Chalk Talk: 'Invisible Tigers'

James Redford’s recent documentary Paper Tigers depicts students afflicted by childhood trauma and a school that is dedicated to their aid. Childhood trauma can stem from divorce, abuse, injury, chronic illness, death, incarceration, neglect, drugs, alcohol, assault, domestic violence, arson or other negative life experiences.

The film clearly shows how injured the students were and reveals the overwhelming struggle to overcome personal hardships. Adverse circumstances impact young people developmentally, relationally, and behaviorally. Consequently, childhood trauma can have a devastating impact on a young person’s ability to learn and succeed in school.

Many paper tigers are elusive. In fact, invisible paper tigers attend every school in the Mat-Su School District.

Fascinatingly, there are countless students in our public schools who walk the halls every day with similar biographies. Perhaps our district’s most impressive students are those who are triumphant in their outward performance yet wounded in their inner selves. They fight their own battles but we might never know it.

Many wounds are undetectable — masked resilience makes it impossible to know about a past hardship or current struggle. An adverse circumstance might be revealed in a narrative essay or poem. A caring adult might sense a personal struggle and ask a question. On occasion, we might even see tears triggered by an unforeseen hardship.

Educators are on the front lines in dealing with traumatic youth. We have a responsibility to be sensitive and empathetic to childhood trauma. Schools seek to cultivate a culture of learning while at the same time nurturing an ethic of care. The teeter-totter for a classroom teacher is finding the fulcrum with standards at one end and relational capacity at the other.

Paper tigers need relational capacity for the best chance at success. Classrooms must be safe spaces that foster an environment of respect and acceptance. Strong teachers greet students at the door with a smile, establish structure within the classroom, and the lessons are relevant.

It is an indescribable feeling when an at-risk student embraces education. It is empowering for young people to realize what is in their control and take charge. A quality education provides the opportunity to embark on a path to a brighter future.

There is a vast discrepancy between merely surviving and truly thriving. Education, relational capacity, and perseverance help heal the wounds of childhood trauma. Over time those open wounds become faint scars that serve as reminders for adversity that has been conquered.

Blake Livingston teaches English at Mat-Su Career and Technical High School.