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Trauma-informed Teaching: Young Adult Fiction Informs Reality
Overview
This is a module developed for the Branch Aliance for Educator Diversity Summer Institute to be used as OER/instructional materials for Teacher Education classes. This module provides teacher education course instructors content, activities, and assessments to develop teacher candidates' strategies for supporting students who may have faced or be facing trauma.
Introduction to the Module
Introduction to the module: This module is part of a larger Differentiated Instruction course, which explores various students who might be in our Teacher Candidates' future classrooms. The focus of the three units in this module is students who have experienced trauma in their lives. The Teacher Candidates will use the life of a fictional student to explore trauma and trauma-informed teaching strategies. Teacher Candidates will practice and apply these strategies in order to support actual students.
Audience: The intended audience of this course is adults, instructors and educators who work with adults, in higher education/teacher education instructing Teacher Candidates (e.g., student teachers).
NOTE: This unit covers some intense material. For some this may be the first time you are hearing information about trauma, for others it may trigger memories from your professional or your persaonal lives. It is very important that you take care of yourself. Please take breaks when you need to, check-in with each other as needed and think about what works for you in terms of debriefing, de-stressing, and getting support both during this unit and in your day-to-day work.
Length of course: This resource has been designed to supplement an 8-week course on differentiated instruction. Content, activities, and assessments may be selected to meet the needs of a specific course. Taught as a standalone module, this resource would encompass 30+ instructional hours.
Unit-level outcomes: While engaging in this module, Teacher Candidates will be able to:
- Identify types of trauma and their sources, grounded in cultural humility.
- Connect types of trauma and sources to a fictional student and one's personal life.
- Research to identify strategies to support students who have faced or are facing trauma.
- Design strategies to support resilience in a fictional student.
- Critique student support strategies.
- Apply trauma-informed teaching strategies.
Technology Requirements: This module requires the following technology be available if taught in a physical classroom:
Instructor: access to a computer in class
Each student or student group: access to a computer in and out of class
Each student: access to a computer with internet out of class (if assignments completed outside of class time)
Projector with speakers
Internet access with high bandwidth
Unit 1 Content
Unit 1
Cultural Humility and Types of Trauma
Impacts of Trauma
Content: Unit 1 of this module is contained in its entirety in presentation slides. Key items are described below.
Unit 1 Objectives: Teacher Candidates Will Be Able To a) Identify types of trauma and their sources, grounded in cultural humility and b) Connect types of trauma and sources to a fictional student and one's personal life.
Most training on trauma-informed care is geared toward school counselors and social workers. Let’s start by making a connection to teachers: Why is it important to understand trauma as a teacher? How can teachers collaborate with school counselors and social workers to support students? Begin your self-reflection journal...will not be turned in - for your reference only.
o Gather 2-3 quick responses from the participants. Limit to 2 minutes. If they don’t mention it, here are some examples you can mention: Trauma impacts all of them; Trauma impacts their agencies; Trauma impacts their relationships with each other; Trauma impacts how they function.
Throughout the training, we will be looking at concrete skills and strategies to be more trauma-informed and increase your effectiveness in working with children and families, whether you work with them directly, answer phones or file paperwork, provide transportation, or supervise others.
Individually, what you do matters; and, collectively, you can make an even bigger difference.
Culture, Race, Trauma: Who am I? Cultural Intersectionality - Cultural Humility - Who are You? This is not a training about race or culture, but understanding an individual’s unique life history is a critical part of being trauma- informed. Concepts related to culture and to race will be discussed throughout the training series. It is important to be aware of how they intersect with trauma.
Race is defined in the dictionary as “common ancestry, distinguished from others by physical characteristics, such as hair type, color of eyes and skin, stature.” Culture is defined in the dictionary as, “the customs, arts, social institutions, and achievements of a particular nation, people, or other social group.” This encompasses many aspects of one’s identity including religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, being a foster child, a member of the military, etc. Cultural intersectionality or the idea of multiple intersecting identities.
New concept: Cultural humility pertains to the ability and willingness of a person to have self- awareness about biases and to embrace the notion that one is never done learning about culture. Much like being trauma-informed, cultural humility is an ongoing journey, not a checklist that you can complete. Understanding the dynamics between culture, race, and trauma will help you tailor the way you engage and interact with the populations you serve. Culture and race are also strengths and can bring positives to the table for an individual, such as the support and the nurturance they receive from their community, traditions, etc.
Trauma vs Stressful Experiences: Trauma occurs when an individual experiences an intense, recurring, and/or prolonged event (or events) that threatens or causes harm to their emotional and/or physical well-being. An event that threatens or causes harm to another, including a loved one or someone close to the child, is also a trauma. Let’s differentiate stressful experiences from traumatic ones. For instance, playing in the big football game when a college scout is watching you can be stressful, but that stress might actually be positive in that it makes you play a great game. Or having to get up and present at a conference may be stressful, but knowing that sharing that information is important and will be done within an hour makes that stress tolerable. In neither of these situations do you perceive that your life or someone else’s is in danger. In other words, they are stressful, but not traumatic.
Ask: Without sharing a lot of graphic detail, can someone give an example of a traumatic event? Gather 2-3 quick responses from the participants. Limit to 2 minutes. Listen to the participants’ examples and feel free to give some of these if they are not brought up by the participants: Being in a car accident; Witnessing someone being seriously hurt or killed; Being abused; Being kidnapped; Experiencing a natural disaster
Acute and Chronic Trauma
To understand the impact of trauma on children, youth, and families, it can be helpful to think about trauma as acute or chronic. Acute trauma is a single traumatic event that is limited in time. Examples include: a natural disaster, a serious accident, sudden or violent loss of a loved one, and a physical or sexual assault. This is not to say that the impact of an acute traumatic event is short- lived. It may take months or even years for a person to recover from an acute trauma. Chronic trauma refers repeated assaults on a person’s body and/or mind. They may be varied and/or longstanding events. For instance, experiencing or witnessing domestic violence, being in a war zone, living in a neighborhood with frequent violence, longstanding emotional or physical neglect, or sexual, physical, or emotional abuse that is ongoing.
Jigsaw types of trauma: Group 1 Complex Trauma
Complex trauma can occur simultaneously or sequentially, and is often perpetrated by one or more primary caregivers. Child maltreatment, including neglect and physical, emotional, or psychological abuse, at the hands of a parent or other trusted adult is a fundamental breach of the child’s most important relationship. It is so traumatizing that, if severe ongoing, or frequent, can affect a child in a multitude of ways, including forming healthy attachments, regulating emotions, and focusing. Many children involved in child welfare have complex trauma histories stemming from child maltreatment. A Children’s Bureau report on child maltreatment that occurred across the U.S. in 2017 indicated that over 91% of substantiated cases of child maltreatment were at the hands of one or both parents. Exposure to complex trauma can act as a catalyst for subsequent traumatic experiences or events if the child is not removed from the unsafe environment and provided with adequate protective factors and supports.
Jigsaw types of trauma: Group 2 Cultural Trauma
An attack on the fabric of a society, affecting the essence of a community and its members. Cultural Trauma creates a legacy of poverty, poor mental health, physical health and a pervasive senses of hopelessness in some communities. The impact of Racism and Institutional Racism, prejudice, discriminatino and health disparities persist in many ethnic minority communities. Multi-generational/Intergenerational Trauma occurs when trauma is not resolved and is subsequently internalized and passed from one generation to the next.
