Anti-Racist, Trauma-Informed Teaching

Similar to the recommendations under curriculum and pedagogy, the interactions and relationships you have with your students can either exacerbate or alleviate some of the adverse effects children who have experiences with trauma may have.

Before you respond to or interact with students, consider the following questions when applicable:

1. How much do I know about the student outside of their academic performance in class?

2. Am I seeking to understand this student before I react?

3. Does this classroom policy or practice create a safe and inclusive space for all my students?

4. Does this classroom policy or practice have the potential to put some students at a disadvantage?

Below we provide some concrete suggestions and examples of what an anti-racist, trauma-informed teacher might do when building relationships with their students based on the guiding questions above.

1. Engage in self-care practices and acknowledge the trauma you may be carrying as well. As educators begin to understand the trauma their students are experiencing and make efforts to intentionally address those traumas in the classroom, some may experience secondary traumatic stress (also known as compassion fatigue or vicarious trauma)- "the emotional duress that results when an individual hears about the firsthand trauma experiences of another." NCTSN encourages educators to familiarize themselves with the signs of secondary traumatic stress, to ask for support from colleagues or professionals when needed, and to make time for self-care practices like self-reflection or taking breaks during the workday. It is especially important to note that educators who have experienced trauma in the past are more likely to experience secondary traumatic stress- particularly if the trauma is unresolved. In the context of anti-Black racism, it is imperative that schools make spaces for and encourage Black educators to engage in self-care practices as many of them may be dealing with their own racial trauma.

2. Do the work of learning and unlearning the biases you may have as an educator that impact how you interact and view your students. In recent years, extensive research has shown that implicit biases educators have related to race and culture can impact how they interact with students. When aiming to create a safe space for students who have endured experiences related to societal traumas like racism and discrimination, undergoing an "Archaeology of the Self" is a foundational step that is necessary to effectively care for your students. Dr. Yolanda Sealey-Ruiz, the architect of this concept, defines this process as a "deep exploration and excavation of beliefs, biases, and ideas that shape how we engage in the work." To do this requires making space for reflection and even seeking out professional development opportunities that help build racial and historical literacy with respect to societal traumas.

3. Start the beginning of the year with intentional efforts to get to know your students. Similar to the suggestion for curriculum and teaching below, it bears repeating that getting to know your students outside of their academic abilities is a key part of creating a safe space for all your students. While assignments can provide some insight, taking the time to have impromptu conversations where you ask your students about their interests and experiences can be just as- if not more- helpful for building relationships. Students may not always be willing to share in the beginning but they will know you are interested in hearing them and may be more likely to feel comfortable in your classroom. For students who have experienced trauma, having reliable and trustworthy adults in their networks can have a positive effect on their long-term outcomes.

4. Designate time during the beginning of class for a "feelings check-in" with students. Knowing what type of day your students are having can help you better adjust your lesson and delivery to meet their needs. It will also signal to students that you care about more than how they perform in your classroom and sets a different tone than simply starting with a homework check. These check-ins can be short, and even nonverbal, depending on the age group. It may be a simple thumbs up/sideways/down at the beginning of class or a mood meter where students can signal how they are feeling with color-coded cards. That said, make sure before you engage in this routine that you are prepared to respond if a students shares they are in distress or are having a bad day. The mental health provider at your school may have some suggestions for how to build this type of check-in into your daily routine. You should also inform the mental health provider that you plan on incorporating this so they can plan to support students if needed.

5. Be flexible with your classroom routines and structures when needed. Schools and teachers often cling to rigid routines under the guise that "children need structure". However, many school and classroom policies can do more harm than good because children are dehumanized and disenfranchised as a result of how these policies are enforced and the mindset behind them. Schools often enforce rules related to student conduct unevenly and the negative consequences have been shown to disproportionately impact students of color and lower-income students. While routines and predictability can be especially beneficial for students who have experienced trauma, educators need to allow for flexibility if students are struggling to meet expectations. We are seldom aware of the experiences students are having before school that may impact their performance that day or their ability to adhere to often overly-stringent codes of conduct. For example, if a students comes in without school supplies, is tardy, or failed to complete the homework last night, instead of jumping to assign a detention or demerit, an educator with a trauma-informed practice may make time after class to debrief with the student and offer support before reacting.

