Bibliotherapy
For this unit, I am taking a bibliotherapeutic approach. Bibliotherapy is the use of literature (all levels), poetry, and non-fiction books not only to help encourage students to freely express their problems and feelings, but also to help students analyze their thoughts and behaviors as they pertain to themselves and others. In addition, bibliotherapy helps reduce anxiety, provide insight into coping mechanisms, reassure the students that trauma in general is not isolated to only him/her, stimulate discussion, create awareness, and provide possible solutions. 5 6 Using the books as a vehicle for discussion allows the child the space and distance to examine safely their own situation through the actions of the characters in the literary work. 5 7 The books help establish a trust conduit between the student and the teacher. 5 8
There are a few drawbacks to a bibliotherapeutic approach. First, for certain trauma issues, appropriate literature may not be available. Secondly, some students may not be ready or willing to let down their emotional walls. Third, the trauma may be of such a nature the student is defensive or in denial of the event(s); therefore, the student reacts defiantly.
In this situation, all of the students will be reading the same materials. Any open, class-wide discussion will be of a generic nature, allowing the student the right-to-pass during the group discussions. In addition, the student will be completing a personal journal that I can read if they give permission, or not if the student wants to maintain confidentiality. This past school year, I began utilizing this journal method. Once the students were able to believe I would not read their journal if they did not want me to, they then began trusting me to read them. This was and will be a crucial part of establishing that trust relationship.
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