RESTORE Belize Initiative Improves Student/Teacher Relationship

Georgia Griffith

Vice Principal Georgia Griffith, of Maud Williams High School, says that with the introduction of the pilot project there has been vast improvement in the relationship between students and teachers.

Georgia Griffith, Vice Principal, Maud Williams High School

“One of the things I feel that the benefits have come more to the teachers and will be translated over to the students as the year progresses, but teachers are now becoming more sensitive and aware of what a traumatic student looks like and that lends to them being more sympathetic and patient when working with students.  One of the things that Mr. Vega who works with us mentioned is that trauma trumps learning and so if we cannot recognize that then students won’t be as successful as they could be and it is really hard to tell at this point the impact that it has had on our students but what I do see and recognize is that the relationships between students and teachers seem to have improved a lot, not to say that it wasn’t there from the beginning but you can see that improvement there.  And the classroom environment itself, I think, helps.  You recognize that it doesn’t seem as overwhelming for both students and teachers.”