“As more students come to school traumatized by living through fires, floods, and other extreme weather, teachers are being asked to do more than educate — they’re also acting as untrained therapists.”
“Doomerism” isn’t the issue. The issue is that kids are living through real shit and realizing that the adults around them are unable/unwilling to help/protect them when it’s needed. Your suggestion to fight “doomerism” is going to appear as a continuation of that and break any remaining trust even further.
Hope can be a useful tool, but within the context of American schools it’s more often a tool for gaslighting and control than meaningful change.
Your suggestion to fight “doomerism” is going to appear as a continuation of that and break any remaining trust even further.
Doormerism is an issue, especially when it comes from adults who don’t know how to help. This is trauma, and this is one tool to tackle that trauma. I’m not saying we tell kids “hey cheer up that should fix it” - I’m saying we use hope as a tool to fight cynical defeatism. Which, I would submit, is all your comment achieves. Do you have an alternative?
“Doomerism” isn’t the issue. The issue is that kids are living through real shit and realizing that the adults around them are unable/unwilling to help/protect them when it’s needed. Your suggestion to fight “doomerism” is going to appear as a continuation of that and break any remaining trust even further.
Hope can be a useful tool, but within the context of American schools it’s more often a tool for gaslighting and control than meaningful change.
Doormerism is an issue, especially when it comes from adults who don’t know how to help. This is trauma, and this is one tool to tackle that trauma. I’m not saying we tell kids “hey cheer up that should fix it” - I’m saying we use hope as a tool to fight cynical defeatism. Which, I would submit, is all your comment achieves. Do you have an alternative?