Abstract
With the intent to further expound upon the recent research pertaining to how faith and spirituality cultivates endurance and perseverance through adversities and afflictions, the purpose of this study is to examine how faith and spirituality influences and impacts an educator’s disposition, practice, and philosophy of education during a time of crisis, definitively regarding crises among the students they teach. The overarching question of this qualitative, phenomenological research asks, can the faith or spirituality of a teacher impact students seeking to overcome adverse childhood experience. From there, a former general education classroom teacher, a licensed counselor, and an assistant athletic director of facilities and recreation all employed by a small, private college located within the Greater Boston metropolitan region of New England became participants of this study. Through a series of interviews, the participants’ demographics, personal faith and spirituality, interactions with students, and their knowledge, as well as engagement, with adverse childhood experiences, were surveyed in order to understand what each of their perspectives was relative to their core values of faith when supporting children of abuse. With the contributions from these three participants, it was found that faith elicits a greater appreciation for humanity, informs that the identities of the youth amount to much more than what they do, and leads to a suffering with. Such conclusions not only uncovered how faith and spirituality can incite and prompt a desire to meet students where they are at, but it expounded upon how great of an impression it can leave on the individuals themselves in addition to those surrounding them.
"I can do all things through him who strengthens me."
Philippians 4:13
"Everyone has inside of him a piece of good news. The good news is that you don't know how great you can be! How much you can love! What you can accomplish! And what your potential is!"
Anne Frank
"In looking to Jesus and faith, learning to be honest and learning of the need for speaking truth and the need for freedom is profound; there is a need to ensure that students feel that freedom and claim their story and talk about it so that it does not own them."
Participant A
Former General Education Classroom Teacher
and Current Assistant Professor of Education
"Seeing people in the image of God comes with seeing people through a place of compassion, God’s longing for us to be whole, for people to be walking in freedom and in healing."
Participant B
Licensed Counselor
"Whether someone is an atheist, or does not believe in Jesus, whatever one believes in faith-wise, ultimately everyone believes in something."
Participant C
Assistant Athletic Director of Facilities and Recreation
Acknowledgments and Dedications
First and foremost, I would like to acknowledge:
Professor Reynolds, who has not only come alongside me on the journey to becoming an educator but has shown me what it means to live in faith.
Professor McLaughlin, who has offered the utmost support for this study and has inspired me to consider my values as something meaningful within the world of education.
This thesis is dedicated to:
Tammy Fay, a long-time educator who has walked through the fire herself, yet has a heart that goes out to those students who too are trying to stay afloat amidst life’s greatest storms.
God, who deserves every ounce of reverence and recognition for what He has done for me and through me.
Resources
If you or someone you know is dealing with violence or is facing adverse childhood experience,
visit cdc.gov
If you or someone you know is experiencing abuse, trauma, or other mental health concerns,
visit halfofus.com
If you or someone you know is struggling with the aftermaths of sexual abuse, sexual harassment, or sexual assault,