The following drop down menus explain how school systems can take a trauma-informed approach to their practices during COVID-19 . This information is informed by the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) and its "Creating, Supporting, and Sustaining Trauma-informed Schools: A Systems Framework."
Practice self-compassion: remember that it is best to take care of yourself first
Take time to check in with yourself: gain insight into any areas where you might be struggling, and then make a plan to address any that you can control and to let go of those you cannot
Use social supports: consider planning virtual coffee breaks with colleagues or friends, connect with a colleagues to discuss what is or what is not working; or talk about personal interests, what you are doing after work, etc.
Create a routine: get up at a regular time and follow a work schedule that allows for you to incorporate into your day some physical movement, as well as some breaks to connect with others
Consider yourself a model for students: when we take care of ourselves, we’re modeling how students can take care of themselves, too; which can be enhanced by classroom discussions on self-care
Prioritizing physical safety: of the entire school community as you plan meetings and reopening, and following the latest health guidelines
Checking in with staff regularly: encourage them to take breaks, take time to manage stress, and take care of themselves and their families
Identifying and distributing resources: for staff who may need additional social and medical supports, screen, assessment and or treatment for mental health issues and secondary traumatic stress--access to tele-health
Considering virtual self-care professional development: sessions that promote positive ways to cope with stress, and identify signs of secondary traumatic stress and ways to prevent/address it--offer wellness activities and promote healthcare
Validating your staff members concerns about students: communicate the plan for identifying students who need to be located, for helping families who need internet access or hotspots, and for reaching students who may need additional services; it’s important for staff to understand the expectations around their roles in reaching students as well as the limits of their responsibilities, and what other supportive methods and resources are available.
Providing opportunities for staff to connect with one another: through peer check-ins or using professional development time to reflect and process
Establish a routine and maintain clear communication: are crucial first steps; then, empathize with the difficulties resulting from routines that have already changed due to current events and explain that there will likely be future changes to routines, and that you will communicate ahead of time when it is possible to do so.
Provide information in digestible amounts: moving to remote learning can make assignments feel more overwhelming and daunting, but present directions in smaller bites when necessary and encourage students to ask clarifying questions.
Encourage students to lead the way in sharing what they do and do not understand about their current situation by asking open-ended questions, such as, “How are you feeling about not being in school?” Such questions can lead to insight without letting assumptions guide the conversation.
Approach students’ experiences with curiosity: aim to clarify misinformation and connect students with other important adults (such as family members) who help them feel safe and show appreciation for students’ efforts to complete assignments
[Remember that students may be dealing with many different home life situations while trying to maintain their academics. Students may feel embarrassed to share that their personal situation impacts their ability to complete assignments. They may also be feeling vulnerable sharing their home with their classmates online. Actively focus on inclusive attitudes during the shift to distance learning. Now, more than ever, students should feel valued and welcomed regardless of their backgrounds or identities.]
Create, and utilize, relational rituals before checking on distance learning assignments with students: students and educators can share one tough moment, one hopeful moment, or one new lesson they learned about themselves during the day; participating in these rituals can help educators build and maintain connection despite their physical distance from their students
Provide opportunities for students to complete social emotional learning practices and wellness activities: these activities can promote self-regulation when students are feeling stressed and provide a healthy sense of control over controllable aspects of an overwhelming situation, they affirm their competence, sense of self-worth, and feelings of safety
promote self-awareness by having students review a feelings chart and share how they are feeling
encourage the use of a scale, such as, “On a scale of 1 to 10, how bored are you feeling?” or “Are you feeling a little lonely, somewhat lonely, or very lonely?”
hold a Virtual Community Reflective Circle to Build Connection During COVID-19
recommend quick mindfulness or self-soothing exercises such as smelling a flower (to practice taking big, deep breaths) or
complete four-corner breathing prior to completing the lesson; four-corner breathing simply involves inhaling deeply and exhaling deeply four times--students can complete this breathing exercise by standing up and taking one inhalation and one exhalation while facing each of the four corners in a room
Model and normalize a range of emotions: by giving students opportunities to express themselves
nonverbal ways, such as drawing a picture about how their lesson or day is going or showing the most important thing that happened to them that day
complete a virtual or long-distance appreciation or gratitude circle
write one thing they appreciate about classmates-add your own, and then give each student the appreciations written about them
Encouraging teachers and staff to focus on socio emotional learning practices: in addition to setting academic expectations
Sharing community resources with teachers: so they can help support family well-being (e.g., food and housing) and encourage them to share concerns about families with administration
Developing and sharing pandemic plans: (now and future) with teachers; create a plan to share with the entire school community upon return to face-to-face learning
Allowing space for reflecting: on what teachers/staff have learned about their students from seeing their home lives during virtual learning sessions
Use existing knowledge of your students: to be aware of who may be at greater risk, and find opportunities for short, individual check-ins to see how they are doing.
