or sexual assault; and
serious accident or life-threatening illness.
When you read the list, thinking about students past, present, and future, it might feel overwhelming to consider how one might engage in teaching a student who has experienced any of these. It is likely that many students have experienced multiple such events. It is incomprehensible that there isn't more training offered to educators given the overwhelming weight of the task of caring for and teaching a child who has dealt with so much. So where do we begin to become a more trauma-informed educator? You are in the right place.
I told you to imagine it was one of yours. It was one of mine. The fear, the trauma, the abuse that Kimmie faced prior to ever setting foot in my classroom will never leave my brain. Her trauma in many ways became my own. It opened my eyes to the horrible things my students faced on a regular basis and led me to action. Before I could help Kimmie, and students like her, I had to face my own traumatic experiences.
Let's Chat
Jed: Dr. Janet, after years of reflection, I still think about Kimmie and her time in my classroom. What are some strategies that you would suggest to teachers like me, who haven't been adequately trained to help students like her?
Dr. Janet: When we are faced with the pain of others, whether it's students or our clients, we want to help. Our own level of experience or perceived competence can make us feel inadequate or under trained and, frankly, fearful. It's important to understand that by being there and holding a space of calm and a desire to understand them, we can observe, listen, and mindfully create a plan for their safety. You can't teach compassion, but we all have the capacity. Being a trauma-informed teacher can be learned. Given the high number of students who have been exposed to trauma, it's a necessary skill. A strategy would be to non-judgmentally assess the situation. Push away the gremlin (inner critic) who tells you, “You can't handle it.” Listen to understand what the student needs at the moment, and then familiarize yourself with your school's resources. Avoid using phrases like, “It's going to be alright” or “stop yelling” and ask, “What do you need?” “How can I help?” When calm has resumed, debrief with a colleague or supervisor to learn and share best practices.
Jed: I often hear the phrase “hold space.” Can you elaborate a bit more about what that means?
Dr. Janet: Holding the space refers to honoring the interaction and communication between you and another person. Most of the communication is non-verbal and the deepest listening is when no words are spoken but you notice and feel. It means pushing down your anxiety or angst and being fully present, not compelled to answer or solve but simply to be.
Jed: Can you share some examples of non-verbal communication that we may see?
Dr. Janet: I always look for discrepancies. You may see a tearful child who says, “I'm okay” or one who balls up their fists and doesn't make eye contact. The point is not to ignore their presentation by listening to their words but by carefully, critically looking at them and trying to feel what they are giving off. When someone has their arms folded or head down, it's usually a cue that they feel some angst. Try to lead by observing their stance and eye contact – that often speak volumes more than their words.
Fear Is Overcome-able
There's no escaping the scope of the problem students and educators face. Fear is a real part of daily life for the people who learn and teach in our nation's classrooms. It's wired into our brain as part of our evolutionary journey. However, as insurmountable as the problem might seem, we also are wired for the solution – we just have to work together to learn how to access it ourselves, so that we can, in turn, offer it to our students. We can speak to you with such confidence about the power of courage, because we have seen it in action, in ourselves, and in our students.
Your brain is an amazing piece of machinery. Among its incredible abilities is neuroplasticity, the ability of neural networks in the brain to change through growth and reorganization. These changes range from individual neurons making new connections, to systematic adjustments like cortical remapping. In layman's terms, the brain's ability to rewire itself. This super-power enables people who have experienced trauma as kids to overcome it – and get a shot at adulthood.
As miraculous as this rewiring sounds, it cannot be achieved without significant support, including from trauma-informed educators. Without this support, countless students fall through the cracks and become adults who inflict more trauma. We educators are in a unique place. For 180 days we have the opportunity to help “our kids,” as many call them, to discover that their trauma is overcome-able. But how? Keep reading.
Tips for the Courageous Classroom
Consider where fear exists in your body, so that you can acknowledge your feelings and thoughts and respond in a healthy and helpful manner.
Learning Principle
Fear exists in our students, teachers, and classrooms. Fear begins in our brain with the amygdala sending messages in our brain circuitry to be aware of potential danger (flight, fight, or freeze). When we have a conscious feeling of fear, our thoughts, emotions, and behavior can be affected, but remember fear is a response that can be overcome. Recognizing fear can create an opportunity to self-regulate by using the following ABCDE method created by Dr. Martin Seligman, the father of positive psychology.
Adversity: Acknowledge and describe your fear including the who, what, when, and where of the situation.
Belief: Write down what you were thinking and saying to yourself in the middle of your fearful situation or adversity.
Consequences: Write down the consequences of what you thought, felt, and did. Be specific, listing all the emotions and reactions that you can identify.
Dispute: Actively challenge an inaccuracy that you now recognize about your beliefs and fear. Try to create a more optimistic and accurate belief about your fear. For example, you may say, “My fear is not completely true because …” or “A more accurate way of looking at this situation is …”
Energy: Reflect and recognize how disputing your belief changed your energy. Notice what happened to your mood. How did your behavior change? What solutions do you see now that you didn't before?
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