Opinion
Curriculum Opinion

When Tragic Events Enter the Classroom: A Teacher’s Dilemma

By Lillie Marshall — April 17, 2013 2 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

Editor’s note: This essay was originally published in 2013. Education Week is re-running the essay in light of the Oct. 1 mass shooting in Las Vegas that left upwards of 50 people dead.

How does a teacher deal with tragic events that are devastatingly close to home? Frankly I’d rather not talk about, think about, nor acknowledge the Boston Marathon bombings. It is too heartbreaking. I was born in Boston, joyfully reside and teach here, and have written extensively about how Boston is the best place on earth to live. So to see any of our city’s residents suffer and be rendered victims makes me sick to my stomach.

And yet, as I open up my email inbox during this school vacation week, I see 12 nearly identical messages from students. They all say something to the effect of:

“Hello Ms. Marshall. My partner and I are wondering if we can change our current events research topic to the Boston Marathon bombings.”

Yes, we are in the middle of a current events unit in my 7th grade humanities class. So what is a heartbroken teacher to do? Clearly these 12 students are acutely interested in learning, talking, and writing about this tragedy. They are motivated by a horrid fascination with the idea of history—shocking history—occurring in our community.

But this teacher would rather they weren’t. Along with my personal feelings of nausea and denial, professional worries beat through my head. Can 7th graders deal respectfully and responsibly with a topic that is both awful and awfully close to home? Will they inadvertently traumatize or trigger other kids in the class into breakdown? Are the skills of nonfiction reading and news analysis better practiced with a topic that is less emotional? At what point do pounding hearts and our tearing eyes jeopardize mental function and learning? And finally, are my skills as a discussion facilitator and trauma counselor strong enough to fling open this door?

Boston Public Schools has been helpful during this terrible time. The district immediately emailed BPS staff and families six suggestions from the National Association of School Psychologists about discussing tragic situations with students:

1) Remain calm and reassuring.
2) Acknowledge and normalize their feelings.
3) Take care of your own needs.
4) Turn off or monitor the television.
5) Discuss events in age-appropriate terms.
6) Stick to the facts.

But readers, I truly feel stuck. On one hand, we teachers are trained to follow student enthusiasm. In my school, we do a great deal of project-based learning that is driven by student interests. Further, NASP guideline numbers 2 and 6 would support allowing students to research this tragedy for their project. However, suggestions 3, 4, and possibly 5 would demand a definitive answer of “No” to the students awaiting my reply about their research request.

What would you do and why?

Events

Student Well-Being K-12 Essentials Forum Boosting Student and Staff Mental Health: What Schools Can Do
Join this free virtual event based on recent reporting on student and staff mental health challenges and how schools have responded.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Curriculum Webinar
Practical Methods for Integrating Computer Science into Core Curriculum
Dive into insights on integrating computer science into core curricula with expert tips and practical strategies to empower students at every grade level.
Content provided by Learning.com

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Curriculum More States Require Schools to Teach Cursive Writing. Why?
Technological advances notwithstanding, advocates give a long list of reasons for teaching students cursive.
5 min read
Photo of child practicing cursive writing.
iStock / Getty Images Plus
Curriculum Computer Science Courses Are on the Rise—But Girls Are Still Half as Likely to Take It
Schools expanded the availability of foundational computer science classes, but stubborn gaps in access to those courses persist.
4 min read
Photograph of diverse group of primary school students using laptops in a bright classroom.
E+/Getty
Curriculum Many States Are Limiting How Schools Can Teach About Race. Most Voters Disagree
A majority of polled voters want students to learn about the history of racism and slavery in the United States and its legacy today.
4 min read
The "statue" of Michelle Obama, played by Kaylee Gray, talks to students during Black History Month's wax museum at Chestnut Grove Elementary School in Decatur, Ala., on Feb. 27, 2020. Instead of the usual assembly, Chestnut Grove students played the roles of famous black and white people who contributed to the civil rights movement and black people who have made significant contributions to history.
The "statue" of Michelle Obama, played by Kaylee Gray, talks to students during Black History Month's wax museum at Chestnut Grove Elementary School in Decatur, Ala., on Feb. 27, 2020.
Jeronimo Nisa/The Decatur Daily via AP
Curriculum Download DOWNLOADABLE: Choosing Grade School Books With Complex Representation of People and Topics
A new tool from The Education Trust helps educators think deeply about what complex representation of people, cultures, and topics means.
1 min read
Image of an open book, and a hand drawing a character of the content.
Canva