Consider doing an activity that promotes sharing: such as a reflective circle, to provide an opportunity for students to share their feelings about the crisis.
Note any changes in students’ behavior: how might a student be acting differently; these may be normal reactions to the change in environment and the current circumstances, or they may warrant further assessment by a mental health professional
more tired or listless than normal, or having more difficulty concentrating?
usually relatively focused but now unable to stay with one train of thought?
normally social but now seems more withdrawn?
Consider working with school mental health and/or community partners: with expertise in trauma to explore ways to identify students who may be experiencing mental health and trauma symptoms associated with the COVID-19
Normalize the stress and communicate help with families: mention ways that mental health professionals can help children or caregivers to cope with that stress
Listing symptoms: that children and families could be experiencing and provide mental health resources; ensure that all staff have been trained to identify reactions of trauma and mental health, and know the procedures for linking a student to additional supports
Set up individual conferences: via computer or phone to check in with students and ask about their safety and worries
Share developed classroom strategies: to help a student cope with symptoms at school, consider sharing those strategies with caregivers to help the student have more success while learning at home
Talk with the school mental health professionals: to better understand how to connect students and families with them when necessary; ask for consultation about any worries you may have about any particular student.
List mental health resources: that staff, students, and families can access from their homes-- include a suicide hotline, disaster distress hotline, domestic violence hotline, school mental health staff available by phone or video, and community mental health resources--distribute widely
Consider offering a virtual professional development: in-service that includes some strategies that educators and school staff can use to identify and connect to students and families who appear to be struggling during this time-- ensure that staff understand how a family can access the available resources
Develop a partnership with a local mental health agency: one with some expertise in trauma; the agency could offer professional development related to trauma and mental health, be available to students, families, and staff who may need additional support, and help navigate difficult decisions related to issues such as child abuse reporting or suicide assessments
Establish routine virtual “hallway check-ins”: where staff can check-in with other staff related to student concerns
Promote connections: reach out, provide space, and encourage students to connect with educators or other trusted adults or counselors to talk about their safety concerns; offer students a way to connect privately if there is something that they need help with or are worried about
Encourage students to talk: to friends or family members on the phone or via video chat;
Suggest that families maintain regular routine: as much as possible, and plan family activities such as going for walks or hikes or playing board or video games together; make time to ask students about something fun they are doing right now
Greet students: by name and create a touch-free or virtual routine (similar to a handshake, a hug or a high five) to invite connection, either online or at meal pick-up
Consider peer groupings: putting students together in small groups to work on projects or activities online or by phone; solving virtual puzzles or doing online scavenger hunts are good examples
Promote hope and acknowledge the power of coping: have students contact a person in their family or community that they respect and ask that person how they stayed hopeful in troubled times, then ask the student to share what they learned; teach about other historical times of crisis, including how these ended and how communities rebounded
encourage students to get fresh air and to move when possible
share some of the many stories of hope and helping that have come out of this current crisis
share a positive affirmation or a student’s strength—it can go a long way right now
let students know that people find help in different ways, including through spiritual beliefs and practices, and encourage students to discuss things that bring them hope
engage students and families in creating rituals and celebrations for the end of the school year
Utilizing community partnerships and telecommunication: enlist the services of companies to help ensure that all students have access to the internet and to a device where they can connect to their classroom.
Communicate the importance of safety, connectedness, and hope: to the district’s educators, staff, and families, and share strategies they can employ to strengthen these areas.
consider these three areas for school staff, and allow opportunities for them to suggest ways that the school and district can help to increase their own sense of safety, connectedness, and hope during this crisis
consider hosting staff meet-ups or coffee breaks, and supporting ways for different groups of staff and educators to meet in small groups
provide opportunities for staff to share gratitude about others, their experiences at home, or any other relevant experiences that may spark hope in others
engage teachers, staff, and community members in planning for the future, including returning to school in the fall and commemorating milestones, such as graduation or changing schools.
Sharing information: with caregivers about how kids might respond to stress, including how stress might play out by age group.
Emphasizing some space: that families need to give themselves when emotions run high, and model how to regulate emotions to help children cope
Reminding families about 'calm and connected': that children become regulated through connection with a calm and regulated person; as a child’s anxiety increases, their thinking, learning brain becomes less engaged and their behavior and emotions are difficult to control and manage
Encouraging families to counter expressions of loss with hope: “I miss soccer,” etc. is replaced with “Let’s look for the helpers”; “Would you like to help your classmates collect money for the food bank?”
