A relatively new buzz phrase in education is "Trauma-Informed Teaching." Trauma-informed education considers how a traumatic experience impacts the learning and behavior of a student. Due to the level of trauma in the lives of our students, every educator should strive to become more "trauma aware."
In 2019 (before the COVID-19 pandemic), the CDC published a study about the health impacts of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), reporting that 61% of adults have experienced some form of ACE (or trauma). This study showed that the trauma (or ACEs) clearly impacted the physical and mental health of adults (2019). The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSA) has recently published that two thirds of children experience a traumatic event by age 16 (2022). Additionally, pandemics (a natural disaster) are traumatic events; therefore, all educators should assume that every student has experienced trauma to some degree or another over the past two years.
What is Trauma?
The American Psychological Association defines trauma (in part) as ... "an emotional response to a terrible event" ("Trauma" apa.org). Of course, a "terrible event" can be a wide range of experiences, including, abuse, neglect, natural disasters, crime, poverty, racism, bullying, violence, death, sickness, war. What makes this so prevalent today is that witnessing any of these terrible events (even through media/technology) can cause trauma. Who can claim that they have never personally experienced or witnessed a traumatic event?
Obviously, each "terrible event" is different in level of severity and impact on the person. In fact, a new term "micro-traumas" is being used to describe less severe traumatic experiences; however, these micro-traumas can be on-going (or chronic) and have a compounding negative impact on a person.
Trauma is most often categorized in three ways:
1. Acute - a one time traumatic experience
- death of a pet
- a kitchen fire
- a fight at school
2. Chronic - an ongoing traumatic experience
- a verbally abusive parent
- a prolonged sickness of a family member
- a two year pandemic
3. Complex - multiple traumatic experiences
- living through a pandemic quarantined in an abusive home
- a job loss that leads to homelessness
- being bullied at school because of a learning disability
Students today experience or witness trauma in their everyday lives. While the vast majority experience trauma, not all students have negative manifestations of that trauma. Some students suppress the trauma. Some students are able to cope with the trauma in healthy ways. However, some traumatic experiences can manifest themselves in learning difficulties and behaviors.
Manifestations of Trauma
- Sadness, Depression, Hopelessness
- Physical Sickness (headaches, migraines, stomachaches)
- Excessive anxiety (test anxiety or panic attacks)
- Ongoing Stress and Pressure
- Feelings of Guilt/Shame
- Insomnia (nightmares)
- Aggressive Behaviors / Defiant
- Loneliness, Social Disconnection
- Inability to Trust (peers and/or adults)
- Lack of Mental Focus
- Negative Self-Talk
- Extreme Fight or Flight Response
- Extra Sensitive/Defensive
- Obsessive Over One Peer/Adult Relationship (clingy)
- Inappropriate and/or Extreme Responses (crying/laughing)
- Desire to Rescue/Save Friends (stir up drama)
Looking over the list of manifestations, how does an educator address trauma? Start by assuming every student has experienced trauma (after all, we all experienced the pandemic).
Jessica Minahan (2019) relays a helpful metaphor: educators should see students as an unopened Coke can. Except in rare cases, you don't know how "shook up" the can is from the outside; however, when opened, the liquid may bubble over or explode ... or do nothing at all. In fact, all cans experience some jostling in transport (like micro-traumas), and others are dropped, dented, or violently shaken. Similarly, we need to assume that all students have experienced some micro-traumatic jostling, some have witnessed traumatic events, and others have personally experienced trauma. As educators, we may be able to tell a "dent" on a student to indicate trauma, but quite often we will not.
So what do we do?
Being "trauma aware" is not about "fixing" traumatized children. Let me emphasize that educators are NOT counselors and, thus, should not be diagnosing or trying to treat childhood trauma. The American School Counselor Association recommends maintaining a 250:1 student to school counselor ratio, and I would strongly encourage that investment, especially stepping out of the traumatic COVID-19 pandemic.
Additionally, being a "trauma aware" educator is NOT measuring students on a trauma scale or even knowing about a specific student's traumatic experience. Educators don't need to know all the details to be aware.
