Teaching with Trauma in Mind

Teaching with Trauma in Mind PDF Author: Zakia S. Gibson
Publisher: Kitabu Publishing
ISBN: 9780998064512
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 218

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Book Description
About five years ago, the National Task Force on Children Exposed to Violence recommended (or perhaps more accurately, warned) that "every school in our country should have trauma-informed staff and consultants providing school-based trauma-specific treatment." Apparently, few schools-especially those with high-poverty, high-minority student populations-actually heard (and heeded) the recommendation. Most teachers and administrators have accepted that there is simply not enough time to focus on "soft skills" like teaching impulse control, resilience, or emotional regulation and concurrently cover enough content to get test scores high enough to maintain their employment. Our rebuttal to this conclusion is that time isn't their problem, values and priorities are. In other words, if being a trauma-informed educator was adequately valued, then it would be prioritized and time would be "found" to be a trauma-informed educator. Becoming trauma-informed also requires a fundamental understanding that trauma, to quote Catherine Woodiwiss, "permanently changes us." Specifically, the chronic stress accompanying ongoing (or complex) childhood trauma can negatively and enduringly change a child's brain. Childhood traumas like physical or emotional abuse, sexual assault, and persistent family poverty typically triggers neuroplasticity.The commonness of students in classrooms across this country experiencing trauma and trauma-based maladaptive neuroplasticity is far greater than most of us would ever comfortably imagine. Most studies have concluded that 25-40% of all students have already been exposed to (and their brains changed by) some type of acute or complex childhood trauma. Considering the traumatic impact of race and poverty, instead of 25-40%, in these schools we're possibly looking at closer to 80-90% of students presumably having already been exposed to (and their brains negatively changed by) childhood trauma.Race and poverty are highly prevalent traumatic stressors-logically-in schools that have higher percentages of Black and poor students. However, because race and poverty are not typically recognized by educators as traumatic stressors, trauma is not looked at as the most likely motivation for the common negative student behaviors experienced in such schools. Moreover, becoming more trauma-informed is not particularly valued by educators in schools that have higher percentages of Black and poor students as a means of becoming more effective in managing these negative student behaviors. Students impacted by childhood trauma tend to struggle with regulating negative emotions and impulsivity as well as overcoming their overreliance on self-handicapping academic behaviors. They tend to disproportionately engage in disruptive classroom antics, apathy, absenteeism, noncompliance, incompetence, excuses, vulgarity, and misplaced aggression. Oftentimes, school gradually stops being understood as a priority for students experiencing childhood trauma; survival, or rather, somehow dealing the fear of not surviving, semiconsciously becomes too much of a priority. Unfortunately, childhood trauma isn't typically perceived or responded to the same in high-poverty, high-minority schools as it is in more affluent, majority-White schools. There's a greater reluctance to be trauma-informed among the instructional staff serving the former because the negative classroom behaviors of poor, Black or Latino students are automatically seen as confirmation of stigma-based expectations rather than consequences of trauma-based maladaptive neuroplasticity. Fortunately, this reaction can be acknowledged and successfully modified.

Teaching with Trauma in Mind

Teaching with Trauma in Mind PDF Author: Zakia S. Gibson
Publisher: Kitabu Publishing
ISBN: 9780998064512
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 218

Get Book Here

Book Description
About five years ago, the National Task Force on Children Exposed to Violence recommended (or perhaps more accurately, warned) that "every school in our country should have trauma-informed staff and consultants providing school-based trauma-specific treatment." Apparently, few schools-especially those with high-poverty, high-minority student populations-actually heard (and heeded) the recommendation. Most teachers and administrators have accepted that there is simply not enough time to focus on "soft skills" like teaching impulse control, resilience, or emotional regulation and concurrently cover enough content to get test scores high enough to maintain their employment. Our rebuttal to this conclusion is that time isn't their problem, values and priorities are. In other words, if being a trauma-informed educator was adequately valued, then it would be prioritized and time would be "found" to be a trauma-informed educator. Becoming trauma-informed also requires a fundamental understanding that trauma, to quote Catherine Woodiwiss, "permanently changes us." Specifically, the chronic stress accompanying ongoing (or complex) childhood trauma can negatively and enduringly change a child's brain. Childhood traumas like physical or emotional abuse, sexual assault, and persistent family poverty typically triggers neuroplasticity.The commonness of students in classrooms across this country experiencing trauma and trauma-based maladaptive neuroplasticity is far greater than most of us would ever comfortably imagine. Most studies have concluded that 25-40% of all students have already been exposed to (and their brains changed by) some type of acute or complex childhood trauma. Considering the traumatic impact of race and poverty, instead of 25-40%, in these schools we're possibly looking at closer to 80-90% of students presumably having already been exposed to (and their brains negatively changed by) childhood trauma.Race and poverty are highly prevalent traumatic stressors-logically-in schools that have higher percentages of Black and poor students. However, because race and poverty are not typically recognized by educators as traumatic stressors, trauma is not looked at as the most likely motivation for the common negative student behaviors experienced in such schools. Moreover, becoming more trauma-informed is not particularly valued by educators in schools that have higher percentages of Black and poor students as a means of becoming more effective in managing these negative student behaviors. Students impacted by childhood trauma tend to struggle with regulating negative emotions and impulsivity as well as overcoming their overreliance on self-handicapping academic behaviors. They tend to disproportionately engage in disruptive classroom antics, apathy, absenteeism, noncompliance, incompetence, excuses, vulgarity, and misplaced aggression. Oftentimes, school gradually stops being understood as a priority for students experiencing childhood trauma; survival, or rather, somehow dealing the fear of not surviving, semiconsciously becomes too much of a priority. Unfortunately, childhood trauma isn't typically perceived or responded to the same in high-poverty, high-minority schools as it is in more affluent, majority-White schools. There's a greater reluctance to be trauma-informed among the instructional staff serving the former because the negative classroom behaviors of poor, Black or Latino students are automatically seen as confirmation of stigma-based expectations rather than consequences of trauma-based maladaptive neuroplasticity. Fortunately, this reaction can be acknowledged and successfully modified.

