From Perspective to Practice: Investigating Elementary Educators' Insights into Secondary Traumatic Stress in the Classroom

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand the central phenomenon of elementary educators recognizing their lived experiences of secondary traumatic stress and investigate their self-care techniques. The theories guiding this study were secondary traumatic stress theory and the constructivist self-development theory. Research questions investigated in this study included how elementary educators make meaning of secondary traumatic stress (STS) caused by interactions involving students with traumatic lived experiences. How do educators experiencing secondary traumatic stress perceive the training available to them to mitigate the effects of STS? How do educators experience and interpret their use of self-care in managing encounters with students who have experienced trauma? The literature review examined vicarious trauma and compassion fatigue along with teacher burnout and the school system's role as a mental health facilitator. A phenomenological research design was utilized for this investigation. The goal of this type of approach was to identify the core of each participant's experiences and perceptions of an event and to provide meaning by identifying patterns and discrepancies between the examples (Glesne, 2016). This study found nine themes from the data analysis that described classroom teachers’ lived experiences of secondary trauma, their perceptions of professional development, and self-care techniques they employed to lessen the effects. The purpose of this study was to raise awareness about the impact of secondary trauma on classroom teachers and to share their experiences. Secondary trauma has the potential for negative consequences for both teachers and their students and is a topic that warrants further research.