Things to do

As the teacher is often the only adult in the classroom, their role is vital during crises. The teacher should remember though that their job is not to “heal” the students and somehow make them forget what has happened, but to focus on providing comfort and support (Beutler et al.

2007). The first step is to be present as an empathic human being and to listen (Hammarlund 2001: 63). Hammarlund (2001: 63) also states that an important thing is to “make unreal feelings real” – what has happened might be difficult to believe and to internalize, but it still happened and we have to learn to accept and cope with the fact. Most people recover on their own and everyone’s recovery process is different, which is important to remember (Beutler et al. 2007).

One of the most important things for a teacher is to get the facts straight. It it is usually assumed that the teacher possesses the most knowledge and that the knowledge is factual, also because of their role as an adult. If no long a time has passed since the incident that is being assessed, many rumors and fake news are bound to circulate, not all of them true or accurate. Being critical of questionable information is crucial, and teachers should teach and instruct students to do the same and provide them with tools to do so, for example by giving examples of trustworthy news websites. In the times of social media, information spreads in seconds and many news sources might publish unverified information. Crisis psychologist Eija Palosaari advices in an interview by Rinta-Tassi 2017 (2017) that it might be smart to take a break from social media altogether, or at least try to limit its use. The Finnish National Agency for Education (2014a) emphasizes critical media reading skills in the National Core Curriculum for both compulsory school and upper secondary school. In cases of missing pieces of information, it is also possible for one’s imagination to start filling in the gaps, often assuming the worst

(Rautava 2017). For a teacher, being up to date on the event and accepting the fact that not all information is necessarily yet available is also something to be especially mindful of, and also to bring it to the students’ attention. The police might also withhold some information for investigative reasons. The role of social media in crisis situations is further discussed in section 1.4..

Physical contact has lately been under a lot of scrutiny in Finland. The main issue has been whether teachers should touch their students or not. Physical touch is a natural part of human communication, but the acceptable amount varies greatly between cultures and individuals. The Ethical Committee for the Teaching Profession in Finland (2015) published a statement of opinion about what kind of physical contact is appropriate in a school environment. The Committee (2015) states that what is most important is the student’s own experience of whether or not they want to be touched. The teacher has to be sensitive and also make sure that the students do not feel uncomfortable – the school might also have a certain policy for, for example, teachers hugging the students. The Committee (2015) also states that the school should not be “a sterile and formal island where physical touch would not be allowed” and that touching can also be used to create a positive and caring atmosphere, in addition to encouraging words and looks. Hammarlund (2001: 63) also agrees that touching may help some people in calming them down in difficult times and send a message of presence and caring. Silvola (2007) compares a young person’s body to an open wound, which should not be touched, especially without permission. It might be a good idea to simply refrain from hugging, unless the students themselves initiate it. Placing a hand on their shoulder can serve as a sign of empathy and support without being too intrusive or violating their personal space too much. Again, if the teacher knows their group and the students well enough, their own personal judgment can prove to be the best guideline whether to touch students or not.

For many people, it is important to be assured that they are safe and that the school is a safe environment (Rinta-Tassi 2017). The incident happened, yes, but it is over now and it will most likely not happen again anytime soon. Knowing that terrorist attacks are still relatively rare and people are constantly working on to prevent them might be beneficial for the teacher to put into words to calm the students down. Fear of death and fear in general in a crisis situation is natural and a part of our psychological defense mechanisms, but they should not be blocked from one’s mind completely, since repression of negative feelings might prove to be even more harmful in

the long run (Hammarlund 2001: 39, 65-66). Sometimes there is no explanation for horrible acts that people do to each other, which the teacher can admit openly if the students feel desperate at finding answer to why an incident has happened.

To possibly try to lift the students’ spirits up and give hope for the future, it might be helpful for the teacher to bring up the fact that every time there is a terrorist attack or a violent incident, there are always people who rush to help. For example, after the Manchester attack in the UK in May 2017 people were offering free rides around the areas to help them get home safely or offering their homes as shelter for people who were waiting for the shock and panic to pass (Malkin 2017). People rush to donate clothes, food and blood and are showing unity. Showing that despite the evil that is happening, there is always love as the opposing force might make the students feel a little bit better and hopeful.

During terrorist attacks, people often use the word “jihad” or “jihadist”, which the students might be unfamiliar with. They might also hear a lot of talk about Islam, for example if an attack has been linked with ISIS. In such a situation, it is important for the teacher to remind the students that the jihadists’ view of Islam is very twisted and extreme and very far from the true nature of Islam. However, if the teacher themselves are not Muslim or do not have a lot of knowledge about Islam in general, it might be wise not to start giving their own interpretations on religion, since it is such a sensitive matter and might be offensive if there are for example Muslim students in the school. In this case, the teacher could bring this to the students’ attention and the issue could be researched further as a class or even bring in an outside expert to discuss the matter. It is also important to remember that terrorism and terrorist acts are not related to any specific religion, but appear throughout society. Other possible terrorist groups can be right-wing extremists, anarchists or left-right-wing extremists. Often when a terrorist attack or another violent incident has been executed by a Christian, for example, their religion is not mentioned, making the reporting biased.

Keeping up the normal routines is important and sticking to the regular school rules (Rinta-Tassi 2017: Finnish National Agency for Education 2016a). Hammarlund (2001: 62-63) states that unnecessary stress should be avoided, but the people affected still should not be

“overprotected” and shielded from the world too much. So for a teacher it might be wise to

move some deadlines for bigger schoolwork, but otherwise live life as normal. The world is full of distractions which might hinder the grieving process. The teacher should let the students go through their own process and also let them talk and wonder about death and accidents openly (Finnish National Agency for Education 2014b). Some reactions might be sudden or unexpected and the students should be helped to cope with these as well. Some might wonder why they do not feel sad or want to cry, or the teacher might wonder why the students do not show as strong emotions as they anticipated, even if many people have died – this is natural, and the absence of crying does not mean absence of grief (Hammarlund 2001: 39).

For a group discussion on terrorism or other violent incident, it is sometimes necessary for the teacher to set some ground rules, especially if some students are especially anxious and on edge.

In some cases, for example, it might be necessary to emphasize that showing emotions is allowed, but no one should use that against them later by making mean comments or laugh if someone is making themselves vulnerable. Hate speech and bullying in these kinds of scenarios is further discussed in section 4.3. By creating a safe space the students can possibly feel a bit more at ease and more eager to talk. UNESCO (2016) gives examples of a set of rules on how to discuss radicalization and extremism in the classroom, which are also applicable for this scenario and complicated discussions in general. In short, the key is for everyone to be respectful and let everyone’s voice be heard. The students, as well as the teacher, should remember to keep an open mind and try not to be judgmental. The role of the teacher, while participating in the discussion, is to keep track that everyone who wants to say something gets their turn and that the conversation stays on topic.