Scissors

[Belle]

Last week I was advised by colleague from Ed Psych dept that round topped scissors in my classroom should be in a locked cupboard at all times.

Apparently it is the fact that a child in my class might use them as a threat to harm (weapon) rather than about the amount of harm they can actually do.

But then it got me thinking; a sharp pencil, paper clips, wire, weights in the cubboard, anything really could be used as a weapon. Am I in a prison?

It has freaked me out. I tried to argue with the colleague saying that we wanted to encourage independence (pupils with SEN) by having equipment which we thought was of lesser risk available for them to collect and put away.

A few members of staff are whispering....they think it is because of me and my PTSD I think...I have gone out of my way to say it isn't my recommendation.

But now I feel hyped up and anxious feeling no-one is safe, not wanting to go back in the room with the child (who previously threatened me in a corner with a knife)....

The colleague is going to get more advice from his line manager from ed psych dept but I am left in limbo as this could take days.

Do I lock away everything and risk the whispering or do I leave the scissors and forks in an uplocked area and cope with my increased anxiety and hypervigillance??

 

[Hashi]

That's a really difficult situation to be in. I wish your ed psych colleague had given this more thought and consulted on the matter before saying anything to you at all.

If you consider each option separately and focus on how each one is likely to make you feel, rather than what you think, perhaps that could give you an answer for what to do over the next few days. I'd suggest trying the following if you think it might help.

Firstly, establish a feeling of safety for yourself and remind yourself that you are about to do an exercise and can easily bring yourself back into the present at any time if you need to by, for example, naming things in the room around you.

Then imagine you lock everything away, and do a walk through in your mind of what that would mean. Imagine the reactions of your students and what your colleagues might say to you or to each other. Imagine going through the day with that arrangement... how does it feel?

Then imagine going back to the same starting point and this time you leave things in an unlocked area. How much anxiety do you imagine you might experience? Imagine how you would cope with it, going through the day. Would your anxiety and hypervigilance be noticeable to others and if so how do you think they'd react? How does this situation make you feel?

Usually if you do this, one situation will feel better than the other one regardless of what you think you should or shouldn't do. If the decision is yours to make, I'd suggest going with the one that feels better.

 

[Belle]

Thank you Hashi, it is really difficult but I think 'locked away' until I get further advice, hopefully not too long!