful Resources
Next, use engaging resources to help students process their big feelings. After the Storm provides easy-to-follow action steps for students to begin to work through their emotions after a disaster while considering what steps to take next— this resource is FREE too!
Use these prompts to encourage open discussions, empathy, and resiliency among your students.
*Find this engaging resource and over 500 others in the Counselor Collab Membership!
3. Use Relatable Children’s Books and Videos
If you’ve been following along for any length of time, you know children’s books and videos are two of the most favorite tools found in this counselor’s teaching toolbox! Stories help students connect with concepts on an emotional level in ways that worksheets and conversations may not.
Consider these books as you help your students cope with disasters:
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The Breaking News by Sarah Lynne Reul
This book captures a child’s perspective during troubling times while showcasing the power of small acts of kindness. It encourages students to focus on what they can do to help others even when they are feeling overwhelmed by what’s going on around them.
Ripples by Leigh Anne Fortner
This story shows how even a tiny pebble can create ripples of positivity and connection. It gently reminds students to be resilient and choose to find ways to help others— knowing that even they can make a big difference!
All We Need Is Love and a Really Soft Pillow! by Peter H. Reynolds
This story is all about love! It highlights the ways that the smallest things can provide comfort to others when they are going through tough times. Play this read-aloud version as a fun alternative!
This story offers clear and relatable advice for helping young children process disasters. It emphasizes the importance of recognizing big feelings and offers age-appropriate explanations. Use this book to spark meaningful conversations with your class and reassure them that what they are feeling is okay (and expected!).
4. Teach Mindfulness
Another great way to support students through disasters is by teaching mindfulness in your classroom. Teach students what it means to be mindful by practicing deep breathing, yoga poses, guided imagery, sensory experiences, and more.
Find everything you need to teach this important character education trait in this Mindfulness Resource. Display the included bulletin board posters for easy-to-reference visual reminders for students!
5. Utilize a Calm Down Corner
A calm corner is another great way to help your students who sometimes just “need a minute” to deal with their big emotions. This space allows them to work on their social-emotional skills in a quiet, private space while still in the comfort of your classroom.
What to include in a Calm Down Corner:
- Comfortable seating like a bean bag chair or big pillow
- Fidgets like stress balls, pop-its, or stretchy bands
- Social stories or books about emotions and self-regulation
- Visuals (like the ones in the Mindfulness Resource!)
6. Include Your School Counselor
And finally, don’t overlook the power of partnering with your school counselor! Invite them to speak in your classroom about coping strategies and other important social-emotional concepts regularly (& especially after disasters have occurred).
Some students will need more personalized support, so referrals to the counselor are appropriate as well. These students may benefit from individual or small group counseling sessions where they can open up more privately about their emotions and fears.
Your school counselor will also have access to physical resources like food, clothing, and school supplies to help students with urgent needs.
Learning to help your students cope with disasters is a vital part of creating a space where emotional and academic growth can flourish. You can be a steady anchor in uncertain times as you offer valuable tools and a heart of compassion all year long!
You might also be interested in reading:
4 Ways Educators Can Support Students from Military Families
3 SIMPLE Ways to Help Students Cope with Grief and Loss
Helping Students Cope with Divorce in the Classroom
You might also be interested in these products:
Coping with Grief: Group Counseling Curriculum
My Emotions Workbook & Feelings Posters, SEL Activity
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