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Teachers as Therapists
This 8-year-old lost both his parents during the war. He has been living with a foster family. His teacher, a 36-year-old refugee trained by us, reports that Tarik is generally aloof and sad-faced, uninvolved in group activities. The teacher has used various techniques to connect with Tarik. When the teacher's father died in a concentration camp, she became very depressed and did not teach for a week. But then she remembered a lesson learned during our training course: as adults, we should share our fear, sorrow and hope with the children. With that in mind, the teacher returned to school. When her class gathered and asked why she had been absent, she told them about her loss. Everyone cried, and the children comforted her. At this point, Tarik moved over and sat in the teacher's lap. "I know how you feel," he told her. "I have lost my parents too. I know how you feel." Since that moment, Tarik's attitude has brightened. He participates in group activities, and he has gotten close to the teacher. In fact, she is considering adopting him. |
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Case five: Tarik