Jigsaw types of trauma: Group 3 Historical Trauma
An example of historical trauma in the U.S. is the former use of American Indian Boarding Schools where native children were forcibly removed from their families to be “civilized” into Euro-American culture. The children were stripped of their culture, including their food, clothing, rituals, and language while being physically disconnected from their communities. Children of historical trauma survivors can experience symptoms similar to their parents despite having never been directly exposed to the traumatic experiences or events. Studies of the children of Holocaust survivors and descendants of Japanese Americans interned during World War II indicate that historical trauma may negatively impact confidence, self-esteem, assertiveness, shame, and family communication, while also increasing the likelihood of experiencing subsequent trauma.
Jigsaw types of trauma: Group 4 Racial Trauma
There are a lot of subtle, and not so subtle, ways in which discrimination is practiced. Sometimes it is so ingrained in a person, they may not even recognize that they are behaving in ways or have beliefs that influence their behavior toward people of certain races, religions, ethnicities, national origins, cultures, etc. Microaggressions are one form of racism and discrimination. They are the everyday verbal, nonverbal, and environmental slights, snubs, or insults (whether intentional or unintentional) that target individuals of marginalized groups. For instance, being asked “What are you?” in regard to your race, ethnicity, or nationality can be a microaggression. Although it seems benign, questions like this are a form of microaggressions and can cause a person to question their sense of identity and belonging. For more examples of microaggressions, refer to the information sheet named Examples of Racial Microaggressions: https://drive.google.com/file/d/16xmJmPXJSPBl8N9Yji4lFX2qsXIT9-pd/view?usp=sharing
It is important to keep in mind that both historical trauma and racial trauma may be experienced not only by the children and families you work with, but also by you and your own family, friends, colleagues and community. Your own experiences or the experiences of those around you may impact your perception of other’s experiences.
Jigsaw types of trauma: Group 5 Intergenerational Trauma
Though sometimes used interchangeably with historical trauma, intergenerational trauma typically affects one family (vs. a group or community) across multiple generations. Trauma experienced in childhood or adulthood can have an impact on an individual’s parenting and can be transmitted through things like family norms, beliefs, habits, and socioeconomic status.
Jigsaw types of trauma: Group 6 Childhood Bereavement Trauma
Childhood bereavement is one of the most common, and most stressful, types of trauma in childhood and adolescence. The death of an important person to that child may be either sudden or unexpected and can impair a child’s ability to grieve. For instance, the child may view the deceased as all good or all bad, and may have difficulty reflecting on memories of the individual.
Jigsaw types of trauma: Group 7 Traumatic Separation
Traumatic separations can be sudden, unexpected, and prolonged. They can be accompanied by additional stressful events. For children and youth involved in child welfare, their removal from the home or their parent’s removal, incarceration, deportation, or termination of rights are some of the situations in which traumatic separation may occur. Traumatic separation can also apply to other relationships, such as those with grandparents and siblings. Traumatic separation may have an impact on parents and caregivers as well. Though similar in nature, traumatic separation differs from childhood bereavement in that the child may spend a great deal of time hoping for reunification, even if it cannot occur for years, if at all. This can impede the child’s ability to cope effectively.
Jigsaw types of trauma: Group 8 System-Induced Trauma & Retraumatization
In the event a child has experienced multiple traumas, their ability to overcome future trauma is compromised, creating a cycle of loss. This reinforces a child’s beliefs that they are worthless, that people are untrustworthy, and that the world is unpredictable and hostile. Some studies have shown that up to 30% of youth in foster care experience additional maltreatment while a dependent or ward of the court. Some racial and cultural minority groups may experience trauma at higher rates due to exposure to violence, mental health disparities, and substance use issues. It is important to realize that how you approach a case and what you communicate to a child, resource parent, or other caregiver can have either a positive or negative impact for that child and family. There are many circumstances that are out of your control, but if each one of you approaches the children and families that you work with in a trauma-informed way, you can make a difference.
Why Cultural Humility is Important...Whole class/instructor-led discussion
There is importance of knowing your students...and considering their backgrounds. When you look at this image, what thoughts or feelings come to mind? Gather 2-3 quick responses from the participants. Limit to 2 minutes. Listen to the participants’ examples and feel free to give some of these if they are not brought up by the participants: Peace; Serenity; Relaxation; The feeling of sand between one’s toes.
Now, what if I told you that before I was born, my mom survived a tsunami, but lost the home she grew up in and many of her friends and family members died. How do you think I feel when looking at the same image above? Gather 4-5 quick responses from the participants. Limit to 3 minutes. Listen to the participants’ examples and feel free to give some of these if they are not brought up by the participants: Scared; Triggered; Anxious.
Introduce the Traumatic Stress Response Cycle: Traumatic Event to The Body's Alarm System to Stress Hormones to either Return to Calm or Traumatic Stress
Let’s use the snake as an example of a traumatic experience to illustrate the traumatic response cycle or what happens in your brain and body when you are exposed to something traumatic. When faced with a threat or traumatic event like the snake, the body has an automatic response, the fight, flight or freeze response which is the body’s alarm system. The area of the brain that prompts the response is the primitive brain (which remember is the survival part of the brain and is the earliest to develop). More advanced centers of the brain, like the prefrontal cortex, are responsible for thinking, reasoning, and consciously processing the information. As these develop, they help to analyze the threat and signal the primitive brain to stop pumping out stress hormones so the body’s system can return to normal. When you realize that you’re looking at a stick and not a snake and you feel yourself relax, these higher centers have done their job and helped you to return to calm! Exposure to chronic trauma tends to cause people to overreact to perceived threats and be on constant alert for danger. The emergency response system can get stuck in the “on position” for traumatic stress.
Ask: What do you think might be some of the impacts of having one’s response system stuck in the on position for traumatic stress? How did Melinda in Speak excerpt respond to her stress? Gather quick responses from the participants. Limit to 2 minutes. Feel free to give some of these if they are not brought up by the participants: Stress hormones can keep flowing and make it harder for the prefrontal part of the brain to think and plan and work efficiently; Stress hormones, and related brain chemical that are generated, get in the way of rational thinking; Increased aggressiveness; Numb to danger; Fearful; Difficulty concentrating
Variability in Responses to Stressors and Traumatic Events: It is important to understand that trauma reactions are not the same for all children or adults. You need to look at each person as a unique individual with unique experiences.Don’t assume that a youth is traumatized simply because they were a part of an event that was traumatic. You need to rely on mental health screening and/or assessment and the youth or caregiver report about how they are functioning. We will be talking more about this in the trauma-informed child welfare trainings. It is also important to note that it is easier to identify when a youth is traumatized when their response is acting out with overt behaviors; however, some youth tend to internalize their symptoms and they may be overlooked because they are described as a quiet or compliant child.
Variability in Responses to Stressors and Traumatic Events: Think of how many different combinations there are with all of these factors. It is easy to see how there may be many different responses to a similar traumatic event. This sometimes plays out within families when siblings are all exposed to the same trauma but have differing reactions.
Remember the earlier discussion about cultural intersectionality? A person’s racial and cultural background influence how trauma is defined, their response to a traumatic event, and how trauma is treated. Historical and intergenerational trauma are also important here in terms of how a caretaker or a community responds to trauma.
Ask: Reflect upon these factors as they pertain to Melinda (from Speak). Who was Melinda’s adult-support person in the story?
Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) lead to Impact on Child Development then Long-Term Consequences
Another way to understand some of the long- term impacts of trauma is by looking at data from the Adverse Childhood Experiences or ACE study. The ACE Study looked at adverse childhood experiences and long-term health outcomes found many consequences related to disease as well as to social problems.
Relationship Between Early Childhood Trauma and Health and Well-Being Later in Life: Show the ACES Primer video (length 4:59): https://vimeo.com/139998006 . To emphasize what was said in the video: “What is predictable is preventable. ACES are not destiny; they are a tool for helping and understanding the impacts of adversity.” We will be talking a bit more about resilience later today and ways that you can help prevent and mitigate the impacts of childhood adversity.
Ask: Consider how teachers can break this trajectory...add to your journal
Unit 1 content adapted from
Anderson, L. H. (2011). Speak. Square Fish.
University of Buffalo. (2021). Conversations about culture: video and lesson plan. http://socialwork.buffalo.edu/resources/conversations-about-culture.html#title_2
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Wohltmann, T., & Drabble, L. (2016, September 19). Trauma Informed Curriculum. OER Commons. Retrieved June 17, 2021, from https://www.oercommons.org/authoring/15643-trauma-informed-curriculum.
Child Welfare Trauma Training Toolkit
Unit 1 Activities
Unit 1
Cultural Humility and Types of Trauma
Impacts of Trauma
Activities: Unit 1 of this module is contained in its entirety in presentation slides. All activities are provided below.
Activity: Cultural Humility
Review the video defining cultural humility. https://youtu.be/_Mbu8bvKb_U
Lifelong learning
Critical self-reflection
Recognize and mitigate power imbalances
Consider the fourteen personal competencies identified by Hogan (2007). https://docs.google.com/document/d/1GNTiIxq5aZwWgLcEbmY_w6hlQ01XrX7FF6PJTIGbBIs/edit?usp=sharing
In your journal,
Rate yourself on a scale of 1 (low) to 5 (high) in each of these areas.
Add up the points: 61-70=high; 51-60=moderate, 0-50 needs more practice.
Reflect upon why you scored as you did and how this activity will inform your practice.
Activity: Types of Trauma Jigsaw
Create Types of Trauma table (see second slide)
In your Jigsaw Group (8 groups)
Review your assigned Type of Trauma: slide and slide notes (if provided)
Fill in your row
Designate spokesperson to share out description
Share with entire class
Add other groups’ descriptions to your table
Descriptions of the types of trauma are included in Unit 1 Content
https://drive.google.com/file/d/11-gPhgXKpXKZMO_5U-xa96rJLRdxU7YM/view?usp=sharing
A Window into One Student’s Life: Trauma
https://drive.google.com/file/d/11-gPhgXKpXKZMO_5U-xa96rJLRdxU7YM/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1tlOhjgYiKq4NkjeI8Qwzd6GvGeWjAmz0/view?usp=sharing
Journal and discuss in small groups
What were the student’s challenges?
What were the student’s strengths and assets?
Unit 1 content adapted from
Anderson, L. H. (2011). Speak. Square Fish.
University of Buffalo. (2021). Conversations about culture: video and lesson plan. http://socialwork.buffalo.edu/resources/conversations-about-culture.html#title_2
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Wohltmann, T., & Drabble, L. (2016, September 19). Trauma Informed Curriculum. OER Commons. Retrieved June 17, 2021, from https://www.oercommons.org/authoring/15643-trauma-informed-curriculum.
Child Welfare Trauma Training Toolkit
Unit 1 Assessment
Unit 1
Cultural Humility and Types of Trauma
Impacts of Trauma
Assessment: Unit 1 of this module is contained in its entirety in presentation slides. All assessments are included below.
Introduction to Trauma Sources Pre-Assessment: Types of Trauma
Complete the Pre-assessment (Google Quiz, Zoom Poll, Nearpod matching, etc. https://forms.gle/JCQz3mQRRLb34j1P7
Take this pre-assessment to self-assess what you already know about types of trauma and their source. To view your answers on the Google Quiz, click “View Accuracy” after submitting.
To create other assessments, here are the questions and answers (highlighted green and marked with X):
Pre-Assessment Trauma Definitions
Prior to reviewing the various trauma sources, we want to assess what you already know. This is a non-graded quiz. Select the best definition for each type of trauma. Your results will be provided when quiz is submitted. Please note in your journal, the trauma type(s) that were not correct and any questions you have about any trauma source.
Childhood Bereavement Trauma
Creates a legacy of poverty, poor mental health, physical health and a pervasive sense of hopelessness in some communities
Children's experiences of multiple traumatic events that occur within the primary caregiving system
Results from prolonged events or experiences that have an impact across generations within a group or community
Refers to the stressful impact or emotional pain experienced as a result of witnessing or experiencing racism, discrimination, or structural prejudice
Results from events or experiences that affect one family across two or more generations and are transmitted through family norms, beliefs, habits, and genetics
X Refers to when someone important to the child dies
Refers to the loss of a caregiver for varying lengths of time due to circumstances other than death
Losses continue to accumulate due to impermanence, fears of rejection, and uncertainty
Historical Trauma
Creates a legacy of poverty, poor mental health, physical health and a pervasive sense of hopelessness in some communities
Children's experiences of multiple traumatic events that occur within the primary caregiving system
X Results from prolonged events or experiences that have an impact across generations within a group or community
Refers to the stressful impact or emotional pain experienced as a result of witnessing or experiencing racism, discrimination, or structural prejudice
Results from events or experiences that affect one family across two or more generations and are transmitted through family norms, beliefs, habits, and genetics
Refers to when someone important to the child dies
Refers to the loss of a caregiver for varying lengths of time due to circumstances other than death
Losses continue to accumulate due to impermanence, fears of rejection, and uncertainty
Racial Trauma
Creates a legacy of poverty, poor mental health, physical health and a pervasive sense of hopelessness in some communities
Children's experiences of multiple traumatic events that occur within the primary caregiving system
Results from prolonged events or experiences that have an impact across generations within a group or community
X Refers to the stressful impact or emotional pain experienced as a result of witnessing or experiencing racism, discrimination, or structural prejudice
Results from events or experiences that affect one family across two or more generations and are transmitted through family norms, beliefs, habits, and genetics
Refers to when someone important to the child dies
Refers to the loss of a caregiver for varying lengths of time due to circumstances other than death
Complex Trauma
Creates a legacy of poverty, poor mental health, physical health and a pervasive sense of hopelessness in some communities
X Children's experiences of multiple traumatic events that occur within the primary caregiving system
Results from prolonged events or experiences that have an impact across generations within a group or community
Refers to the stressful impact or emotional pain experienced as a result of witnessing or experiencing racism, discrimination, or structural prejudice
Results from events or experiences that affect one family across two or more generations and are transmitted through family norms, beliefs, habits, and genetics
Refers to when someone important to the child dies
Refers to the loss of a caregiver for varying lengths of time due to circumstances other than death
Losses continue to accumulate due to impermanence, fears of rejection, and uncertainty
System-Induced Trauma & Retraumatization
Creates a legacy of poverty, poor mental health, physical health and a pervasive sense of hopelessness in some communities
Children's experiences of multiple traumatic events that occur within the primary caregiving system
Results from prolonged events or experiences that have an impact across generations within a group or community
Refers to the stressful impact or emotional pain experienced as a result of witnessing or experiencing racism, discrimination, or structural prejudice
Results from events or experiences that affect one family across two or more generations and are transmitted through family norms, beliefs, habits, and genetics
Refers to when someone important to the child dies
