What does trauma informed teaching mean? Is it relevant everywhere?
During the most recent years of my teaching, if you walked into my classroom, you would likely see kids sitting on brightly colored stabilizing cushions to limit fidgeting, a child squeezing a handgrip, and a few students wearing noise buffering headphones. You would also see students talking in productive and collaborative ways and asking clarifying questions as they supported each other while learning together. What you would likely be unable to see any sign of was the fact that over 60 percent of my students had an individualized education program (IEP) and that about a third of the class had substantial emotional and behavioral needs, often as the result of trauma.
From 2007-2018, I taught 5th grade inclusion in Boston Public Schools; the last four year of which I team taught with Victor Joyner. We were fortunate to become a teaching team at the Joseph P. Manning Elementary School, a Boston public school that focuses on including all children and specializes in supporting those who have experienced trauma or mental illness. In our classroom, the phrase “consistency is calming” could be used to describe the majority of our work. We developed and practiced routines, we taught and valued teamwork and peer teaching, and we normalized social-emotional and academic supports for every child.
One resource we used (and Victor still uses) for academic-based team building is Classcraft, a role-playing game made by and for teachers. We did not use Classcraft as a tokenized behavior system; instead, we used it as a tool to differentiate learning paths using online, offline, independent, and collaborative learning tasks that increased children's awareness, agency, and motivation. I also consistently engaged with kids to help them understand their brains and development; for example, using the image of a red mohawk to help kids make sense of their stress network and ways in which they can respond to stressors.
Trauma-informed teaching acknowledges that while teachers cannot function as social workers and health care experts, teachers' actions should be informed by an awareness of trauma and its impact. Without that awareness, students might not get the right supports to facilitate their learning. For example, symptoms associated with attention deficit hyperactivity disorders and with exposure to trauma are incredibly similar, but effective responses can be incredibly different.
If you’re interested in learning more, the Trauma and Learning Policy Initiative has information designed specifically to support quality practices in schools. In addition, awareness and innovation around social-emotional learning has been increasing in Massachusetts. Social-emotional learning is not the same thing as trauma-informed practices, but there are many areas where they overlap. The all-volunteer organization SEL4MA has resources and events, and you can also follow and engage in the state’s work with the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning's Collaborating States Initiative. The Collaborative's resources include this brief on what instruction in social and emotional learning actually looks like.
Note: More information about ESE's work around social and emotional learning is available online.
From 2007-2018, I taught 5th grade inclusion in Boston Public Schools; the last four year of which I team taught with Victor Joyner. We were fortunate to become a teaching team at the Joseph P. Manning Elementary School, a Boston public school that focuses on including all children and specializes in supporting those who have experienced trauma or mental illness. In our classroom, the phrase “consistency is calming” could be used to describe the majority of our work. We developed and practiced routines, we taught and valued teamwork and peer teaching, and we normalized social-emotional and academic supports for every child.
One resource we used (and Victor still uses) for academic-based team building is Classcraft, a role-playing game made by and for teachers. We did not use Classcraft as a tokenized behavior system; instead, we used it as a tool to differentiate learning paths using online, offline, independent, and collaborative learning tasks that increased children's awareness, agency, and motivation. I also consistently engaged with kids to help them understand their brains and development; for example, using the image of a red mohawk to help kids make sense of their stress network and ways in which they can respond to stressors.
Trauma-informed teaching acknowledges that while teachers cannot function as social workers and health care experts, teachers' actions should be informed by an awareness of trauma and its impact. Without that awareness, students might not get the right supports to facilitate their learning. For example, symptoms associated with attention deficit hyperactivity disorders and with exposure to trauma are incredibly similar, but effective responses can be incredibly different.
If you’re interested in learning more, the Trauma and Learning Policy Initiative has information designed specifically to support quality practices in schools. In addition, awareness and innovation around social-emotional learning has been increasing in Massachusetts. Social-emotional learning is not the same thing as trauma-informed practices, but there are many areas where they overlap. The all-volunteer organization SEL4MA has resources and events, and you can also follow and engage in the state’s work with the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning's Collaborating States Initiative. The Collaborative's resources include this brief on what instruction in social and emotional learning actually looks like.
Note: More information about ESE's work around social and emotional learning is available online.
Please check back for more information about how trauma affects children and real resources that have been used in the classroom to support their success.
If you have specific questions, please send me a message and I'll try to share what I know and connect you with others in the field. |
Want to learn more?These articles provide a range of information for those just beginning to learn about the impact of trauma on child development:
Address Trauma with Calm, Consistent Care: Strategies to help educators avoid burnout while keeping students learning-ready
by Pete Hall and Kristin Souers, authors of Fostering Resilient Learners When the Focus on 'Grit' in the Classroom Overlooks Student Trauma by Aisha Sultan Children Who Experience Trauma Do Not 'Just Get Over It' by Jane Evans, child anxiety and trauma expert Teaching Traumatized Kids by James Redford and Karen Pritzker, director and producer of the documentary Paper Tigers How Anxiety Leads to Disruptive Behavior: Kids who seem oppositional are often severely anxious by Caroline Miller, editorial director of Child Mind Institute How Childhood Neglect Harms the Brain by Iris Adler, CommonHealth, WBUR |
