Lynn Ryan

Wednesday, March 4th 3pm

More than half of American school children have experienced some form of trauma. Teachers often find themselves in the role of counselors, supporting not only students' academic growth, but also students' emotional healing. The stress teachers incur working with students who have experienced trauma has been identified as secondary trauma stress (STS). Secondary trauma occurs when a person encounters another individual experiencing trauma and deeply feels the impact of that person's distress. Secondary trauma causes secondary traumatic stress responses such as flashbacks, situation avoidance, negative changes in beliefs and feelings, anxiety, depression, hyper arousal, compassion fatigue, burnout, and vicarious trauma.

Symptoms of secondary trauma mirror symptoms of burnout making the identification of the underlying causes problematic. The purpose of this study was to identify the ways in which STS impacts the emotional well-being of teachers, both professionally and personally. A mixed-methods research study conducted in 2024 examined teachers' experiences with STS in school environments by assessing STS in secondary choral teachers in the Pacific Northwest. The study used the Teachers Secondary Traumatic Stress Scale and semi-structured interviews with choral directors. Findings from the study indicated that secondary choral teachers experience moderate levels of STS, negatively impacting their personal and professional lives contributing to high levels of emotional exhaustion.

This session will inform choral teachers about secondary trauma stress, and the ways STS impacts their emotional well-being. In addition, the session will explore ways to minimize the negative effects of STS, so that choral teachers can thrive in their profession.