The Trauma-Sensitive Classroom: Building Resilience with Compassionate Teaching

The Trauma-Sensitive Classroom: Building Resilience with Compassionate Teaching PDF Author: Patricia A. Jennings
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
ISBN: 0393711870
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 263

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Book Description
Selected as a "Favorite Book for Educators in 2018" by Greater Good. From the author of Mindfulness for Teachers, a guide to supporting trauma-exposed students. Fully half the students in U.S. schools have experienced trauma, violence, or chronic stress. In the face of this epidemic, it falls increasingly to teachers to provide the adult support these students need to function in school. But most educators have received little training to prepare them for this role. In her new book, Tish Jennings—an internationally recognized leader in the field of social and emotional learning—shares research and experiential knowledge about the practices that support students' healing, build their resilience, and foster compassion in the classroom. In Part I, Jennings describes the effects of trauma on body and mind, and how to recognize them in students' behavior. In Part II, she introduces the trauma-sensitive practices she has implemented in her work with schools. And in Part III, she connects the dots between mindfulness, compassion, and resilience. Each chapter contains easy-to-use, practical activities to hone the skills needed to create a compassionate learning environment.

The Knowledge Gap

The Knowledge Gap PDF Author: Natalie Wexler
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 0735213569
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 354

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Book Description
The untold story of the root cause of America's education crisis--and the seemingly endless cycle of multigenerational poverty. It was only after years within the education reform movement that Natalie Wexler stumbled across a hidden explanation for our country's frustrating lack of progress when it comes to providing every child with a quality education. The problem wasn't one of the usual scapegoats: lazy teachers, shoddy facilities, lack of accountability. It was something no one was talking about: the elementary school curriculum's intense focus on decontextualized reading comprehension "skills" at the expense of actual knowledge. In the tradition of Dale Russakoff's The Prize and Dana Goldstein's The Teacher Wars, Wexler brings together history, research, and compelling characters to pull back the curtain on this fundamental flaw in our education system--one that fellow reformers, journalists, and policymakers have long overlooked, and of which the general public, including many parents, remains unaware. But The Knowledge Gap isn't just a story of what schools have gotten so wrong--it also follows innovative educators who are in the process of shedding their deeply ingrained habits, and describes the rewards that have come along: students who are not only excited to learn but are also acquiring the knowledge and vocabulary that will enable them to succeed. If we truly want to fix our education system and unlock the potential of our neediest children, we have no choice but to pay attention.

Trauma-Sensitive Mindfulness: Practices for Safe and Transformative Healing

Trauma-Sensitive Mindfulness: Practices for Safe and Transformative Healing PDF Author: David A. Treleaven
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
ISBN: 0393709795
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 221

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Book Description
"[A] rare combination of solid scholarship, clinically useful methods, and passionate advocacy for those who have suffered trauma." —Rick Hanson, PhD, author of Buddha's Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love, and Wisdom From elementary schools to psychotherapy offices, mindfulness meditation is an increasingly mainstream practice. At the same time, trauma remains a fact of life: the majority of us will experience a traumatic event in our lifetime, and up to 20% of us will develop posttraumatic stress. This means that anywhere mindfulness is being practiced, someone in the room is likely to be struggling with trauma. At first glance, this appears to be a good thing: trauma creates stress, and mindfulness is a proven tool for reducing it. But the reality is not so simple. Drawing on a decade of research and clinical experience, psychotherapist and educator David Treleaven shows that mindfulness meditation—practiced without an awareness of trauma—can exacerbate symptoms of traumatic stress. Instructed to pay close, sustained attention to their inner world, survivors can experience flashbacks, dissociation, and even retraumatization. This raises a crucial question for mindfulness teachers, trauma professionals, and survivors everywhere: How can we minimize the potential dangers of mindfulness for survivors while leveraging its powerful benefits? Trauma-Sensitive Mindfulness offers answers to this question. Part I provides an insightful and concise review of the histories of mindfulness and trauma, including the way modern neuroscience is shaping our understanding of both. Through grounded scholarship and wide-ranging case examples, Treleaven illustrates the ways mindfulness can help—or hinder—trauma recovery. Part II distills these insights into five key principles for trauma-sensitive mindfulness. Covering the role of attention, arousal, relationship, dissociation, and social context within trauma-informed practice, Treleaven offers 36 specific modifications designed to support survivors’ safety and stability. The result is a groundbreaking and practical approach that empowers those looking to practice mindfulness in a safe, transformative way.

