I thought this was a great article and wanted to pass it along:
- Kat Coy
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School Counseling for September 12th
The tenth anniversary of the tragic events of September 11, 2001 seems to be
everywhere. Talk shows are devoting the entire week to interviews and
remembrances of those who were lost in the attacks. Teacher Web sites are
bursting at the seams with lesson plans for students of all ages. With the day
falling on a Sunday, the road side signs of churches promise sermon after
sermon devoted to the context of the day from a larger view.
It would be easy enough to assume these activities won’t stir the memories of
our students, or impact their daily lives. This year’s high school seniors were
seven years old the day the planes landed in New York, Washington DC, and
Pennsylvania, and the sixth graders of 2011 were barely walking in 2001.
Combined with the excitement of starting the school year, getting used to a
new school, and applying for college, it would be an honest mistake to think
the students aren’t touched by the events or memories of that day, and won’t
pay much attention to the events of this weekend.
But it would still be a mistake.
Students may not have vivid memories of what happened ten years ago, but
their parents will—and given the dynamics of that Tuesday morning and all that
has happened in between, it’s understandable if parents aren’t able to be as
objective as they usually would be when explaining complex issues to their
children.
At the same time, some high school students may have very vivid memories of
that day. Their memory of the event may not be clear, but it’s likely they will
remember some of what happened, and exactly where they were. How many
baby boomers will begin their discussion of the day John Kennedy was shot with
“I was seven, and it was the end of lunch period at school…?” Why would we
expect dimmer memories of 9/11 from their much more tech-savvy children or
grandchildren?
Some children may indeed not be impacted at all by the events of this
weekend, but as is the case with all good counseling, the best plan is to have
a plan. If you haven’t already done so, take a minute to put together some tips
for parents on how they should talk with their children about 9/11, and how to
be prepared if the guest speaker in the church, synagogue, or mosque
surrenders to the emotions of the moment. It’s not too late to send out a last-
minute e-mail with this information, and many parents will thank you for it (a
Google search of “talking to your children about 9/11” yields some mighty fine
resources.)
Remind parents of the importance of monitoring TV and computer time this
weekend. It’s always a good idea to keep technology in check, but all of the
commemorative events being broadcast can quickly turn an interest in history
into an obsession with security.
Give parents the skills and words to use to make sure their children end the
weekend with as strong a sense of safety as possible. That is always a
nuanced task, but parents will welcome any ideas you can lend, as long as
they are presented as options, not recipes or dictums. Support their innate
abilities to know how to love their children, and all will go well.
Finally, be prepared for business as un-usual September 12. It’s unlikely any
students will walk up to you and say “I’m having some real concerns about
9/11”, but there’s always a chance one or two may have a concern that is
being acted out at school instead of being discussed in your office. A gentle
reminder to your colleagues that you (or someone else) has a fairly open
calendar on Monday, combined with a little CWA—Counseling by Wandering
Around—can reassure students and faculty alike that a listening ear and helping
hand awaits, should the need arise.
This is indeed a busy time, with students starting new years and building bright
futures. Those plans need not be dimmed as our nation takes an appropriate
pause this weekend to look at what has passed. With the right words and an
open office door, we can show our students how to do both with poise,
respect, and an egoless sense of self.
Patrick J. O'Connor, Ph.D.
Director of College Counseling
Roeper School
1051 Oakland Avenue
Birmingham Michigan 48009
248.203.7418 (voice)
248.642.8619 (fax)
www.roeper.org <http://www.roeper.org>
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