Reaching out to families and students: to determine what methods of communication are most helpful for them and at what time; when checking in, discuss what kinds of supports are typically offered to support their student’s academic learning as well as regulation when at school
Consider offering virtual office hours: for students and caregivers; remember that it may have been a long time since caregivers were in school
Considering creating clear daily lists: of work for students, with easy-to-follow instructions; caregivers are not familiar with the jargon and acronyms that normally used with students and colleagues, so try to keep instructions jargon-free.
Asking caregivers to partner with you: encourage them to contact you with their needs and special circumstances so that you can develop any work-around that might accommodate their work schedules or home situations. Caregivers can also be tremendous resources as we all are adjusting to this pandemic. Share your needs with them and ask for suggestions, resources for yourself or for less-resourced families, or ideas for learning activities or websites that could be shared with the class. Those who are able to contribute ideas or resources will feel valued by the exchange.
Suggest that families promote life skills: such as cooking or gardening, as alternate learning options to promote feelings of control over themselves and their environment as well as feelings of competence and self worth.
Expressing gratitude and humility: to families for inviting educators to “enter their home"
Sending and reinforcing the message: that schools and families “are in this together”--this can be reinforced by a school’s efforts to continue to feed students and families in need, make learning materials available, and increase access to technology
Make the most of this unique opportunity: to forge new bonds with families who may not have partnered with schools in the past--this is an opportunity for caregivers to see that the school cares about the well-being of their child, and for the school to appreciate the efforts of caregivers to reinforce academic goals
Being flexible and understanding: if families have difficulties meeting the requests of schools related to their child’s education.
consider holding a virtual town hall and provide other opportunities for families to provide input into what is working and what is challenging for them at this time
consider surveying families to better determine how they are doing, what their needs are, and how schools can support them as they support their child achieve their educational goals.
Seek and utilize input: from a wide range of families on important COVID-19-related decisions such as when and how to re-open a school and with what precautions, how to honor important milestones usually celebrated in school, and to help meet the needs of families in the school community--this might be done through virtual town halls or in smaller (virtual) focus-groups.
Learning what your students feel: is most stressful and most helpful during the crisis by inviting them to share how their families and communities are dealing with the crisis
Blind Spot: don’t assume student behavior during the crisis reflects how they feel about the class materials or themselves. This may miss how their behaviors are affected by stress and sources of help that are connected to their family or community.
Believing students’ stories: about family members and others in their community who did not receive hospital services or who have minimal access to technology to engage in school; communicate empathy and concern when these stories are shared
Blind Spot: avoid minimizing students’ experience by trying to convince them that they are misreading the situation--also, avoid encouraging them to focus only on the positive; instead, acknowledge inequities or biases that may exist for their families or communities
Actively seek out resilient behavior: from students and reframe cultural responses to stress in an attempt to understand how it serves a purpose for managing crises or thriving after crises.
Blind Spot: avoid assumptions that responses to stress can only happen one way--do not assume, when the student and family are not responding in the way that you feel is best, that their response is wrong.
Providing support and guidance: for staff to engage conversations about how race, gender, socio-economic status and other important identities are sources of both stress and strength for the student during the crisis: similarly, remain aware of how these social identities impact levels of stress and hopefulness among staff
Blind Spot: avoid dissuading staff from receiving consultation about topics related to social identity because of fears that this might lead to staff or administration discomfort. Actively share with staff how these experiences may impact students and their families.
Encouraging staff to ask questions: of colleagues, students, and their families how to make the virtual classroom more welcoming to students and their families during the crisis
Blind Spot: avoid creating a virtual workplace environment for staff that promotes assumptions about students and their families’ experiences without checking in to see whether the classroom environment is helping students feel safer and more trusting of the school
Actively seek to address inequities: experienced by students of color within the school and healthcare system by encouraging staff to act as advocates for students’ needs and to become particularly attuned to the most vulnerable student needs
Blind Spot: resist the desire to “treat all students the same”-- different students have different needs and when we don’t acknowledge these unique needs, we risk more significant harm to our most vulnerable students
Transformative SEL with DESE SEL/MH Academy
Culturally Responsive Leadership Team (Equity Audit, PD on structural racism, bias, and discussions on race)
Pollyanna Curriculum (pilot in Chilmark School, 2021-2022)
Strengthen community partnerships: MV NAACP, MV Diversity Coalition, A Long Talk, Wampanoag Tribe
Comprehensive School Threat Assessment Model- used at MVRHS, other community and school teams trained
Rebuilding our Community workshops for Reopening Schools (Healing Centered Engagement)- 2020-2021
Knowing what healthy grief looks like: and find ways to support your students’ feelings; give your students permission to feel their feelings and provide safe opportunities for them to share their feelings and loss experiences related to their COVID-19 experience
Creating, enhancing, fostering community: among students and between you and your students
Planning for ways to celebrate accomplishments: both while you are meeting virtually and when you come together again in the future. Communicate the school’s emergency response plan to students and families in developmentally appropriate language. Ensure that they understand the plan for reopening, how students’ physical and psychological health will be maintained, and how any future needs for closures and remote learning will be handled.
