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What are trauma-informed practices?
What are trauma-informed practices?
Trauma-informed practices are practices that can help kids build important coping skills and self-efficacy. These are valuable skills for all kids, whether they’ve experienced trauma or not.
How does trauma impact a student's learning and well-being?
How does trauma impact a student's learning and well-being?
More than half of all young people have reported exposure to violence or abuse, and by the age of 16, more than two-thirds will have experienced a potentially traumatic event. Adverse childhood experiences (ACES) can impact a child’s cognitive abilities and impede their development, which limits their academic potential.
And as the study of ACES continues, the spectrum of qualifying events has broadened. The first major study of ACES identified 10 common experiences which can be traumatic for children and young adults, culminating in adverse health outcomes in adulthood.
With continued research, that core list of identified adverse experiences has grown to include experiences such as bullying, the death of a loved one, deportation or migration, medical trauma, witnessing community violence or any type of violence outside of the home, and discrimination due to race, gender, sexual orientation, birthplace, ability, or region/ethnicity.
These findings make clear that any discussion of trauma-informed schools must start not only with identifying adverse events that can limit a child’s ability to learn, grow, and thrive—but with the recognition that these events are not confined to one economic, social, or ethnic layer of our society.
Creating a Supportive and Trauma-Sensitive Learning Environment:
Creating a Supportive and Trauma-Sensitive Learning Environment:
Trauma-sensitive learning environments are designed to understand that every group of students will have at least one child affected by trauma. Teachers in these classrooms understand the critical role they can play in reducing the adverse effects of trauma for students by creating trusting, caring, and responsive relationships.
Following predictable daily classroom schedules, routines, and procedures as closely as possible is foundational because it provides students with a sense of psychological safety and security. Teachers help students to feel safe by creating consistent schedules and predictable classroom routines, minimizing the number of transitions throughout the day, and, whenever possible, telling students in advance about any upcoming changes in their schedule.
Establish a quiet, safe place in the classroom for students to go when they are feeling overwhelmed or dysregulated. The space should be comfortable and away from others, with furniture and sensory materials for students to utilize to regulate themselves. Suggested items include: a small rubber ball they can squeeze, stuffed animal, Play-Doh, paper for scribbling, color markers/pencils, puzzles, etc.
Replace the Mindset of “What’s wrong with you?” to “What happened to you?”
Replace the Mindset of “What’s wrong with you?” to “What happened to you?”
When you’re trying to understand a student and their behavior, consider that many complex life experiences could significantly impact how the student functions within the classroom. Coming from a place of curiosity can help you be open to various possibilities for understanding a student. It can also help you approach the student from a place of reflection marked by acceptance and empathy instead of negative judgment. Be sure to follow your consideration of “what happened” with the question, “How might I be able to help?”
TRAUMA SENSITIVE SCHOOLS TRAINING VIDEO SERIES
TRAUMA SENSITIVE SCHOOLS TRAINING VIDEO SERIES
These short videos from The Wisconsin Department of Public Education provide an excellent overview of what trauma is, what it may look like in the classroom, and best practices for removing barriers to learning for students dealing with trauma.
Trauma Module 1: Introduction to Trauma-Informed Practices in Education
Trauma Module 2: A Sense of Safety
Trauma Module 3: Creating Safety
Trauma Module 5: Trauma and the Brain
The Heart of Learning: Compassion, Resiliency, and Academic Success
The Heart of Learning: Compassion, Resiliency, and Academic Success
This manual offers an in-depth look at the interconnectedness of issues critical to student academic success in today’s schools. These include a deeper understanding of learning and teaching, as well as the concepts of compassion, compassionate schools, resiliency, and school-community partnerships. Additionally, each Power Point gives a chapter summary that can be used to deepen understanding and facilitate group dialogue, Click on the images below to access content.
Chapter Summaries:
Compassion Fatigue and the Importance of Self-Care
Compassion Fatigue and the Importance of Self-Care
Compassion Fatigue, also know as Vicarious Trauma, occurs when a helping professional develops trauma symptoms as a result of continuously working with traumatized people. To avoid or address the impact of Compassion Fatigue it is essential that educators attend to the ABCs of self-care: Awareness, Balance, and Connection (Pearlman and Saakvinte, 1995). This section is dedicated to information regarding Compassion Fatigue and resources for addressing personal and professional self-care.
Secondary Traumatic Stress- A Fact Sheet for Child-Serving Professionals
Dr. Bruce Perry's Free Online Course on Compassion Fatigue- The Cost of Caring
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