START with the SPACE
Set up the physical space of your classroom to be supportive of students who've experienced trauma. Considering paint colors, wall decor, natural elements, intentional nooks/dens, and noise/light muting can help calm the classroom and make it a welcoming, safe space for students.
AGREEMENTS and ROUTINES
Many schools use a specific program/philosophy to guide their opening weeks of school (e.g., Developmental Designs) which includes setting norms/expectations as a group, based on shared values. If your school doesn't mandate these best practices, individual teachers can take the lead. Students need to understand that the needs of the group (the WE) sometimes vary from the individual's desires (the ME). This is why we need to create group expectations for how we work together in a shared space. Students benefit most when they can make the connections between the group's agreements and the daily routines/structures. Students with trauma histories who need to feel a sense of belonging also need to understand the ways they belong--and part of that is sharing in the goal/norm setting and the predictability that comes with understanding the "way things work" in this social environment.
The PREDICTABILITY of CIRCLES
Sitting together, in a circle, facing each other every day becomes more than a routine. It becomes a ritual that can be sustained throughout the entire school year. In the same way some of us have enjoyed the feeling of safety and belonging when we sit around a family dinner table regularly, coming together as an advisory or class group, specifically in a circle gives each member a sense that there is an important place for them. In the beginning, some students will likely struggle with some discomfort, but there are moves a teacher can make to add comfort and safety to the practice of meeting in a circle. One of the best ways to begin is to start with low-stakes games that just happen to require sitting in a circle. Next, add a talking piece, and think of fun, low-pressure ways to use it for a few meetings. Add a morning greeting--simply saying "good morning" to the person next to you. (Consider variations of how to do this--in another language, with fist bumps, etc.) Finally, move onto the other elements of a structured restorative circle practice. No matter what the group is doing each day, meet in the circle first. Even five minutes in the circle can set the tone and create a sense of equity and belonging for all members.