Page 40 - How to teach reading with heart

Returning to the Classroom

As we get closer to the beginning of

a new school year I feel compelled to Effects of prolonged exposure to stress
offer insight as to how children may hormones in children:
react as they return to the classroom. - Working and long term memory

problems
People of my generation grew up with - Reduced ability of frontal lobe to

parents who were children during the control emotions
Great Depression of the 1930’s. I believe - Reduction of new neuron production
we can all recall odd habits or fears that in hippocampus

we saw in our parents that were the result - Cognitive processing shifts to survival
of extended trauma experienced during mode (brain’s job is to keep you safe)

the Depression. Once again our children - Emotional responses override logical
and grandchildren are experiencing responses to situations
extended trauma due to the COVID 19 - Loss of identity with the prior

pandemic. It’s impact will remain with environment.
them for the rest of their lives.

The last bullet on the list is the first one I
There is no denying the stress this would like to address, this is powerful for
pandemic has caused in all of us; the a child. For so long their identities were

isolation, concerns about the future, based on school and school friends and
and what the future will bring. Now now they will return to a place that has

think about the stress in children. What changed as they have changed.
happens when a child experiences
prolonged stress? How will prolonged A little side note, my eight year old

stress manifest itself as children return to granddaughter is going to see, in
the classroom? Their brains have been in person, her best friend that she has not

overdrive producing stress hormones for spoken with or seen since February. Her
months. In order to give answers to the anxiety level is through the roof. She is
above questions I went digging through questioning how she should act, what

notes taken in a class years ago. can she do or not do. Imagine now how

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