Article of the Week

The State of Trauma-Informed Practice

in Education
Devin Bartell
What is Trauma?

Trauma is “the difficult experiences

of life” that can affect a person
physically, mentally,
developmentally, and residually over
time (Dutro, 2019, p. 3). Every person
interprets trauma differently, and
only the person who lived such
experiences knows their impact.
How many people
have trama?
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health
Services Administration, In the United States more than
⅔ of children experience trauma before age 16 and it will
likely increase considering more than 140,000 children
have lost a caregiver to the COVID-19 pandemic.
 Becoming trauma-informed is a big
commitment for schools and school
Trauma-Informed personnel. It involves a shift in culture,
Practices in practice, and theoretical framework. Since
Education trauma affects students in many different
ways, the approaches and activities can
vary. There is no set framework for
trauma-informed practices, but there are
many resources and information online.
Teachers are responsible for their students’
social-emotional development and their
academic achievement, including
trauma-informed practices. It is
recommended for teachers to add
trauma-informed practices into their daily
lesson plans.
Teacher Knowledge
Most teachers lack the knowledge about the signs of
trauma and approaches for working with students who
have experienced trauma. When teachers aren’t
educated, re-traumatization can occur. Teachers should
be equipped with strategies on knowing how to respond
to their students in supportive manners. These
strategies are typically not taught in education
programs. Trauma is experienced differently by each
person and can be tied to one’s culture and
understanding of the world. Students of color, students
who identify as LGBTQ+, and students living in poverty
can experience more negative outcomes from stress
and trauma.
Brunzell suggested that new teachers need “to see
themselves on the front line for childhood trauma
work“ (p.602). Informing new teachers about how
trauma-informed practices work can improve
teachers’ awareness of how trauma can affect
their students. Education programs need to
provide and teach trauma-informed resources to
meet the needs of the teachers and future
students.
What does this look like?
In The Classroom
Read stories of characters who
have faced traumas
Discussing those experiences
Give students the choice to write
about difficult life experiences
In The Community and School
Offer a community clinic to
students and families
Provide trauma-sensitive
practices
Provide resources to families and
teachers
How can we, as future teachers
implement these practices day to day?
1. Expect Unexpected Responses- Do not take every response
personally. Students with trauma can react and behave in
many different ways.
2. Employ Thoughtful Interactions- When students feel safe with
a supportive adult, their behavior reflects that. Take the time
to build relationships with your students and learn to give
directions in a way that your student will respond well too.
3. Promote Predictability and Consistency- Provide visual
schedules for students and let them know of changes ahead
of time. Students may try to get your attention in a negative
way, so use predictable positive attention strategies. Give
students a set time of when you will be back to check on
them.
Books we can read to our students
Sources

https://www.alliesforeverychild.org/resource/trauma-informed-reading-list/

https://www.leeandlow.com/collections/trauma-informed-collection

https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1352365.pdf
Handout