Children in Texas and Florida have been through an experience that needs to be used as a tool for both emotional and educational development – for healing and learning.

Most important will be offering your children many opportunities to express – at their own discretion, by their own times, and in their own ways – what happened to them.

If you had planned a unit on something other than the storms upon your return to school, I strongly suggest you postpone that theme and take a week to talk about, deal with, and learn from the hurricanes.

Greeting each child (and each of your coworkers) with a warm hug will be a good beginning. A Circle Time gathering in which each child has a chance to talk about his family’s experience is a way to start your classroom day. Sharing your personal experiences helps children share theirs. Do some relaxation exercises and reassure the children that even though their school yard or building may look different (or you may even be in a different location altogether) they are safe and you are all together for school again.

Having a relaxing few days of truly open-ended play without jumping into “lessons” will be good for younger children, but a developmentally appropriate return to the normal schedule is the right way to go.

Having children see the damage and take part in safe, age appropriate clean up of the playground and campus and maybe even the neighborhood will give them a sense of ownership, self-confidence, and community. Older children may  even be involved in helping with neighborhood projects like bringing in water or hygiene kits for people in need, and a nod of thanks and recognition to first responders will help the children feel safer.

As for using the storms as learning tools – go for it. The more we understand something, the less fear we have of it and more empowerment we have over it. When you and the children are ready, make Harvey and Irma into lessons on weather, building, shelter, needs, safety, nutrition, first responders, and the understandable aspects of this experience. Post hurricane words on your Word Walls, let the children express themselves in art, music, dance, and role play about their storm experiences. Expand your classroom’s Safe Space as more may need it more at this time.

Observe your children carefully and communicate to parents about children who may be more sensitive to their storm experience. Expect some inappropriate behaviors but keep your rules and your routines as they were before the storm.

Have appropriate books about weather and books about fear readily available to them. There are hundreds of books listed on Google and at Amazon.com.

Here is a sample experience plan I might use:

Hurricane Experience Plan