Remember, start with assuming most students are traumatized and act from that perspective. While they are not counselors, all educators can help students survive traumatic events, become more resilient, and even flourish in learning and life.
The following are helpful classroom interventions for all students.
1. Build Relationship with Students ... teacher-student relationships improve student engagement and learning AND traumatized students typically are slower to build trust with adults and need intentional actions from the adult.
- Begin every class with a personal check-in designed to connect with every student every day.
- How was your weekend? What is one thing that made you laugh? What did you notice on your way to school?
- EL Education provides excellent Crew Time Questions
- Make space each week for 1:1 conversations with your students.
- Individual check-ins with students during work time.
- Stations where one stop is with the teacher.
- Small doses (90 second visits) every day are better than 5 minute "meetings" once a week.
- Commit to connect
- If you are on duty, visit with students, asking them about their life.
- Grade/prep before or after school, so you can use your planning time with students.
- Begin your day praying for one student and then find that student during the day to check in.
2. Stay Calm and Follow a Routine ... Life for students is like being in a small boat in the midst of a tumultuous sea; they don't need adults who "rock the boat" or create extra "drama." Traumatized students need adults who provide stability and routine in order to get back to "normal" after a traumatic experience.
- Speak with a calm (and calming) voice/tone and "never let them see you sweat."
- Don't appear rattled, frazzled, rushed, or out of control.
- De-escalate with your questions/responses.
- I can see you are feeling ...
- I know that this isn't what you want to hear but ...
- I appreciate you sharing that ...
- Help me understand?
- Provide an organized plan for the lesson, week, unit (and follow it as much as possible)
- Post daily learning targets or unit essential questions.
- Use verbal signposts, laying out a "roadmap" for students to know where you are going today and this week.
3. Teach and Practice Self-Regulation ... Students need adults who positively model how to handle responding to traumatic situations.
- Share strategies that you use and practice them with your students.
- When I am overwhelmed with all that I have to do, I take a walk and pray.
- If I feel anxious about something outside of my control, I put on my "chill" play list and count my breathing.
- Teach Self Care and Work-Life Balance.
- Discuss the importance of sleep and set sleep goals.
- Take brain breaks during class to stretch, play catch with a stress ball, and get a drink of water.
- Challenge students to take extended technology breaks and phone fasts in your classroom and at home.
- Write into your homework instructions to complete wellness tasks.
- complete problem #4 standing up
- after finishing question #7, go and pet your dog for 90 seconds.
- before starting this assignment, ask your mom about her day.
4. Alleviate the Stress of "High Stakes" Assessments ... Students don't need more stress in their lives, especially if they are living with trauma.
- Provide a long on-ramp before a big test, including early notification of the test, a study guide, and review times.
- Provide a gradual off-ramp after a test -- take time to go over the test afterwards for a final learning experience and an opportunity for re-teaching, require test corrections, allow for retakes.
- Create a culture that is "okay to fail" and that encourages students to fail forward, learning from their mistakes.
- Start each day/quiz/test with questions that everyone can do correctly to build confidence (self-efficacy) and then gradually increase in difficulty throughout the period.
- Follow the I do (teacher), we do (class together), you do (student independently) structure.
- Circulate during student work time to be available for support.
- Provide opportunities for students to "phone a friend" or check the book if they get stuck on a problem.
Being "trauma aware" doesn't mean you turn your classroom into a therapy session. Yes, these suggestions above will help traumatized students, but they are also good pedagogy and will benefit all students.
Resources
,Ayre, K. "Trauma Informed Education." Podcast.
CDC -- "Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)." Available: https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/aces/index.html
Minahan, J (Oct 1, 2019). "Trauma Informed Teaching Strategies." ACSD. Available: https://www.ascd.org/el/articles/trauma-informed-teaching-strategies
Portell, M (2019). "Understanding Trauma Informed Education." Edutopia. Available: https://www.edutopia.org/article/understanding-trauma-informed-education
"Trauma Informed Approaches in Schools: Keys to Successful Implementation in Colorado." (2018). Available: https://www.cde.state.co.us/pbis/traumainformedapproachesarticle
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