Learning Havens for Stressed Adult Learners

On April 16, 2007, school principals and college administrators went into an alert mode as news of the events at Virginia Tech were broadcast. My thoughts went immediately to the students enrolled in the Educational Leadership and Policy Studies Program at Virginia Tech. Like my students, they are school principals and college administrators by day and adult students by night. "Caretakers of precious cargo" aptly describes their work responsibilities. From early morning to the end of the school day, and from the arrival of students on campus until they leave for fall, winter, spring, and summer breaks, principals and academic administrators are responsible for providing havens wherein students from kindergarten to graduate school can learn. Maintaining learning havens for precious cargo zaps stamina and drains energy as my students go throughout their work days and nights confronting and resolving situations that have the potential to bring disorder and danger into a school building or onto a campus. Some events are expected, like calming an irate parent or reprimanding rowdy students on a campus bus. The 21 homicides and 7 suicides of youth between the ages of 5 and 18 at schools from July 1, 2004, to June 20, 2005, reported by the U.S. Department of Education, are never expected. Also unexpected were the 38 asthma-related deaths of children at school from 1990 to 2003 detailed in a report by Greiling, Boss, and Wheeler in 2005. Equally disturbing and unexpected were the statistics from the U.S. Department of Education that detailed the 3,009 aggravated assaults, 15 murders, and 2,060 robberies that occurred on college campuses during 2004. After being first-responders to minor and major stress-evoking events during a 10-hour and even longer workday, my students are expected to transition quickly into engaged learners in my classroom. The transformation is not easy, because they have not had the opportunity to detach themselves emotionally from the events of their day. I help them make the transition by creating adult learning havens within my classroom. I begin by highlighting my awareness of their work responsibilities and making the pronouncement that students will not be penalized for arriving late to class or for having to leave class early because of a work-related emergency. I am mindful that lack of nutrition can negatively affect student learning whether or not the students are in third grade or graduate school. I use a 15-minute class break as an opportunity for students who have not eaten during the day to get food from vending machines or the nearest cafeteria. Class energy levels rise as the intake of sandwiches, snacks, and coffee rejuvenate students who have been energy expenders their entire workday. Detaching from the memories of stressful work events is difficult for teachers, firefighters, principals, and academic administrators. Teachers and firefighters can avail themselves of crisis intervention strategies to subdue uncomfortable memories. The option of participating in crisis intervention is not available to a principal, a residence hall director, or a dean enrolled in a class that meets at night on the same day that the traumatic event occurred. I take two approaches in helping my students detach from the stressors of their workdays. First, I use a variety of instructional techniques to keep my adult learners alert and focused on class activities. I wake up tired minds by mixing small group activities, energetic guest presenters, and lectures that last no more than 15 minutes per topic. Second, with the crisis intervention strategies suggested by Russell, Altmaier, and Velzen in mind, I use social supports to help my students detach from the stressors of their workdays. …