Refers to the loss of a caregiver for varying lengths of time due to circumstances other than death
X Losses continue to accumulate due to impermanence, fears of rejection, and uncertainty
Cultural Trauma
X Creates a legacy of poverty, poor mental health, physical health and a pervasive sense of hopelessness in some communities
Children's experiences of multiple traumatic events that occur within the primary caregiving system
Results from prolonged events or experiences that have an impact across generations within a group or community
Refers to the stressful impact or emotional pain experienced as a result of witnessing or experiencing racism, discrimination, or structural prejudice
Results from events or experiences that affect one family across two or more generations and are transmitted through family norms, beliefs, habits, and genetics
Refers to when someone important to the child dies
Refers to the loss of a caregiver for varying lengths of time due to circumstances other than death
Losses continue to accumulate due to impermanence, fears of rejection, and uncertainty
Traumatic Separation
Creates a legacy of poverty, poor mental health, physical health and a pervasive sense of hopelessness in some communities
Children's experiences of multiple traumatic events that occur within the primary caregiving system
Results from prolonged events or experiences that have an impact across generations within a group or community
Refers to the stressful impact or emotional pain experienced as a result of witnessing or experiencing racism, discrimination, or structural prejudice
Results from events or experiences that affect one family across two or more generations and are transmitted through family norms, beliefs, habits, and genetics
Refers to when someone important to the child dies
X Refers to the loss of a caregiver for varying lengths of time due to circumstances other than death
Losses continue to accumulate due to impermanence, fears of rejection, and uncertainty
Intergenerational Trauma
Creates a legacy of poverty, poor mental health, physical health and a pervasive sense of hopelessness in some communities
Children's experiences of multiple traumatic events that occur within the primary caregiving system
Results from prolonged events or experiences that have an impact across generations within a group or community
Refers to the stressful impact or emotional pain experienced as a result of witnessing or experiencing racism, discrimination, or structural prejudice
X Results from events or experiences that affect one family across two or more generations and are transmitted through family norms, beliefs, habits, and genetics
Refers to when someone important to the child dies
Refers to the loss of a caregiver for varying lengths of time due to circumstances other than death
Losses continue to accumulate due to impermanence, fears of rejection, and uncertainty
Unit 1
Assessment 1: Cultural Humility and Types of Trauma
View video The Importance of Cultural Humility through the lens of a teacher rather than a social worker. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVmOXVIF8wc
Select and respond one of the following prompts.
How will you focus your own personal and professional development to develop your personal competencies further to support students facing trauma?
How will you grow your cultural humility to better support your students during Clinical Practice (e.g., student teaching) and in your future classrooms?
Why is it important to know your students’ histories in order to develop an understanding of their possible traumas?
Journal prompt responses in a Google Doc or other shareable document.
Add to your table of the Types of Trauma Comment column in your journal.
Comments?
Questions?
Real-life examples?
Unit 1
Assessment 2: Impacts of Trauma
Consider the various trauma sources we have discussed (i.e., Type of Trauma table)
Respond to each of the following prompts in your journal:
What type of trauma did Melinda (in Speak) experience (e.g., Complex, Cultural)?
Why do you select this type?
What was Melinda’s response to this trauma?
Consider a personal impact trauma has had on your life (e.g., own, friends, students). Include in your journal:
What is the type?
What has helped and what has not helped?
Unit 1 content adapted from
Anderson, L. H. (2011). Speak. Square Fish.
University of Buffalo. (2021). Conversations about culture: video and lesson plan. http://socialwork.buffalo.edu/resources/conversations-about-culture.html#title_2
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Wohltmann, T., & Drabble, L. (2016, September 19). Trauma Informed Curriculum. OER Commons. Retrieved June 17, 2021, from https://www.oercommons.org/authoring/15643-trauma-informed-curriculum.
Child Welfare Trauma Training Toolkit
Unit 2 Content
Unit 2
Researched Support Strategies
Support Strategy Design
Content: Unit 2 of this module is contained in its entirety in presentation slides. Key items are described below.
Unit 2 Objectives
TCWBAT... a) Research to identify strategies to support students who have faced or are facing trauma and Design strategies to support resilience in a fictional student
Show 5 minute-video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dF20FaQzYUI
Discuss ideas/concepts raised in video - what specific ways could you support Melinda (from Speak)? For example: build relationships, love, ask what happened to you NOT what is wrong with you
Childhood Trauma: What can teachers do to support?
Be aware of the experiences your students may be facing or may have faced
Traumatic
Protective
Be the protective/positive influence in a child’s life
Research has shown that reflection upon on the protective (Resilience) experiences may help protect people with four or more ACEs from developing negative outcomes
“Protective factors and resilience can be nurtured in all children no matter their risk or ACEs” and that “no child or adult is without hope for healing”
(Debbie Alleyne, Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health)
It is important to understand that with all of trauma’s impacts, there are ways that you can help foster healing. Read the Thurgood Marshall quote on the slide or ask for a volunteer to do so. "None of us got where we are solely by pulling ourselves up by our bootstraps. We got there because somebody-a parent, a tacher, an Ivy League crony, or a few nuns-bent down and helped us pick up our boots." As the Thurgood Marshall quote indicates, the process of recovering from trauma and developing resilience is largely dependent on supportive and enduring relationships. Think back on a time that you went through some tough challenges. What helped you get through? Gather 2-3 quick responses from the participants. Limit to 1 minute.
Before talking about resilience, let’s spend some time exploring neuroplasticity, which is the brain’s ability to adapt to new ways of thinking, feeling, and doing. A great example of this comes from Dr. Michael Merzenich, one of the foremost researchers on neuroplasticity, who wrote, “...each time we learn a new dance step, it reflects a change in our physical brains: new ’wires‘ (neural pathways) that give instructions to our bodies on how to perform the step. Each time we forget someone’s name, it also reflects brain change - ‘wires‘ that once connected to the memory have been degraded, or even severed.” As these examples show, changes in the brain can result in improved skills (a new dance step) or a weakening of skills (a forgotten name). Over time and with repetition, neural pathways can be forged or refined, and long lasting functional changes in the brain can occur. Has anyone here ever learned a new language or skill later in life or changed a habit? Gather 2-3 quick responses from the participants. They can either shout them out or raise their hands. Limit to 1 minute.
The video you are about to watch demonstrates how pathways in the brain can be strengthened or weakened over time so people can learn to speak French or dance Samba. Show the Neuroplasticity video (length=2:03) by clicking on the video icon on the slide or typing this into the browser: https://youtu.be/ELpfYCZa87g
Because of neuroplasticity, experts now know that human brains aren’t, in fact, set in stone like it was once believed. There is a lot a person can do to change their brain functioning, and, in turn, the way they think, feel, and behave. This is particularly important to understand when talking about resilience. Figuring out what resilience actually is and how to define it is challenging. Social scientists have explored the phenomena of resilience for nearly 50 years and with a variety of populations, including refugees, cancer patients, and even Fortune 500 companies. You can imagine how different resilience might look for Microsoft than it would for a child or youth in foster care.
