TPN3703
Assignment 1
EXCEPTIONAL ANSWERS
Due 10 July 2025
, TPN3703: Exceptional Response
Assignment 1
Due 10 July 2025
Essay A: Teaching Under Traumatic Conditions
Introduction
South Africa’s high crime rates—encompassing murder, rape, robbery, hijacking, and
fraud—have profoundly affected society, with estimates indicating that seven out of ten
individuals have been directly or indirectly impacted (Statistics South Africa, 2023).
Schools, traditionally regarded as safe spaces, are now often sites of trauma, with
learners and teachers alike carrying emotional burdens resulting from pervasive
violence and insecurity. Teaching under such traumatic conditions presents unique
challenges, requiring educators to manage their own emotional wellbeing while creating
supportive environments for students affected by trauma. This essay explores the
impact of trauma on learning, strategies for effective teaching in such contexts, and the
role of teachers in fostering resilience.
The Impact of Trauma on Learning
Trauma—whether experienced directly through witnessing violence or indirectly through
living in fear—adversely affects cognitive and emotional development, especially in
young learners in the Foundation Phase (Grades R-3). Trauma activates the brain’s
stress response system, flooding it with cortisol, which impairs critical functions like
memory, attention, and emotional regulation (Van der Kolk, 2014). In South African
classrooms, this might manifest as difficulty concentrating, emotional outbursts, or
withdrawal—hindering academic progress and social development.
Assignment 1
EXCEPTIONAL ANSWERS
Due 10 July 2025
, TPN3703: Exceptional Response
Assignment 1
Due 10 July 2025
Essay A: Teaching Under Traumatic Conditions
Introduction
South Africa’s high crime rates—encompassing murder, rape, robbery, hijacking, and
fraud—have profoundly affected society, with estimates indicating that seven out of ten
individuals have been directly or indirectly impacted (Statistics South Africa, 2023).
Schools, traditionally regarded as safe spaces, are now often sites of trauma, with
learners and teachers alike carrying emotional burdens resulting from pervasive
violence and insecurity. Teaching under such traumatic conditions presents unique
challenges, requiring educators to manage their own emotional wellbeing while creating
supportive environments for students affected by trauma. This essay explores the
impact of trauma on learning, strategies for effective teaching in such contexts, and the
role of teachers in fostering resilience.
The Impact of Trauma on Learning
Trauma—whether experienced directly through witnessing violence or indirectly through
living in fear—adversely affects cognitive and emotional development, especially in
young learners in the Foundation Phase (Grades R-3). Trauma activates the brain’s
stress response system, flooding it with cortisol, which impairs critical functions like
memory, attention, and emotional regulation (Van der Kolk, 2014). In South African
classrooms, this might manifest as difficulty concentrating, emotional outbursts, or
withdrawal—hindering academic progress and social development.