Helping Young Children Impacted by Trauma

Helping Young Children Impacted by Trauma PDF Author: Laura J. Colker
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781938113673
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 144

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Book Description
This go-to guide for educators helping children who have experienced trauma and Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) provides accessible information paired with practical, adaptable strategies.

Equity-Centered Trauma-Informed Education

Equity-Centered Trauma-Informed Education PDF Author: Alex Shevrin Venet
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
ISBN: 1003845118
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 210

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Book Description
Educators must both respond to the impact of trauma, and prevent trauma at school. Trauma-informed initiatives tend to focus on the challenging behaviors of students and ascribe them to circumstances that students are facing outside of school. This approach ignores the reality that inequity itself causes trauma, and that schools often heighten inequities when implementing trauma-informed practices that are not based in educational equity. In this fresh look at trauma-informed practice, Alex Shevrin Venet urges educators to shift equity to the center as they consider policies and professional development. Using a framework of six principles for equity-centered trauma-informed education, Venet offers practical action steps that teachers and school leaders can take from any starting point, using the resources and influence at their disposal to make shifts in practice, pedagogy, and policy. Overthrowing inequitable systems is a process, not an overnight change. But transformation is possible when educators work together, and teachers can do more than they realize from within their own classrooms.

Teaching to Strengths

Teaching to Strengths PDF Author: Debbie Zacarian
Publisher: ASCD
ISBN: 1416624600
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 215

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Book Description
Half the students in U.S. schools are experiencing or have experienced trauma, violence, or chronic stress. Much has been written about these students from a therapeutic perspective, especially regarding how to provide them with adequate counseling supports and services. Conversely, little has been written about teaching this population and doing so from a strengths-based perspective. Using real-world examples as well as research-based principles, this book shows how to * Identify inherent assets that students bring to the classroom. * Connect to students’ experiences through instructional planning and delivery. * Foster students’ strengths through the use of predictable routines and structured paired and small-group learning experiences. * Develop family and community partnerships. Experts Debbie Zacarian, Lourdes Alvarez-Ortiz, and Judie Haynes outline a comprehensive, collaborative approach to teaching that focuses on students’ strengths and resiliency. Teaching to Strengths encourages educators to embrace teaching and schoolwide practices that support and enhance the academic and socio-emotional development of students living with trauma, violence, and chronic stress.

Teaching Trauma-Sensitive Yoga

Teaching Trauma-Sensitive Yoga PDF Author: Brendon Abram
Publisher: North Atlantic Books
ISBN: 162317225X
Category : Health & Fitness
Languages : en
Pages : 145

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Book Description
A practical, hands-on, experienced-based guide from a military veteran turned yoga teacher Brendon Abram combines his first-hand experience with PTSD in the field and years of teaching to offer this practical guide to bringing trauma-sensitive yoga to both clinical and studio settings. Drawing on his work with military veterans, first responders, and survivors of domestic and sexual abuse, he emphasizes the importance of respecting the uniqueness of every individual and demonstrates how to use the foundational principles of yoga to create a safe experience. Abram explains that basic principles of yoga bring power to the practice and that breath, mindful movement, focused awareness, and acceptance of present-moment experience form the foundation of any yoga offering.

The Body Keeps the Score

The Body Keeps the Score PDF Author: Bessel A. Van der Kolk
Publisher: Penguin Books
ISBN: 0143127748
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 466

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Book Description
Originally published by Viking Penguin, 2014.

Creating Trauma-Informed, Strengths-Based Classrooms

Creating Trauma-Informed, Strengths-Based Classrooms PDF Author: Tom Brunzell
Publisher: Jessica Kingsley Publishers
ISBN: 1787753751
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 274

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Book Description
With accessible strategies grounded in trauma-informed education and positive psychology, this book equips teachers to support all students, particularly the most vulnerable. It will help them to build their resilience, increase their motivation and engagement, and fulfil their full learning potential within the classroom. Trauma-informed, strengths-based classrooms are built upon three core aims: to support children to build their self-regulatory capacities, to build a sense of relatedness and belonging at school, and to integrate wellbeing principles that nurture growth and identify strengths. Taking conventional approaches to trauma one step further, teachers may create a classroom environment which helps students to meet their own needs in a healthy way and progress academically. Based on the successful Berry Street education strategies pioneered by the authors, this book also includes comprehensive case studies, learning points and opportunities for self-reflection, fully supporting teachers to implement these strategies within the classroom.