Before delving into the definition of resilience, let’s spend some time addressing common misconceptions. First, resilience is not something someone does or does not have. It is not a single strength, characteristic, or attribute. Instead, it is a culmination of factors, both internal and external (we’ll touch more on that later). Additionally, resilience is not an outcome. It ebbs and flows across the lifespan. In fact, someone who demonstrates resilience today may not in 5 or 10 years, and vice versa. Lastly, it is unrealistic to think children and youth can bounce right back when faced with serious life challenges and hardships. More often, suffering and struggle are experienced in forging resilience, so it should not be mischaracterized as breezing through trauma unscathed or bouncing back to the original state before the trauma occurred.
Resilience is a dynamic developmental process that occurs over time, resulting from a culmination of both internal and external influences, as well as past trauma, genetic makeup, and individual capacities. These factors enable people to positively adapt and function despite facing acute or chronic trauma.
Positive adaptation has been defined differently over the years, but there is growing consensus that it is marked by the achievement of age-appropriate developmental milestones. For younger children, this could include learning to walk and talk while for older adolescents it may be completing school and engaging in a romantic relationship.To understand how multidimensional resilience can be, consider two children who’ve experienced the same trauma. Sam is an 8-year-old boy who lives with his mom and dad in an affluent community. He is an above average student who enjoys playing soccer and spending time with friends. Roger is also an 8-year-old boy, but unlike Sam, he has spent the past two and a half years in foster care where he moved placements 3 times. He just started at a new school and joined a soccer team, which he is enjoying, however, he is still having difficulty making friends, keeping up his grades, and connecting with his classmates. Now imagine that Sam and Roger both break their leg after falling from a tree. How might their past experiences, current environments, and connections to others influence their resilience? Gather 2-3 quick responses from the participants. They can either shout them out or raise their hands. Limit to 3 minutes.
All people have protective factors that help them overcome and respond to traumatic events. They can come from internal and external factors that aid in coping and processing stressful or traumatic events. Internal factors include problem-solving skills, hope, and the ability to regulate their emotions. External factors can include support from a network of family, friends, and the community. There is no formula or one-size-fits-all combination of factors that can guarantee healthy adaptation. However, these are some of the internal and external factors or influences known to aid in coping with trauma and developing or strengthening resilience. Internal protective factors include personal strengths and characteristics that influence a person’s behavior. While many of them may sound like biologically determined traits that one either has or does not have, research now indicates they can be learned. For instance, research shows that individuals who have a deeper sense of gratitude have a higher likelihood of demonstrating resilience since it helps develop and maintain relationships. However, it’s the act of saying “thank you” to someone who has done something kind, rather than an actual deep or genuine feeling of thankfulness, that helps you have positive social interactions.
Read what is on the slide on the Internal Factors column or ask for a volunteer to do so. External factors are the resources and supports that are present in the child or youth’s life, and range from intimate family relationships to the broader environment, like school and the community. Young children are especially dependent on external protective factors as they continue to develop internal abilities like problem-solving skills and self-regulation.
Read what is on the slide on the External Factors column or ask for a volunteer to do so. No single internal or external factor can yield resilience on its own. The interaction among the different factors, and the degree to which they are present, are critical in understanding someone’s response and recovery after trauma. It’s important to note that some factors have a larger impact on positive adaptation and healing. Research has demonstrated that a stable relationship with a caring and supportive adult is one of the greatest indicators of a child or youth’s recovery following a traumatic event.
Make sure the speakers are on and the laptop is connected to the Internet.
The video you are about to watch illustrates the idea of how resilience can be formed and changes over time.
Show Brains: Journey to Resilience video (length=7:44) by clicking on the video icon on the slide or typing this into the browser: https://vimeo.com/245310333
Facilitate a large group discussion by having folks shout out key words or descriptors that help to conceptualize or define resilience. Allow up to 3 minutes for participants to answer.
Introduce three phases of TISP Tri-Phasic Model: Connecting - Coaching - Commencing
“Safety and security don’t just happen, they are the result of collective consensus and public investment. We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear.” — Nelson Mandela, Former President of South Africa
This is one model used for trauma-informed school practices. As we explore Phase I of this model, consider what you would like to try in your own classroom and how does it connect to the research you and your peers have conducted.
“The goal of TISP is to assist all elements of an academic environment in structuring its culture and processes according to trauma-informed school competencies to promote a student’s integrated neural functioning, which is foundational to academic success.”
The Trauma-Informed School Practices Tri-Phasic Model is a metaframe for developing educator competencies required to safely and effectively implement trauma-informed school practices. It is a universal-access approach to learning for use by teacher preparation and educator credentialing programs, mental health professionals working within educational settings, and districts, schools, and staff transitioning to trauma-informed practices. TISP also applies to higher education, both undergraduate and graduate settings. The model details the knowledge, skills, and dispositions congruent with trauma-informed educator expertise. It is based upon trauma-informed research integrating advancements in the neurobiology of stress and trauma, developmental theories, and best practices regarding how to help persons recover and resume development. This text emphasizes the application of these competencies within K-12 school systems, in individual classrooms, and in service to the Person of the Educator.
This phase model is both sequential and iterative. While each phase scaffolds a student’s ability to engage in the tasks of successive stages, students and the school environment are continually looping back around, cycling through each phase in both small, immediate cycles on some elements and large, long-term cycles for other elements.
Goal: Trauma-Informed School Practices recognize that developmental, social, and cultural pressures, in addition to unmitigated stress and trauma, disrupt the formation and integration of neural networks foundational to social, emotional, and cognitive developmental processes, impairing a student’s ability to be successful in academic environments. The goal of TISP is to assist all elements of an academic environment in structuring its culture and processes according to trauma-informed school competencies to promote a student’s integrated neural functioning, which is foundational to academic success.
There are four guiding principles to the model. We will introduce each one before looking at specific teaching strategies to use in your classroom.
Attachment-Focused. Attachment-focused developmental theories, further supported by advancements in neurobiology, provide concrete and practical insight into relational processes that either support or interrupt brain development. These knowledge components provide the rationale for the primacy of attunement and mentoring to promote neural integration, key to achieving success in the academic environment. Attachment theory also informs TISP’s embrace of a consistent ethic of care. It advocates for attuned, mentoring, and collaborative dispositions and practices with students, and between coworkers and community members. This value is evident in TISP’s community-driven emphasis on the Person of the Educator.
Neurobiology-Informed. Trauma-informed practitioners rely on advancements in our understanding of the neurobiology of development, stress, and trauma. This knowledge base informs the educator that students struggling in the school setting are often demonstrating unintegrated neural networks congruent with common and expected developmental challenges, often exacerbated by unmitigated stress and trauma.
Strengths-Based. A strengths-based trauma-informed approach trusts that when we create attachment-focused learning communities, our efforts are healing, allowing students to increase resilience and resume development. It also recognizes that there is a complex set of factors undermining safe, secure attachment across all levels of social relationships, with no one person or system to blame. Rather, each person and system is capable of becoming a secure attachment base for students, whether at home, at school, or in other community settings.
Community-Driven. This principle emphasizes community as a place of welcome and inclusion.
Ethic of Care. Trauma-informed practice is ultimately a commitment to being in community in a manner that provides a welcome and inclusive environment so that each person can thrive throughout the lifespan. This includes educator well-being, a central value expressed in Person of the Educator practices, a professional development standard that also promotes effective implementation of trauma-informed practice.
