GOAL I - Develop self-awareness skills to have knowledge of one's emotions, to develop an accurate and positive self-concept, and to recognize individual strengths and external support systems.

Objective A - Student demonstrates an awareness of their own emotions

Objective B - Student demonstrates an awareness of personal qualities

Objective C - Student demonstrates an awareness of external supports

Objective D - Student has a sense of personal responsibility

GOAL II - Develop and demonstrate self- management skills and resiliency to regulate emotions and to monitor and achieve behaviors related to school and life success.

Objective A - Student demonstrates ability to manage emotions constructively

Objective B - Student demonstrates honesty/integrity

Objective C - Student demonstrates ability to set goals

GOAL III - Develop social awareness skills needed to establish and maintain positive relationships

Objective A - Student demonstrates an awareness of other people's emotions and perspectives

Objective B - Student demonstrates consideration for others and a desire to contribute to the well-being of their school and community

Objective C - Student demonstrates an awareness of cultural issues and a respect for human dignity and differences 

Objective D - Student can read social cues and respond appropriately

GOAL IV - Demonstrate interpersonal (relationship) skills needed to establish and maintain positive relationships

Objective A - Student uses positive communication and social skills to interact effectively with others

Objective B - Student develops constructive relationships

Objective C - Student demonstrates an ability to prevent, manage, and resolve interpersonal conflicts in constructive ways

GOAL V - Demonstrate interpersonal (relationship) skills needed to establish and maintain positive relationships

Objective A - Student uses positive communication and social skills to interact effectively with others

Objective B - Student develops constructive relationships

Objective C - Student demonstrates an ability to prevent, manage, and resolve interpersonal conflicts in constructive ways

Austin Independent Schools

ACE SCORE - Adverse Childhood Experiences

An ACE Score calculates the amount of traumatic life experiences that may affect a person's physical, emotional, and mental health. This number may inform teachers how to best work with their students.  

How can teachers be trauma-informed?

Teachers can think and implement interventions directed by understanding a holistic look at the neurological, biological, psychological, and social effects that trauma has on an individual.

Being trauma-informed is continuously thinking about a person's needs for safety, connection, and ways to manage emotions and impulses.

In the face of reactive behaviors in high-tension moments, teachers should ask themselves, How can I react accordingly?

Protective Factors will outweigh the risk factors. Some protective factors teachers can use in their own lives and in the classroom are:

• Gratitude - practiced frequently inside and outside of the classroom environment. 

• Nutrition - eat plenty and eat well. Teachers can also implement the student emergency box to offer nutrition to students. Without proper fueling, people cannot have energy or balanced emotions, ultimately affecting how they learn and perform. 

• Predictability - create a classroom flow that is structured and predictable so that the teacher and the students do not face any surprises.

• Relationships - maintain and invest in relationships outside of school as well as relationships with the students. 

• Mindfulness - teachers should practice and implement various meditation practices in their lives and classrooms. This may look like breathing exercises at the beginning of each class or allowing students to sit comfortably. 

• Exercise - teachers can use exercise in their classroom! During brain breaks, allow students the opportunity to move around to help with their energy and focus.