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Trauma-Informed
Trauma-Informed
Trauma, both physical and emotional, can alter a young person’s brain functions, which impacts learning and behavior. Trauma-informed education includes examining the influence and impact on students in our schools of factors such as racism (explicit, implicit, and systematic; and microaggressions) as well as poverty, peer victimization, community and familial violence, and bullying.
Adverse Childhood Experiences
How Does Trauma Impact Physiology?
Fight, Flight, or Freeze Response
Mentally
Mentally
I am not safe
I cannot trust others
I cannot trust myself
I cannot depend upon others
I am not worthy of care
I deserve the bad things that happen to me
It’s my fault
Physically
Physically
Pupils dilate
Mouth goes dry
Muscles tense
Heart pumps faster
Breathing rate increases
Chest pains
Palpitations
Perspiration
Hyperventilation
Hidden Effects
Hidden Effects
Brain prepares body for action
Adrenaline released
Blood pressure rises
Liver releases glucose to provide energy for muscles
Digestion slows or ceases
Cortisol released (depresses immune system)
How Does Trauma Manifest in the Classroom?
BEHAVIOR
BEHAVIOR
LEARNING
LEARNING
HYPERSENSITIVE
HYPERSENSITIVE
Easily upset
Difficulty regulating mood
Defensive
Small challenges cause unraveling
Overly clingy or withdrawn
HYPERRESPONSIVE
Temper
Crying
Easily irritated
Willfully disobedient
Manipulative
HYPERVIGILANT
Anxiety
Muscle tension
Scanning
On edge, perceiving danger when there is none
Withdrawal
Trauma Affects Learning
Trauma Affects Learning
Trauma impacts primarily the frontal lobe, temporal lobe, and brain stem.
Cognitive delay
Difficulty with judgment
Language development
Memory loss
Trigger responses
Poor concentration
Attention
Disorganization
Trauma Indicators in Children
Trauma Indicators in Children
Increased somatic complaints (e.g., headaches, stomachaches, overreaction to minor bumps and bruises)
Difficulty with authority, redirection, or criticism
Re-experiencing the trauma (e.g., disturbing memories during the day)
Hyperarousal (e.g., tendency to be easily startled)
Avoidance behaviors and reactions (e.g., resisting going to places that remind them of the event)
Over- or under-reacting to bells, physical contact, doors slamming, sirens, lighting, sudden movements
Worry, anxiety, fear, shame, guilt, numb feeling
Trauma-Informed Supports
Trauma-Informed Supports
Preventative, In the moment, and Beyond
Preventative Strategies
Safe and Predictable Environment
Create a welcoming classroom environment. Greet students daily by name. Allow students to share.
Post class behavioral expectations at the front of the class. Utilize a behavior matrix
Prompt, re-teach, and proactively teach expectations.
Praise students for following behavioral expectations using the 3-step praise statement
Display a daily schedule that is referred to often. Share any deviations from the proposed schedule.
Prepare students for transitions by using a signal.
Relationship Building
Talk to students about their hobbies and interests
Try the 2x10 strategy with challenging students (talk with the student for at least 2 minutes each day for 10 days in a row)
Use the 5 to 1 strategy: for every one correction, praise 5 positive examples.
Use community circles
Provide emotional check-ins for students and validate their emotions.
Use a respectful, calm tone during interactions
Allow for student voice and choice in setting up the learning environment
Self-Regulation
Incorporate activities that build coping strategies (identifying and validating emotions, breathing exercises, yoga)
Create a calming area or safe space
Allow for break times with constructive activities
Model and practice appropriate social skills
Teach students how to name and scale their emotions
Teach and encourage students to practice various self-regulation skills like mindfulness, breathing and physical exercises, journaling, music, art, and yoga
Utilize the PUSD Calming Room
Breathing Exercises: Preventative and In the Moment Activities
The goal of breathing exercises is to move the child from “flight, fight or freeze” mode back to “rest and digest” mode. Deep breathing helps get more oxygen into the bloodstream, opening up the capillaries. It has a physical effect on the body to help lower stress and return to a state of calmness.
MINDFULNESS
PREVENTATIVE FOR USE IN THE MOMENT
In the Moment Strategies
Safe and Predictable Environment
Be aware of the student's body language, tone of voice, and emotional state
Provide the student with the opportunity to go to the calming area or safe space
Direct students to follow safety plan if necessary
Alert appropriate support staff
Relationship Building
Project calmness while approaching student using verbal and nonverbal techniques (e.g. use a respectful tone, sit beside the student, speak calmly)
Listen intently and give your full attention
Express that you care for the student and that they are safe.
Empathize
Self-Regulation
Relax before responding (deep breath, count to 10)
Breath together
Encourage the student to use relaxation and coping skills and comfort objects
Validate the student's emotions (e.g. "You seem frustrated right now. Is that correct?"
Assist the student in identifying reasonable and safe response options.
Calming Room/ Safe Spaces
Calming Room/ Safe Spaces
Safe spaces are places where children can go to calm down, be alone, and recharge so they are ready to learn. It allows them to return to a relaxed state that is optimal for learning. Experts know that when children don't feel safe or are in a state of emotional upset, they can't learn.
Social-Emotional learning (SEL)
Social-Emotional learning (SEL)
Social-Emotional Learning (SEL)
Social-Emotional Learning (SEL)
SEL is the process through which all young people and adults acquire and apply the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to develop healthy identities, manage emotions and achieve personal and collective goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain supportive relationships, and make responsible and caring decisions.
Why Teach SEL?
Why Teach SEL?
Many students today have experienced trauma or are under a great deal of stress. Teaching SEL skills helps our students to be able to recognize, understand, label, express and regulate their emotions, or be the RULER of their emotions.
Restorative Practices
Restorative Practices
Restorative Practices
Restorative practices improve relationships among students and teachers, reduce disciplinary problems and build community. They also...
Promote self-regulation.
Teach social skills.
Develop work and career-ready attitudes.
Minimize disruption, distraction, interpersonal friction and bullying.
Hold wrong-doers accountable for the effects of their actions on others.
Why Choose Restorative Practices?
What are Restorative Practices and Restorative Justice?
Restorative Justice Handout.pdfINTRODUCTION TO RESTORATIVE PRACTICES
INTRODUCTION TO RESTORATIVE PRACTICES
RESTORATIVE QUESTIONS
RESTORATIVE QUESTIONS
CIRCLE GUILDELINES
Respect the talking piece: everyone listens and has a turn
Speak from the heart
Listen from the heart
Trust that you will know what to say: no need to rehearse
Say just enough: without feeling rushed, be concise and considerate of the time of others
You may choose to pass
Respect confidentiality
Individual Restorative Conflict Resolution
The Conflict Cycle
The Conflict Cycle
When students are stressed about something at home, in their community, or at school, feelings and anxieties are activated that drive behavior. The behaviors may be an attempt to decrease the stress or may be driven by feelings/anxieties. The way other people in the student’s life respond to the student’s behaviors can either break or fuel the cycle.
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