Participation by All Stakeholders. TISP requires a system-wide change in culture and practice implemented in a developmental process requiring collaboration among multiple stakeholders, all of whom have a voice in the trauma-informed transition process. This includes students and parents, who are crucial partners in building trauma-informed communities.
Multicultural Inclusion. Trauma-informed practice recognizes that significant stress and trauma are caused by implicit and explicit social values and mores related to aspects of our social identities that are either privileged or marginalized. TISP’s universal-access approach includes a commitment to understanding the influence of dominant worldviews, systems, and laws on marginalized populations and the added risk of stress and trauma this presents to students and staff.
As teachers, our dispositions are easily seen by our students. Trauma-informed dispositions help guide teachers to show that their classrooms are committed to their students and their student well-being. As we read each disposition, consider how a teacher - you - could demonstrate the disposition.
Disposition 1: Trauma-informed educators create environments that promote the neural integration of their members (students and educators) in order to maximize students’ academic and social success at each developmental stage.
Disposition 2: Trauma-informed educators commit to learning the knowledge, skills, and dispositions required to implement trauma-informed practices according to their role and context in order to promote safe and effective learning communities.
Disposition 3: Trauma-informed educators are committed to embedding trauma-informed rituals and practices within the daily, weekly, and seasonal routines of a school and classroom, providing a sense of repetition that deepens internal safety and stabilization. Repetition also emphasizes that basic TISP building blocks are continual and constant, not merely a phase that is completed in order to move to the next phase.
Disposition 4: Trauma-informed educators are aware of socio-cultural factors that increase student risk or resilience, and they are committed to creating an educational environment that is welcoming, safe, and inclusive of all persons.
Disposition 5: Trauma-informed educators are committed to a consistent ethic of care whereby the relational values offered to students are extended to self and one another.
Now we will go into detail on the first phase of the TISP Tri-Phasic Model. Consider these two definitions for Phase I and the following description.
Phase I: Connecting: Attachment Part 1: Attunement Description
“Connecting (attuning) is all about catching the immediate need state of a student, and as they feel held by your attunement, they are more apt to allow you to guide them accordingly, whether it is back on task or back on task through a process of practicing a self-regulation skill first. Attunement is capturing (Connecting), holding (Coaching), and guiding back to task (Commencing).”
“Attunement is all about you showing a welcoming stance with a student. You see them; you see all they have shared of themself thus far, and you see who they have the potential to become; you value them and are there to offer support and care. You believe in them, with all of their strengths and struggles. And with that, your eyes and ears are open to what they are bringing to you in this moment. You are tuning into their frequency as best as you are able, and you will keep attuning until they tell you through words or body language that you got it right.”
Both a Phase I goal and a foundational skill embedded in all aspects of TISP, Connecting addresses the primary need of students to experience adults attuning to their affective states, current needs, and successes in order to feel both emotionally and physically safe and welcome in the school environment. It reflects the recognition that until we feel seen, heard, and valued, key indicators of secure attachment leading to the thoughts, feelings, and sensations related to safety, we cannot self-regulate (stabilize). And until we establish a sense of safety and stabilization, we cannot resume growth or daily tasks, all of which require higher-order executive functioning.
On a systems level, Connecting includes District and School commitment to creating trauma-informed learning environments as a prerequisite to academic and social success for all students. In response, District and School personnel attune to the needs of Educators (all employees), subsystems, and the interfacing of subsystems to develop TISP competencies and offer support in the training and implementation processes. Districts also take the lead to include Community members (board members and parents) in TISP orientation processes. With this greater system support, Educators are then able to begin implementation strategies with Classrooms.
Build Community: More than the words...Classroom Motto or Mission Statement
What do you want your students to know about you and the classroom that communicates they are safe and welcome? Many of our students are unmotivated and not nearly as excited as we are. So, we decorate our walls with enticing images of that adventure, we give impassioned speeches, and we create engaging, entertaining introductory lessons. All of that is logical and good, but in due time, not as the first agenda item of the day or the class. This is very contrary to school systems that expect you to bombard each student with learning objectives and then expect each child to cite chapter and verse regarding what was accomplished in that past time slot.
Think of your classroom as an invitation over to your place for a picnic. Rarely do we sit our guests down and begin plating the meal as soon as they arrive. We greet each other, gently checking in and connecting before we sit down and dig in. How do you want to invite your students into that space and ease them into the adventures of that meal?
For most of our students, the expectations of the classroom are challenging, if not terrifying. Students may fear being unable to follow along and keep up with academic demands, or fear being disliked and perhaps picked on. If you lead with a narrative about the wonders of everything students are going to learn this year, we promise you that only those students who are excited to learn will experience the energizing, hopeful, adventurous benefits of a norepinephrine surge. For students who fear math, think they can never learn to spell, struggle to read, are shamed by imperfect grades, or are just overwhelmed, placing academics at the bottom of their list, that inspiring speech about what they are going to learn will push them into a flight, fight, or freeze response within the first few minutes of your picnic.
No doubt most classroom teachers feel fear that they will not be able to cover lesson plans and keep all students on task and up to speed within the allotted instructional time of a given day, week, or term. Time is of the essence. In Phase I, you get a chance to attune to your own anxiety about time pressures, as you relax into trusting that as you (and the greater school system) settle into the trauma-informed culture and cadence, learning will advance with fewer impediments; the time you spend on Connecting is banking instructional time and efficacy.
So, more specifically now, what is the attunement-focused goal for your classroom? Describe the ambiance you want to create that will guide the choices you make about all aspects of managing your classroom and the delivery of your lesson plans. As we think over our own classroom mission statements, they express that we strive to create a community.
Ask: What do you envision your classroom looking and feeling like?
Catching the immediate need: Non-verbal and Verbal Cues
To create a caring classroom community as we just discussed, means being connected with the students. We need to be able to read their non-verbal and verbal cues. Consider the what the student may need if he or she is exhibiting these cues.
Student Nonverbal Cues. If you have had the opportunity to be around infants and toddlers, and certainly your own students, you know the telltale signs of slight agitation that indicate a potential meltdown. Attachment theorist John Bowlby (1976) called these signals separation anxiety, meaning that the child’s sense of calm was dissipating as a need state was now on their radar. That need might be for comfort or adventure; it covers a range. The infant or toddler needs an attachment figure to read these cues and to warmly and openly communicate “I see you and hear you, let’s figure this out.” Sometimes that acknowledgement is all that is needed, often referred to by attachment theorists as a quick “refueling”; the child just needs to know you are there so they can manage the anxiety, returning to an inner sense of safety, and then confidently proceeding back to sleep or adventure-seeking. Other times they need more, such as being held or help fixing a problem. The more a preschool child receives this type of attunement, the more they can tolerate mini-deserts when the adults around them cannot attune as often.
Historic classroom-teacher-student schemas expect school students to enter class with a growing ability to need less of this type of attuning, refueling in little moments during the school day, and then refueling in extended ways after returning home. We know that many of our students are not coming to school with the ability to manage these mini-deserts very well, and hence we need to build in more routines of attunement to help them self-regulate and focus on learning.
Obvious nonverbal cues are behaviors a student displays indicating that they cannot focus on the class activity, whether they are distracting others or withdrawing. You would see a lack of focus in their eyes, an emotional expression captured in facial muscles that communicate being bored, angry, overwhelmed, tired, annoyed, disinterested, or preoccupied. Psychomotor agitation through foot tapping or squirming is common.