6. Create opportunities for students to exercise choice. A common thread within all traumatic experiences is a loss of control. With that in mind, when students are stripped of their autonomy, it can trigger them or cause them to feel unsafe. Therefore, one way to help students who have faced trauma be more successful and feel more secure at school is to offer them choices and allow them to have a direct say in how their day goes. For example, a teacher can give students multiple options for how they complete an assignment in class. Students might choose between writing, drawing, or giving a speech to show mastery of a concept. Similarly, for an ELA unit, students can choose which book they read out of a pre-selected list of books that share a central theme instead of having all students in the class read the same book chosen by the teacher. With respect to routines, students can choose their own seats or their work partners for a lesson or unit.

7. Language Matters. Be thoughtful with how you describe and praise students. When students fail to complete assignments or follow classroom procedures, educators may label students as "irresponsible" or "lazy". However, these labels can be especially demoralizing for students who have experienced trauma and are already struggling with self-esteem and self-worth. Calling students "irresponsible" for not turning in work fails to acknowledge any number of circumstances that are out of their control and the systemic barriers in place for communities of color and low-income communities. For example, a student who lives in poverty may not have the appropriate resources to complete the assignment or a quiet space to study. Similarly, a student may present as sluggish in class because of the long commute they made to make it to your classroom from a homeless shelter across the city. Not all children have access to the same resources outside of school and assuming they do can lead to interactions that may be re-traumatizing for students. Instead, debrief with the student to identify the barriers to meeting expectations and what support they need from you to be successful. Then, set up a plan with the student that promotes accountability.

8. Model accountability and self-regulation for students. As educators, we are liable to have an emotional response to students in moments of frustration or exhaustion. Although it is not be your intention to negatively affect students, your actions may still have a negative impact on students. When this happens, it is important to model for students what it means to be accountable for one's actions and to debrief with students about the interaction that occurred. There is a falsity that teachers apologizing to students or explaining their decisions will somehow discredit them. In fact, modeling for students how to debrief a negative interaction to preserve a relationship can have a positive impact on the relationship between the teacher and the student. For students who have experienced trauma in particular, having a reliable adult role model whom they can trust and be vulnerable with is invaluable. Additionally, for students of color and low-income students who are frequently disenfranchised and marginalized when interacting with social institutions like schools, this effort on the part of an educator sends a clear message to students that their experience and associated emotions are valued and worthy of respect.

For children who have experienced trauma outside of your classroom, how you deliver the content in your lessons and structure your activities can be the difference between your classroom being a safe space or a place where they may be re-traumatized. This is especially true for many of the societal traumas we discuss above that have been historically perpetuated in schools by deficit-based beliefs about children of color and children in poverty.

When planning your lessons and projects, we encourage you to consider the following questions:

1. Do all my students have the resources (or home support) to engage in and complete this activity?

2. How does this lesson or activity frame the communities/families my students come from?

3. Does this activity ask my students to relive or discuss potentially traumatic experiences?

4. Am I allowing students space to interact and learn from their peers?

Below we provide some concrete suggestions and examples of what a trauma-informed teacher might do in their classroom based on the guiding questions above.

1. Prior to planning and the start of the school year, get an understanding of the needs and assets in your school community. If you are not from the community where you teach, we encourage you to take some time to get to know the student population and community your school serves. Reaching out to a veteran teacher or administrator may be a good place to start. Mental health providers also frequently have valuable information to share about your students that you should be aware of as you think about your classroom routines and activities. We also recommend spending some time in the neighborhood itself. Whether doing research online or taking a walk around the neighborhood, knowing the physical space your students navigate can be helpful as a precursor to building one-on-one relationships with them. Many of the recommendations below are only possible with a personal understanding of your students and their community.

2. Shift your curriculum and pedagogy to a culturally responsive and sustaining model. By design, this form of teaching centers the experiences of students and families and provides an affirming environment for students who have been traditionally marginalized in broader society. This model also creates a safe and inclusive environment by encouraging students to learn from each other and value the different experiences their peers bring to the classroom. Many of the suggestions below are also inherent to a culturally responsive and sustaining model.

