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“I Had To Teach Hard”: Traumatic Conditions and Teachers in Post-Katrina Classrooms

“I Had To Teach Hard”: Traumatic Conditions and Teachers in Post-Katrina Classrooms Introduction "The general impact of a natural disaster makes it one of the most challenging crises to be addressed by a teacher" (Damiani, 2006, p 35). Before Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans on August 29, 2005, one hundred and twenty one schools in the New Orleans Public Schools (NOPS) system were in the process of being transferred to the newly created, state run Recovery School District (RSD). On September 29, 2005, the New Orleans Parish School Board fired all 7500 employees, including every teacher. If the change in school leadership and the historical neglect that precipitated the changes were not enough, the disaster brought another layer of crises that would confront teachers as they tried to resume educating the returning students to the public schools. This research study examines the instructional practices of teachers following the disaster and explores the role written literacies played in their instructional adaptations. In this two-year study, the evidence revealed that a disaster event required teachers to make specific changes in disciplinary content and instructional practice. All the teachers acknowledged that teaching after Katrina's devastation brought unexpected challenges to the classroom. As one teacher stated, "I had to teach hard. I worked harder http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png The High School Journal University of North Carolina Press

“I Had To Teach Hard”: Traumatic Conditions and Teachers in Post-Katrina Classrooms

The High School Journal , Volume 94 (1) – Dec 30, 2010

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Publisher
University of North Carolina Press
Copyright
Copyright © University of North Carolina Press
ISSN
1534-5157
Publisher site
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Abstract

Introduction "The general impact of a natural disaster makes it one of the most challenging crises to be addressed by a teacher" (Damiani, 2006, p 35). Before Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans on August 29, 2005, one hundred and twenty one schools in the New Orleans Public Schools (NOPS) system were in the process of being transferred to the newly created, state run Recovery School District (RSD). On September 29, 2005, the New Orleans Parish School Board fired all 7500 employees, including every teacher. If the change in school leadership and the historical neglect that precipitated the changes were not enough, the disaster brought another layer of crises that would confront teachers as they tried to resume educating the returning students to the public schools. This research study examines the instructional practices of teachers following the disaster and explores the role written literacies played in their instructional adaptations. In this two-year study, the evidence revealed that a disaster event required teachers to make specific changes in disciplinary content and instructional practice. All the teachers acknowledged that teaching after Katrina's devastation brought unexpected challenges to the classroom. As one teacher stated, "I had to teach hard. I worked harder

Journal

The High School JournalUniversity of North Carolina Press

Published: Dec 30, 2010

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