Trauma Informed Practices
When I first began my teaching career, the focus of my professional development was learning about strategies that would help my students learn. I attended seminars, joined a professional learning community outside of my school site, collaborated with teachers from different school districts, and became a teacher trainer for a learning strategy. Providing a rigorous curriculum with high standards is what educators should strive for, and I definitely strive for accomplishing this within my classroom each and every day. However, should this type of professional learning be the main focus of any educator?
The way students learn and the skills they come into the classroom with has been shifting and changing over the years. I am finding more and more that there is a need for trauma informed practices in the classroom because many students walk into school not prepared to learn. Sometimes they come lacking supplies, but very often they come in a mental state that is not conducive to learning due to factors that are not within their control or within the control of the school. In fact, according to the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN), one in four school-age children has been exposed to a traumatic event that can affect their learning and behavior (Avelar & Peeples, 2019, pp. 20-21).
So then, what practices should a school participate in to ensure students begin their day ready to learn and end it feeling some level of success? In the October/November issue of California Educator, the main article focuses on trauma informed teaching practices. This article resonated with me because I teach students who come to school with a high level of emotional stress. This often results in behavior that impacts the success of a lesson, how much work students are able to accomplish in a day, and the general flow of the classroom as well as the school as a whole. As a teacher and future administrator I feel I have to ask myself what can I do to manage what is outside of anyone’s control on campus. A teacher highlighted in the article stated, “It’s all about the connections with the kids. If we don’t have connections, we can’t work together. Helping students means supporting them in all aspects of their lives” (Avelar & Peeples, 2019, p. 22). Positive interactions greatly influence students to push through their trauma. Greeting students at the door and taking a genuine interest in their day, speaks volumes to children. Maintaining a positive attitude and supplying praise as students achieve success (whether big or small), promotes a positive school climate that makes students feel safe and welcome, two things they may not feel at home (Cavanaugh, 2016, p. 42). Additionally, being purposeful in daily interactions, such as asking questions or engaging in conversations related to student interests begins a student’s day positively because it shows them, school is a place where people care and everyone matters (Minahan, 2019, p. 31). My personal goal this year is to be more thoughtful in my daily interactions with students. I plan on taking the time to ask more questions to continue to build relationships because when students are with a safe and supportive adult, their behavior and learning reflects this, and that positivity is what I want my students to feel as well as take with them when they move on to the next grade level (Minahan, 2019, p. 31).
Peeples, J., & Avelar, T. (2019, October). A Culture of Compassion. California Educator, 24(2), 20–25.
Cavanaugh, B. (2016). Trauma-Informed Classrooms and Schools. Beyond Behavior, 25(2), 41–46. https://doiorg.cui.idm.oclc.org/10.1177/107429561602500206
Minahan, J. (2019). Trauma-Informed Teaching Strategies. Educational Leadership, 77(2),30–35. Retrieved from
http://search.ebscohost.com.cui.idm.oclc.org/login.aspxdirect=true&db=ehh&AN=139039751&site=ehost-live
The National Child Traumatic Stress Network. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.nctsn.org/.