3. When discussing content that deals with societal injustices, always make connections to the present context and/or acknowledge these are ongoing issues in our society. When educators talk about the more contentious parts of our country's history like slavery, Native American boarding schools, the Civil Rights Movement, internment camps, etc., they talk about the underlying societal phenomena like racism, discrimination, and sexism only in the past tense. For students who continue to experience the adverse effects of racism and poverty in their daily lives, hearing these injustices referred to only as something that happened in the past can undercut the trauma they have endured. As a result, this can be re-traumatizing for students who are forced to grapple with whether their experiences are valid. Teachers who are anti-racist and trauma-informed will ensure they connect history to current events and acknowledge the ongoing challenges societal traumas present for their students.

4. When planning activities, ensure the prompts and directions are not asking students to draw from a resource or experience they do not have due to financial hardship or family tragedy. This is especially true when prompts and activities ask about a students' home life. With the best of intentions, teachers will often ask students to draw from their experiences outside of the classroom for assignments. For example, a common prompt in elementary school may be to "draw the rooms in your home" or "count the windows in your bedroom". For students who are homeless, this may be triggering or cause undue stress in the classroom. Again, knowing your students and their socioemotional needs will help prevent this from happening.

5. Ensure your assignments are not asking students to relive potentially traumatizing experiences. Simulations and writing prompts may often unintentionally re-traumatize students if they are not tailored to the experiences of students in a particular classroom. For example, an assignment to write a report on your family's immigration story may force a newly arrived immigrant student to relive traumatic moments that they have not processed yet outside of school. It also ignores the reality that some Black students may not have an immigrant story to tell due to the forced migration their family endured during the trans-Atlantic slave trade. Historical simulations also often force students to take on the role of the powerful or the powerless. Depending on the experiences of your students, these historical examples may bear resemblance to recent experiences they have had outside of school. The use of video footage and photography may also have a similar impact if students are not prepped and debriefed appropriately for the content.

6. Be intentional with your pairings and groupings for class activities and build in time for students to get to know each other. Allowing your students who have had traumatic experiences to find a supportive peer network is extremely valuable. Often times, these relationships can be cultivated in the classroom through intentional groupings and pairings. Grouping students who may need extra support with students who are helpful or empathetic is beneficial for students who are struggling to build self-esteem or lack confidence, especially if they have exposure to traumatic experiences. Additionally, activities that allow students to showcase their strengths and talents to their classmates can also be beneficial towards building a student's self-esteem.

7. If a student is triggered by an assignment or lesson, make space for that student to express their feelings and follow up with them as well as the mental health provider at your school. Even when teachers are intentionally trying to create safe spaces for students, a student may be triggered by a lesson or assignment. When that happens, it is important to affirm the students feelings and provide the space to either discuss it with you or your school's mental health provider. Dismissing their feelings in an effort to "save the lesson" can cause more harm for that student and other students in class who are watching how you handle the situation. You also should not assume that a student is okay because they are silent. If you discover afterwards that an interaction or assignment you gave may have negatively impacted a student, it is important to follow up with them as a way of affirming their experience and ensuring their safety.

Due to the circumstances that surrounded the shift to distance learning, educators, students, and families all had little time to adjust to this new way of teaching and learning. For many, the learning curve remains steep on top of the weight of everything else that is going on in the world. Like us, students and their families are navigating multiple responsibilities with new arrangements in best case scenarios and navigating job loss, economic instability, or the death of a loved one in worst case scenarios. The social and emotional toll of COVID-19 requires educators to lead with empathy and care as they engage with students and families in the coming months.

Below we provide some concrete suggestions and examples of what a trauma-informed teacher might do to connect with students and families during this time.

1. Find time for self-care practices. Being present and empathetic towards students and their families requires that educators continue to practice some of the self-care suggestions highlighted in the previous section. Many educators are feeling overwhelmed during this time and are dealing with new challenges (i.e. balancing their job and homeschooling responsibilities and/or navigating loss). Additionally, many educators may be experiencing higher levels of secondary traumatic stress or vicarious trauma. Therefore, self-care practices like taking 10-20 minutes each day to reflect and recenter or reaching out to loved ones at least once a day can be a helpful addition to your routine.

