World Teachers’ Day

Today is World Teachers’ Day! With the new school year fully in swing, our Editor Lauren highlights the invaluable information and support we provide to teachers and schools to support young people affected by cancer.

We understand that cancer is a big subject and can be difficult to talk about, especially with children. But we want to make sure cancer isn’t the elephant in the (class)room. We have information, advice and resources depending on the situation.

Tips for teachers
If a pupil at your school has cancer, you might want to think about the following:

• If possible, it’s helpful for the pupil with cancer to have a member of staff they can talk to, confide in and get support from whenever they need it.
• Prepare for questions from the pupil’s peers and consider possible answers.
• Make sure the pupil knows what their classmates have been told.
• Give classmates the facts about cancer to help them understand the situation and prepare them for any physical changes the child may have had.
• Make sure you tell the pupil’s parents, guardians, or school doctor or nurse about any concerns you may have.
• Encourage and help the pupil to keep up with school work as much as possible.
• Try to be flexible and do what suits the child. This will make coming back to school easier.
• Some teenagers being treated for cancer have said they feel teachers don’t want to push them as hard as other pupils. This can make them feel patronised or singled out, so check in with them regularly to make sure you have the balance right.
• Be aware of any physical limitations your pupil might have. Their medical team should advise you about this before they return to school.
• Make allowances for the pupil’s situation and tell other members of staff about them. For example, if the child has lost their hair due to treatment such as chemotherapy, they may want to wear a hat or bandana.

If a pupil has a relative with cancer, you should think about the following:

• Be aware that their behavior might change, for example they may become disruptive or withdrawn.
• The pupil should know what information has been given to their classmates so they can think about any questions they might be asked.

We have information and advice about talking to children when an adult has cancer. This covers questions children might ask and their possible reactions. Our free booklet Preparing a child for loss may also have some useful advice at this time. We also have information for young carers of people with cancer, which your pupil might find useful.

If a pupil or member of staff dies, here are some ways you can support children through the grieving process:

• Tell pupils as soon as possible and give them all the facts.
• Try to help your pupils understand that it's normal to feel a variety of often conflicting emotions when someone dies.
• Try to maintain boundaries of acceptable and non-acceptable behaviour, but offer children the chance to talk about their feelings.
• Try not to worry if children see you upset. This will show them that it’s normal to have strong emotions at this time, and it may encourage them to talk about their feelings.
• Turn to your colleagues for help. They can support you when you are coping with a loss at school.

Teaching toolkit
Our free Talking about cancer toolkit aims to encourage young people to talk about cancer and inspire them to make healthy choices for their future. The toolkit can help you when teaching children about this. It’s aimed at children aged 9 to 16 years old as part of their lessons in citizenship, science or PSHE.

The toolkit includes:

• curriculum-linked lesson plans for Key Stage 2–4/P3–S4 (you can download a sample lesson plan and a sample pupil activity sheet)
• activity sheets for pupils
• supporting DVD clips
• advice and guidance on teaching young people about cancer
• useful contacts and publications
• an introduction to Macmillan
• information and ideas on fundraising for Macmillan.

You can order a toolkit for free here. To ask about the availability of these materials in Welsh, please contact schools@macmillan.org.uk

To see what else Macmillan's cancer information team has been blogging about, please visit our blog home page! You can subscribe to receive our blogs by email or RSS too.

We're with you every step of the way

The Macmillan team is here to help. Our cancer support specialists can answer your questions, offer support, or simply listen if you need a chat. Call us free on 0808 808 00 00.

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Keep in touch Follow Macmillan’s cancer information team on Twitter @mac_cancerinfo