In her fourth-year field placement, University of Guelph-Humber alumna Rachel Dykes faced a challenge that wound up being a formative learning experience.
At the time a student in the Early Childhood Studies program, Dykes completed a placement helping a kindergarten class at Elmbank Junior Middle Academy. As she was getting settled a few weeks into her placement, a new child joined the class and “he immediately caught (her) attention.”
The child had just moved from Afghanistan and was living in a shelter with his mother and four older brothers and sisters. His mother had escaped an abusive relationship with her children’s father and moved to Canada in search of a better life.
As he tried to adjust to class, however, the young boy’s behaviour became a problem.
“Every day was a struggle,” Dykes recalled. “This child craved attention and affection and would do anything to get it. He would run up to other children and hug them so tight he would hurt them. It got to the point where the other children would avoid him and reject his hugs, which led to more aggressive behaviour.”
The boy’s behavioural issues spanned hitting, biting, choking, screaming and spitting.
There were no easy answers to resolve the behaviour. Dykes was permitted to sit in on sessions with school administrators, the boy’s parents and a social worker. There she learned about the traumas the boy had endured in his young life. She found out that he had attended a “camp” in Afghanistan during which he was taught torture routines by his father and uncle. He was threatened with beatings by his dad and taught that if someone does something wrong, the answer is to hurt them.
Further, it was revealed the child was suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
“Although I was quite familiar with PTSD in adults, I had never met a child with PTSD,” Dykes recalled.
Immediately, she threw herself into research on the condition. Unfortunately, however, a few weeks later the boy’s family moved and she didn’t hear from them again.
Still, the experience didn’t deter Dykes from wanting to continue to work with children who need some extra help and compassion. In fact, she’s now studying in an Autism and Behavioural Sciences post-graduate program.
“I have always been passionate about working with children with special needs and in the end, I definitely made the right decision,” she said.
And while she worried before she started her field placement whether the school would be the right fit for her, she wound up not wanting to leave.
“This field practicum allowed me to grow personally and professionally,” Dykes said. “I felt I grew professionally because I showed strong interest and involvement within the class. I enjoyed exploring the role and responsibilities of a student teaching in a kindergarten classroom.
“After graduation, I continued to volunteer at the school. I also attended their kindergarten graduation. It was by far the best school placement I have ever had.”
Learn more about Early Childhood Studies at the University of Guelph-Humber.
Learn more about Placement Services at the University of Guelph-Humber.