2. Hold space for students and build in time to discuss their reactions to current event if needed. Similar to building in a "feelings check-in" for students during in-person instruction, create a routine where you can check in with students about how they are feeling verbally or non-verbally during virtual class meetings or on google classrooms. For example, you may have students do a thumbs up, middle, or down at the beginning of every google meeting or ask students to complete a google form to give you a sense of where everyone is emotionally. Students need to know your classroom is a safe space whether it is virtual or in person. Part of how educators can provide a safe space for students is to outright say they care about how their students are feeling and create a routine that allows consistent acknowledgement of these feelings. You can also include some activities or projects that explore how children are handling the current events like maintaining a journal or drawing their feelings.

3. Use virtual meetings as a space for maintaining community, not just delivering academic instruction. It is understandable that educators may need to provide families and students with academic support via zoom or google meet. Many families with guardians who are still working, who are not fluent in English, or who are lower-income may especially need the step-by-step instructions and modeling that teachers can do over google meets. However, related to the points above, virtual meetings with students may also be an ideal time to build community. The in-person contact in the classroom, that is especially important for children who have experienced trauma, may not be fully replaced but it does allow for some way to keep students connected. For example, you might allow students to vote on a theme every week for what they should wear and have that be a part of the virtual meeting where everyone shares.

4. When speaking with families, lead with care before jumping into "official business". As mentioned several times above, most families are dealing with some form of hardship right now. These hardships may be related to finances, the loss of a loved one, or both. Either way, it is important to lead with care when you contact families and students. An ongoing issue families have with schools is that they only hear from teachers or administrators when their child is in trouble. This is especially true for families or color and lower-income families. Now can be a time to change that narrative by calling home to give children praise or provide updates on progress. Even when you do need to call home to report a concern about a student, it is really helpful to "lead with care" by asking how the family is doing before jumping into the concerns you have about the student.

5. Prioritize socioemotional health over grades. While many students have adjusted well to distance learning, this may not be the case for everyone. There will inevitably be students who do not turn in virtual assignments on time or at all. Students that were already struggling to meet deadlines will likely continue to struggle without added support as they handle increasingly unstable family dynamics- this is especially true for children who have experienced trauma. However, with the elimination of state tests and reduced focus on grades, educators have the unique opportunity to prioritize the socioemotional health of their students. Students may need additional support to deal with the socioemotional toll of COVID-19 and it is okay to remain flexible with expectations around work completion meanwhile students are taking the time to heal.

With the transition to remote learning, it can seem like any effort to implement trauma-informed practices like the ones we outlined in the above section is futile. A lot of the suggestions and examples we gave are based on in-person interactions. However, the reality is that a trauma-informed lens can be applied to any form of teaching; even remote learning. Once you are able to critically engage with your practice, you can transform any activity or lesson to be trauma-informed. Additionally, many of the underlying principles, like giving students choices and being conscious of potential social biases, still apply to remote learning. In many way, students and families need educators to shift the guiding principles of their practice now more than ever.

Below we provide some concrete suggestions and examples of what a trauma-informed teacher might do during distance learning.

1. Take inventory of your school's support staff so you know who to connect families and students with when they need help. Transitioning to distance learning has meant adapting to using technology in different ways and expanding family outreach to a level that most educators were not previously equipped to do. Related to the section above about connecting with families, it is important to know who at your school can support students and families when they run into challenges with distance learning. This might be the technology teacher or a peer who is well-versed in google classrooms to provide families with a tutorial, a Spanish-speaking staff member that can help you with translations, a special education teacher who can support you with differentiation on virtual assignments, or the school's social workers and counselors when the concern is related to mental health. Coordinate with these staff members to get a better understanding of what you should consider when designing assignments or interacting with families. It is helpful to touch base with them before there is a need.

2. Take inventory of your students' academic needs and accessible resources early on. Related to the above point, it is important to know in advance what challenges some students may face in completing online assignments. Some helpful accommodations include providing assignment directions for families in multiple languages, making time for office hours to provide students with additional support, and checking in with parents to see what their comfort level is with technology. There may be several families where guardians have limited or no knowledge about technology due to a lack of resources or previous exposure.