The underlying need state yanking their attention can be anything from being stuck on the academic task to a limited ability to access working memory, distraction due to noise and visual overstimulation in the classroom, or a frustrating interaction they had earlier in the day. Their limbic systems and implicit memory circuits may be pulsating with underlying anxiety due to unmitigated stress or trauma currently present in their life, further eroding attention span.
Student Verbal Responses. When a child is leaving that optimum state of arousal—a little of which is needed to focus—and headed toward overload, you will hear it in their voice as well, whether in tone, volume, and pitch, or in statements revealing a perplexing attitude or perception. A student not able to return to focus when redirected says “No,” or “Make me,” or flies into a rage. A dismissive eye-roll combined with “Whatever” is a very effective message telling you that anxiety has placed the student in a fight-or-flight mode. Our goal, in that immediate moment, is to decenter however we feel when we are mocked, belittled, or disrespected (by first compassionately acknowledging how this activates us at times), and see a student presenting with a wonderful opportunity to experience attunement on the way to self-regulation. They cannot self-regulate in that moment, so their belligerent behavior is their only weapon of protection. Look past it and reach out to them as we explore below.
“I see you and hear you, let’s figure this out.”
If you don’t have your journal out...it is time to get it out. We will begin discussing specific actions teachers can take to support students who need us.
Verbal and nonverbal cues require a response, but not always of the same type or intensity. Let’s imagine a three-level approach: Level 1 (think “green light means all is still OK) is just watching with a caring eye to see if the student can summon their own self-regulation skills and then return to task on their own. You do this every day, and most often students are able to squirm a little and find their way back. As you begin scaffolding self-awareness and response strategies in the classroom, on this level (slight agitation or distraction) you would be looking to see if they are using any of these skills, such as putting their head down for a moment to focus on breathing and other mindfulness or thought-focusing exercises. Your attunement response might be a smile, a warm head nod, a gentle cue that says you see them and are cheering them on and all is safe and OK. This allows them to relax and breathe into using their coping resources. Meanwhile, internally, you are beaming with joy watching this young person tracking and responding to their internal need states.
“I SEE YOU” (from across the room)
A Level 2 response (a yellow light signaling “proceed with cautious attention”) is when a clear touch point will be helpful in anchoring the student so they can summon the internal reserves to return to homeostasis, that sense of calm needed to return to task. It’s the equivalent of warmly and encouragingly saying “I see you” loud enough to be seen across a crowded room. Classroom teachers do this all the time! Each time you redirect a student, you are providing an anchoring touch point. When you try to rope a student’s attention back to an activity, you are saying, “I see you floating away. I’ve got you. Come on back.” Here is where your voice tone, pitch, and level need to convey calm, confidence, and clarity within a spirit of care.
“I SEE the entire class”
Another substitute for the anchoring that comes through safe touch is a virtual hug through a relaxation and focusing exercise. If you see other students also off task, take it as an opportunity to invite everyone to take a quick break for this exercise. Planned ahead of time so you can pull it out when appropriate, it would likely begin by asking students to close their eyes, take a few deep belly breaths (diaphragmatic breathing), and scan their bodies, thoughts, and feelings, as all of them are working so hard and it’s a good moment to pay attention to what that feels like. What does it feel like using so much brain power? Where is it hard? Where is it fun? You are increasing their awareness of their domains of neural integration (see Figure 2.5) while also giving them a chance to calm anxiety responses creeping through the room.
“I see you need a life raft - quickly!”
A Level 3 response (red light—”Stop the business as usual and help me!”) is where you see the student no longer able to control their response. Ideally, trauma-informed practices prevent many Level 3 responses. As you see agitation building, your TISP strategies work, especially as the student trusts the process and lets you guide them through a rough moment. But there will still be plenty of times when your student will be overrun by a cascade of neurochemicals driving thoughts, feelings, and behavioral responses. They need a life raft, and quick. Attunement says they need safety and containment before they hurt themselves or someone else.
The initial connecting skills of Psychological First Aid are a direct match with the way water rescue teams are trained. Have you ever watched promotional videos for the amazing men and women who rescue people caught in stormy seas? These professionals, dressed in all-weather ocean gear, descend into treacherous waters, and as they approach a victim, they greet that person with an upbeat, positive “Hello, my name is ____. How are you today?” (We can only imagine how we’d respond!). But it is quickly followed by “I’m going to help you get out of here, but you need to follow my direction. Can you do that?” Of course we want out of danger, so of course we are going to do whatever they say! In Psychological First Aid, it is the same thing: When we see someone overly dysregulated due to the fear and trauma of the precipitating event, and they are unable to receive and respond to comfort from caring others around them, we walk on over and begin by getting through loud and clear that we are here to help. It is the same three-step process: (a) approach and warmly greet; (b) mirror their current predicament, the “I see you are having a tough time and I’m here to help”; and (c) provide clear instructions on how they need to help you help them, the “I need you to work with me to help you get to a better place.” This is what Phase I Connecting means by providing safety and stabilization, and the Level 3 Code Red is the place it is most vividly practiced.
“I see you may need more help than I can give you.”
When a student is in a red zone, threatening harm to self or others, throwing verbal assault bombs like their life is in jeopardy and you are their mortal enemy, you can practice approaching that student and using their name as you say in your own words, “I see you are having a hard time; how can I help you? OK, just watch me for a second; take a breath and trust we can figure this out. Do you want to use _____ (a space you may have designated as a calming, private area), or step outside with me for a few minutes, or visit _____ (a designated person or office at their disposal when needed)?” You are giving them choices, as you already do, but with a spirit of helping them use their coping resources in partnership with you at that moment.
If a student is so dysregulated that they need physical help to prevent harm to themselves or others, you and/or the staff trained in those techniques are carrying out that intervention process with the same spirit.
Unit 2 content adapted from
Anderson, L. H. (2011). Speak. Square Fish.
Bernardi & Morton. (2019). Trauma-informed school practices. https://www.oercommons.org/courses/trauma-informed-school-practices-building-expertise-to-transform-schools/view
Trauma-Informed School Practices by Anna A. Berardi and Brenda M. Morton is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.
University of Buffalo. (2021). Conversations about culture: video and lesson plan. http://socialwork.buffalo.edu/resources/conversations-about-culture.html#title_2
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Wohltmann, T., & Drabble, L. (2016, September 19). Trauma Informed Curriculum. OER Commons. Retrieved June 17, 2021, from https://www.oercommons.org/authoring/15643-trauma-informed-curriculum.
Unit 2 Activities
Unit 2
Researched Support Strategies
Support Strategy Design
Activities: Unit 2 of this module is contained in its entirety in presentation slides. All activities are provided below.
ACE and Resilience Questionnaires
Read both questionnaires (do not need to complete based upon your personal life)
Purpose is to gain an understanding of the types of trauma your students could be facing (not to get your personal score)
Focuses on 10 types of childhood trauma
Most commonly identified in a group of 300 Kaiser members
Several addressed in Window discussions
Developed in 2006 (updated 2013) by medical professionals
Modeled after ACE Study questions
Purpose limited to parenting education
Small Group Discussion
Any questions surprise you?
Thoughts, comments, questions?
How do the protective (resilience) experiences relate to the classroom and school?
What specific strategies could you use to support resilience in Melinda (from Speak)?
