Teachers
Various
methods can be employed to teach teachers what they need to
know about the tsunami and how to disseminate this information
with various parties.
Some methods that can be used to teach them include:
Tsunami educational kits which can be made available either
online or printed and bound then made available as handbooks.
The information in these kits would mostly target the students
they teach and the content will be discussed in the next paragraph.
- Presentations
may also be held, where people with a good understanding on
the tsunamis and procedures to be followed in the event of
one and afterwards are invited to shed light on a few issues
and thus help teachers gain knowledge.
- Another
method worth thinking about would be the sending of various
teachers as representatives of their schools to other countries
which have a stronger base in disaster management systems
and letting the teachers know how their counterparts elsewhere
do things. In addition, if this is not possible, then teachers
from those other places can also come and share their knowledge
with the teachers of Peru and Micronesia. This would create
some
sort of exchange program, where both parties gain from each
other and if this was to be made a regular event, for example
once every three years, then chances of gaining more form
it would be increased.
- Training
camps and seminars can also be held especially during school
breaks when the teachers can engage themselves fully in these
type of activities without the worry of their students falling
back behind. This would greatly help, especially if the government
makes it compulsory and caters for such programs. On returning
to their schools, such teachers would be given the task of
educating fellow teachers who did not attend the program.
- They
should also be encouraged to keep in touch with world current
affairs and this would help them in staying afloat when it
comes to the latest developments in tsunami studies. They
can do this through listening to the media and reading relevant
literature. It would be recommended that if certain bodies
come up with new strategies, they document them and send them
to schools so that teachers are also involved. In some schools
where funds allow, purchases of things such as TVs would be
encouraged and this would serve as an incentive to encourage
them to keep up with world current affairs.
There is a whole bunch of things that teachers can teach but
some of the main groups to target would be the parents and
their students.Some
of the ways to reach the parents would be over open days where
parents are invited to come and discuss the academic progress
of their kids with the teachers. During such occasions a short
presentation by members of the teaching staff would be applicable.
Alternatively, during school Annual General Meetings teachers
could also give short speeches. The other thing to do would
be to send the kids home with letters to the parents, disseminating
such crucial information(.www.unicef.org/emerg/disasterinasia)
Some of the
things to tell them, would include how to cope with disasters
such as tsunamis and give them tips on how best to help their
children cope. For example some tips to give parents on how to
help their kids cope would include:
- Switching
off radios and TVs whenever they show disturbing images and
tell horrifying stories in the presence of kids.
-
Listening to their kids carefully and making them feel that
whatever they say is appreciated.
-
Giving the kids reassurance and psychological first-aid
should the kids be traumatized.
-
Getting professional psychological help for their kids should
they be unable to single-handedly tackle their children's
depression.
-
Expecting
the unexpected especially when it comes to the extent to
which the kids have been affected. The teachers should also
recommend that the parents give the children room for recovery
and not be so quick to expect them to learn how to cope.
-
Giving their kids extra time and attention.
-
Be models for their kids in the way they cope.
-
Watching their own behavior toward the whole situation.
For example if they are frustrated, they should not vent
out their problems for the kids and if they feel that they
want to cry they can do it away from the kids.
-
Helping kids return to normal activities.
-
Encouraging
their children to do volunteer work as it makes them feel
more useful and puts their mind away from all the mental
turmoil.
(www.globaleducation.edna.edu.au/globaled/go/cache/offonce/pid/1605)
Some of the
things that the teachers can teach their students include :
Information about tsunamis for example what they are, what causes
them, what earthquakes are and what causes them, how fast earthquakes
travel, health related issues such as resulting diseases and how
to cope with them, social studies pertaining to how disasters
are reported by the media and what they feel about it and language
arts under which they can discuss use of literature as a coping
mechanism, especially for those at higher learning levels. They
can also teach them how to express feeling about tragedy using
art, and apart from serving as a release it would also serve as
a way to identify children who will need more in depth psychological
help.
(www.staff.esuhsd.org/-balochie/studentprojects/peru)(Atwater,
B., Cistemas, V., Bourgeois, J., Dudley, W.C., Hendley, J., Stauffer,
P., (1999) Surviving a tsunami: Lessons from Chile, Hawaii and
Japan.)
The methods to use would include :
- Making
the kids write letters for example to imaginary authorities
about aid and development issues and this would help stimulate
their thinking and encourage them to be open minded and explore
potential fields in disaster management.
- Inviting
people in fields to do with tsunamis come and lecture the
children on such issues as how to escape.
- Engaging
the kids in simulating activities such as designing a rebuilding
and rehabilitation program for a village. This would help
them reason and expand their scope of knowledge on issues
on the tsunami. Some of the things they would be encouraged
to explore would include key sectors for rehabilitation, activities
to undertake, resources needed, and risks and strategies to
manage the risks. This would enable the kids to come up with
creative methods on how to deal with the situation and be
prepared in the event of such an occurrence.
- Holding
practice drills in school as this would ensure that they are
always prepared at all times. As an incentive those who do
it best may be rewarded with some gifts or presents to encourage
the others to know what they are meant to know.
- Posters
may also be set up in their classes by the teachers and these
used as teaching aids in disseminating information about the
tsunami.(Washington
Emergency Management Division (2003) How the Smart Family
Survived a Tsunami- Elementary Ed- K6)
(www.nationmaster.com/country/pe/Education)This
would not be so hard to implement as most schools have time
that is devoted to social studies. For example, in Peru, the
time devoted to lessons in social studies amounts to about 23%
of the total learning time. This would make it easier to get
some time from these lessons and use them in teaching the children.
Sources:
- www.micsem.org/photos/education
- www.staff.esuhsd.org/-balochie/studentprojects/peru
- www.nationmaster.com/country/pe/Education
- www.citel.cas.org/Tele-Education/Peru
- www.globaleducation.edna.edu.au/globaled/go/cache/offonce/pid/1605
- www.unicef.org/emerg/disasterinasia
- www.nsta.org/education/&category_ID=290
- Washington
Emergency Management Division (2003) How the Smart Family
Survived a tsunami. Elementary Ed K6
- Atwater,
B., Cistemas, V., Bourgeois, J., Dudley, W.C., Hendley, J.,
Stauffer, P., (1999) Surviving a tsunami: Lessons from Chile,
Hawaii and Japan.
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