3. Make your virtual classwork schedule and routines predictable for students. The uncertainty surrounding the pandemic has been hard for everyone and it can be especially challenging for students who have experienced or are experiencing trauma. Younger students may not have a firm understanding of why all these changes are happening. Creating predictability for students during distance learning may look like having your class assignments for the day up on your google classroom at the same time every morning, having consistent categories of work for students where the instructions are the same but the topic changes, hosting a virtual class meeting at the same time every day, or having a consistent opening routine or structure to your virtual class meetings.

4. Communicate clearly and often with students and families about routines and assignments. Related to the above point, providing clarity about changes in routines as your school adjusts to distance learning can be especially helpful for students who are already feeling unsure about everything going on around them. For some students, school is the most stable environment they have and the only place they come into contact with adults they consider dependable. It is important to maintain a virtual presence and nurture this relationship with your students. Audio and visual messages can go a long way in comforting students who feel lost with the material. You might consider leaving an audio recording with instructions for that day's assignment, making it a daily goal to leave at least one comment per student on an assignment, or making a video where you model an assignment for students. Do not assume students can just shift and keep up with all the assignments and changes on their own- especially those with limited family support at home.

5. Create assignments and activities that align with current events and culturally responsive and sustaining pedagogy. Similar to shifting your in-person instruction to better center the lives and perspectives of students, you can create activities and lesson plans that follow these guiding principles for students to complete during this time. With proper prepping and debriefing, students can engage with the current pandemic and the racial justice issues it has highlighted in our society. You might have students engage in an oral history project or document their own experiences, both as a historian and as a way of processing the world around them. It is also imperative that educators still follow the guiding principles in the above section with respect to societal traumas like racism and sexism. NYU's Metropolitan Center released a Guide on Culturally Responsive-Sustaining Remote Education that is a useful guide to review towards this goal.

6. Include "fun" activities in your lessons that allow students to engage with family members or take a "brain break". Along with assignments that focus on content or specific skills, include optional activities in your google classroom (or online platform) where students can take a break from being hyper-focused on academics. The NCTSN published a list of activities teachers can share with students and families; many of them require no screen time and few supplies. As you select activities to share with students, provide them with activities that they can also complete alone. Families that include essential workers or that are facing financial hardship may not be able to provide added support for these activities. It is important to have a grasp on how your students are fairing during this difficult time in advance. Students who are already experiencing limited support or feeling overwhelmed by a myriad of new responsibilities are of special concern. You can also include some of these fun activities as part of your assignments. For example, for the recommended daily reading time, students can read to a pet or sit under the covers and read with a flashlight. You might take a 'brain break" at the end of your google meets where students can do a mindfulness activity or dance break together. The overall point is that students are given a chance to break focus from their academic work and relax.

• 12 Core Concepts for Understanding Traumatic Stress Responses in Children and Families by NCTSN

• The Trauma of Racism by the McSilver Institute for Poverty Policy and Research at NYU's Silver School of Social Work

• Addressing Race and Trauma in the Classroom: A Resource for Educators by NCTSN

• If we aren’t addressing racism, we aren’t addressing trauma by Dena Simmons via ASCD

• Trauma Toolkit: Tools to Support the Learning and Development of Students Experiencing Childhood and Adolescent Trauma by First Book and the Maryland State Education Association.

• How Trauma Affects Kids in School by the Child Mind Institute

• Child Trauma Tool Kit for Educators by NCTSN

• Childhood Trauma: America’s Hidden Health Crisis by The Child and Measurement Health Measurement Initiative

• ACEs Resource Packet by The Child and Measurement Health Measurement Initiative

• When Schools Cause Trauma by Teaching Tolerance

• A Trauma-Informed Approach to Teaching Through Coronavirus by Teaching Tolerance

• Trauma Toolkit: Tools to Support the Learning and Development of Students Experiencing Childhood and Adolescent Trauma by First Book and the Maryland State Education Association.

• Addressing Race and Trauma in the Classroom: A Resource for Educators by NCTSN

• If we aren’t addressing racism, we aren’t addressing trauma by Dena Simmons via ASCD

• Creating and Advocating for Trauma-Sensitive Schools by the Trauma and Learning Policy Initiative

• SAMHSA’s Concept of Trauma and Guidance for a Trauma-Informed Approach by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

• Leveraging the Neuroscience of Now by Mays Imad (Inside Higher Ed)

• 8 Ways to Support Students Who Experience Trauma by Alex Shevrin Venet (Edutopia)