Reinforcing confidence in your staff: by reminding them that they are valued, and that they have the strength, knowledge and skills to get through this
Creating a plan for reopening schools: that incorporates necessary adjustments to accommodate both physical and psychological safety of the school community
Ensuring that the school’s response plan:
Includes educational opportunities for all students during this time, by considering accommodations for students with Individualized Education Plans and/or 504 plans--may include providing services over the summer
Considers ways to celebrate the end of one academic year before starting the next, especially if the transition to remote learning was sudden
Allows for students to spend at least a day in their former classrooms, so that they may celebrate accomplishments, honor the work they have done in this new way, and more smoothly transition to their next grade level
Addresses how to maintain alternate educational programming if returning in the fall isn’t possible or if some students have to remain at home due to compromised immune systems or other risk factors
Adjusts leave policies to allow staff to stay at home due to sick family members, and supports staff who may have been exposed at work and now have to stay at home
Provide clear, concise, accurate and timely communication: to the entire school community; this increases predictability, a sense of control and feelings of safety for others
Give staff timely updates: on reopening campuses, and alternatively, what policies are being put into place if it is necessary to continue working from home
Crisis coordination and evaluation: MVRHS, MVCS, and MVH
Comprehensive School Threat Assessment Model- used at MVRHS, other community and school teams trained
Spending time talking with students: about what is needed to create a safe learning environment. Let students take the lead, and consider issues such as comfort using video, ground rules for interacting online, etc.
Allow relationships and well-being to take priority: right now; while it is important to hold high expectations for academic work and appropriate behavior, students will fare best if they know their teachers care about their overall well-being
Address academic and behavioral issues with empathy and support
Address disciplinary issues outside: of group and class meetings whenever possible, through one-on-one contacts with students
Reach out to students: who typically have behavioral issues at school, to ensure they are connecting with remote opportunities
Adapt restorative justice practices: that have been used in the classroom to repair situations and relationships harmed by students’ behavior to be able to trust and seek appropriate social support from one another during this time; seek intervention and mediation by school staff when students lack needed communication and problem solving skills
Considering impact of decisions: about remote learning requirements will affect students who have experienced trauma, as well as those whose families are hard hit by COVID-19
Establish non-punitive consequences: that aim to support students in learning new behavioral skills, or at least provide clear pathways for appeal; consider students’ life experiences and the potential for re-traumatization when applying consequences
Offer supportive services: to students who require frequent disciplinary actions, to address underlying causes of their behavior; ensure that COVID-19-specific challenges are considered, including the family’s economic and healthcare situation
Provide opportunities for teachers to come together: virtually and talk openly, in a confidential space, about their most challenging students—to brainstorm strategies that will work during this time and lay the groundwork for a successful return to school
Restorative Practices- MVRHS
Collaborative Problem Solving- ThinkKids (scale up in schools varies across MVYPS)
Social and Emotional Learning Indicator System and School Climate Survey (EDSCLS, VOCAL)
Comprehensive School Threat Assessment Model- used at MVRHS, other community and school teams trained
Identifying needed services and supports: that could benefit your students and learn how to access them during this time
Working with your teams: to compile a comprehensive list of needs to share with other staff and administrators
Communicating with families: as appropriate about resources and supports needed to help their child
Connecting with local child welfare agencies: to determine if there are any special procedures for schools to use for reporting during this time, and review these with staff.
Reach out to trauma-informed mental health agencies: including NCTSN members, to learn about services available to families, such as both telehealth services and in-clinic services to be accessed later
Help educators and staff clarify their roles: in relation to providing support to families with specialized needs students to minimize the likelihood of caregivers developing secondary traumatic stress
Provide procedures for staff: to connect families with food banks, shelters, financial assistance agencies, unemployment offices, etc. to help reduce burden and confusion among staff.
Develop relationships with faith-based communities: recognizing that they may also be tremendous areas of physical and emotional support for families.
Promote a culture of support: across educators and staff to support families as best they can while also making sure to care for themselves
Vaccination buses organized in collaboration with Dept. of Public Health
School-based Health Center study
Partnerships with telehealth platforms and services
Increased funding for behavioral health services for students without insurance or facing barriers due to insurance
New partnership with MV Community Services to build up Child Behavioral Health Initiative (CBHI)
Communication Ambassador Partnership (increase language access in schools and community-wide)