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Courtney Weatherburne reporting
At first glance, it might seem like these teachers are getting ready for the conga line. But really, they are loosening up those pressure points as a self-care technique. This activity is part of a Restore Belize teacher training entitled trauma informed practice in schools, and it all starts with the teacher.

Alex Vega, Safe School Coordinator, Restore Belize
"Some of the content is also very personal for our teachers, they can't care and be compassionate to children if we don't care for them. Teachers go through a lot and a lot of them are experiencing burn out and so what we also have to have in the curriculum is self- care people who are in the front lines, anybody who is in the front line, nurses, social workers, people who work with traumatized children and youth also experience vicarious trauma. They also experience compassionate fatigue. So they have to have a self-care plan not only individually but collectively."

It is through this approach that educators can more effectively recognize and respond to the needs of children who have experienced different forms of trauma. Teachers and principals from 4 city schools who have many challenges with their children are learning new and more productive ways to interact with troubled students.

Alex Vega, Safe School Coordinator, Restore Belize
"Violence and the resulting psychological trauma affects learning, memory, cognition, recall and even functioning of the student in the classroom, wherever there is trauma, trauma trumps learning and so there are significant exposure of violence, all forms of violence on children, not only armed violence but also family violence, domestic violence. Children are often witnesses of violence in their homes. They come to school and they are expected to learn, they are expected to perform, they are expected to pass. We are all interested in school performance but the effects of violence, the effects of the trauma, the residue of the violence affects children so what should educators learn about trauma, we have to respond and we are not making educators into therapists or counsellors, what we are doing is we are raising their awareness of the issue, we are helping them to understand trauma, the concept of trauma."

"One of the fundamental principles is how can we develop individual capacity in the teacher for the teacher to be able to manage very difficult situations so the teacher can't be triggered, you know some disruptive behavior happens, the child is angry, the child is disruptive and the sometimes that behavior triggers you the parent, you are the educator but you are also the parent and that triggers something in you because of some private issue in your life so what we want to do is we want share skills and tools so that they may be able to calm themselves, a calm face, a calm tone, calm voice, calm body, posture in their interaction, checking in with the student, what is going on when the student is calm, what is going on instead of saying what's wrong with you, what's wrong with the student, that very traditional deficit paradigm changes and we ask what's going on we stop we pause we assess the situation instead of being so reactive."

"They have been exposed to special topics such as grief and loss and what does the educator, what does the teacher say, do. We can't go on and act like nothing happened to Johnny and we all know Johnny's mother died in the weekend, what do we say, how do we connect with that child, how do we show empathy, how do we validate their feelings, how do we give that child some space."

But it's easier said than done. For many teachers, it is a daily struggle having to look after over 20, in some cases 30 students and then have to pay special attention to those who have behavioral problems.

Lavern Ferguson has been teaching for 30 years and admitted she did not know about any alternative methods in connecting with these kids.

Laverne Ferguson, St. Luke's Methodist Primary School
"I have taught for so many years and the one thing I never knew was how to deal with children experiencing trauma."

"Like for me I wasn't aware of all of the things that trigger students into a certain situation where they are out of their window of tolerance, I am learning knew terms and I am learning new techniques, skills, how to deal with students."

Courtney Weatherburne:
"It is difficult and sometimes you just snap and react?"

Laverne Ferguson
"Yes because I myself, we have our window of tolerance so when a child reacts then we react in a similar manner but we have been taught now to step back."

The teachers and students at Queen Street Baptist School had to take a couple steps back to confront the pain and trauma of losing one of their own. In February 2018, 12 year old David Morrison was shot and killed as a result of a gang feud he had nothing to do with.

Lydia Westby, Queen Street Baptist School
"Words could not express the atmosphere when we stepped on that compound and when we looked at these students, how do you explain loss to them and how you as a teacher, how you felt because this child had been with us for 8 years almost completing his primary school education and Restore Belize jumped in automatically they were there on the compound to provide emotional support, they provided counselors for us and individual sessions not only for our students but also for the staff."

So really it is all about helping teachers to be better individuals on a personal and professional level which will result in better and more rounded students.

Sherie Godoy, St, John's Anglican Primary School
"As educators we have so many things we are faced with, we have so many roles we take on but the most important thing for them to remember is to always ensure that they are calm and that will transcend itself unto their students."

The second part of this training will be held on August 20th and 21st at the Gateway Youth Center. Teachers from Maud Williams High School will attend that training. But this is just the start, Restore Belize and the Education Ministry will be conducting a series of workshops such as these throughout the school year.