Document Strategies in your journal
Instructor may read questionnaires so all start discussing at same time
Followed by discussion (20 min)
Any questions surprise you?
Thoughts, comments, questions?
How do the protective (resilience) experiences relate to the classroom and school?
What specific strategies could you use to support resilience in Melinda (from Speak)?
Document Strategies in your journal
Jigsaw: 7 groups How Can the Child Welfare Workforce - including teachers - Influence Resilience? Read the first strategy listed on the slide out loud - model how this would look in a classroom.How would you as a teacher make this happen?
Small Groups discuss their response to their assigned strategy. 2) Foster healthy, enduring relationships between children and caregivers, 3) Help children and youth make meaning of their experiences, 4) Promote positive coping skills and self-regulation in children and caregivers, 5) Helpf children and yout strengthen self-efficacy and perceived control, 6) Connect children and caregivers to formal trauma-focused sevices and supports, 7) Mobilize sources of faith, hope, and cultural traditions in the children's and cargivers' lives.
Assigned groups spend one minute sharing their ideas with the large group.
Unit 2 content adapted from
Anderson, L. H. (2011). Speak. Square Fish.
Bernardi & Morton. (2019). Trauma-informed school practices. https://www.oercommons.org/courses/trauma-informed-school-practices-building-expertise-to-transform-schools/view
Trauma-Informed School Practices by Anna A. Berardi and Brenda M. Morton is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.
University of Buffalo. (2021). Conversations about culture: video and lesson plan. http://socialwork.buffalo.edu/resources/conversations-about-culture.html#title_2
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Wohltmann, T., & Drabble, L. (2016, September 19). Trauma Informed Curriculum. OER Commons. Retrieved June 17, 2021, from https://www.oercommons.org/authoring/15643-trauma-informed-curriculum.
Unit 2 Assessment
Unit 2
Researched Support Strategies
Support Strategy Design
Assessment: Unit 2 of this module is contained in its entirety in presentation slides. All assessments are included below.
Unit 2
Assessment 1: Research
Locate four (4) articles on trauma-informed teaching strategies to influence resilience in Melinda (from Speak) and your future students facing trauma
2012 - present
Google Scholar (tutorial on next slides) or other research search engine
Suggested keywords
Resilience in students
Trauma-informed School Practices
Tri-Phasic Model of Recovery
Core Actions of Psychological First Aid
ARC Treatment Framework
Complete annotated bibliography (instructions on next slides)
Complete template
Example (other topic) on next slides
Note in your journal strategies you would like to try to support Melinda (from Speak) and your future students
Google Scholar screenshots from https://libguides.com.edu/c.php?g=649172&p=4554037
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Template screenshot
Unit 2
Assessment 2: Supporting Fictional Student’s Resilience
Review excerpt of Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson (https://drive.google.com/file/d/11-gPhgXKpXKZMO_5U-xa96rJLRdxU7YM/view?usp=sharing)
Review identified trauma-informed teaching strategies and TISP
Select one of the following prompts for your Journal
How could I, as a teacher, provide support to a student similar to this student?
How could I, as a teacher, draw on strengths and assets for my students similar to this student?
What advice would you offer a teacher who has this student in his/her class?
Base your responses on your research/annotated bibliography (i.e., provide citations for each strategy) and class notes
Discuss at least three strategies via presentation (e.g., Google Slide) or video (e.g., Flipgrid)
Describe strategy
Discuss how strategy will support Melinda (from Speak)
State why you chose strategy
Unit 2 content adapted from
Anderson, L. H. (2011). Speak. Square Fish.
Bernardi & Morton. (2019). Trauma-informed school practices. https://www.oercommons.org/courses/trauma-informed-school-practices-building-expertise-to-transform-schools/view
Trauma-Informed School Practices by Anna A. Berardi and Brenda M. Morton is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.
University of Buffalo. (2021). Conversations about culture: video and lesson plan. http://socialwork.buffalo.edu/resources/conversations-about-culture.html#title_2
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Wohltmann, T., & Drabble, L. (2016, September 19). Trauma Informed Curriculum. OER Commons. Retrieved June 17, 2021, from https://www.oercommons.org/authoring/15643-trauma-informed-curriculum.
Unit 3 Content
Unit 3
Student Support Strategy Critique
Trauma-informed Teaching Strategy Application
Content: Unit 3 of this module is contained in its entirety in presentation slides. This unit wraps-up the module so consists of activities and assessments.
Unit 3 Objectives
TCWBAT...a) Critique student support strategies, b) Apply trauma-informed teaching strategies
Unit 3 content adapted from
Bernardi & Morton. (2019). Trauma-informed school practices. https://www.oercommons.org/courses/trauma-informed-school-practices-building-expertise-to-transform-schools/view
Trauma-Informed School Practices by Anna A. Berardi and Brenda M. Morton is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.
Unit 3 Activities
Unit 3
Student Support Strategy Critique
Trauma-informed Teaching Strategy Application
Activities: Unit 3 of this module is contained in its entirety in presentation slides. All activities are provided below.
Strategy Presentations
From Unit 2, share your presentation of your three selected strategies
Take notes in journal on different strategies
Consider how they could support future students in your classroom
Critique challenges you might face when implementing
Reflect how you could overcome the challenges
We are pulling together the ideas and strategies from the first two units and learning from each other.
As you work in small groups, present your three strategies from Unit 2. (Note: we will be working with the whole class after this activity)
As you listen to your peers, take notes on the presentations based upon the three prompts.
Small Group Strategy Roleplay
Review each group member’s list of strategies
Consider the strengths and challenges of each strategy
Select one strategy
Develop a short (less than 5 minute) scenario to portray the strategy
Record scenario (e.g., Zoom/Google Meet recording, Flipgrip) to share with class
View each group’s roleplay
Note in journal new ideas from roleplays
Now we will “apply” our strategies. In groups of 2 - 3, develop a script/scenario to roleplay one selected strategy. Record your scenario to present to the whole class.
Unit 3 content adapted from
Bernardi & Morton. (2019). Trauma-informed school practices. https://www.oercommons.org/courses/trauma-informed-school-practices-building-expertise-to-transform-schools/view
Trauma-Informed School Practices by Anna A. Berardi and Brenda M. Morton is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.
Unit 3 Assessment
Unit 3
Student Support Strategy Critique
Trauma-informed Teaching Strategy Application
Assessment: Unit 3 of this module is contained in its entirety in presentation slides. All assessments are included below.
Unit 3
Assessment 1: Analyzing Trauma-informed Teaching
How will the strategies presented
move students to self-regulation?
scaffold students to be in charge of their thoughts, feelings, physical sensations, and actions?
What other support may be necessary?
Journal your thoughts and add to your list of trauma-informed teaching strategies you would like to implement in your classroom.
Now that we have shared our strategies, consider how they may work in your classroom. Journal your thoughts on the provided prompts.
Unit 3
Assessment 2:
Trauma-informed Teaching Supporting YOUR Students / Mini-book Final Assignment
Select six (6) teacher actions/strategies for your future classroom
Compose a mini-book (instructions/template)
Describe teacher action/strategy
State strengths (benefits to students)
Provide possible challenges in implementation
Provide references on back cover
Cover + 6 teacher actions/strategies + References
In this module, we have considered how cultural humility impacts trauma-informed teaching and the various types of trauma. You then connected the types of trauma and their sources to Melinda (from Speak). After researching and discovering trauma-informed teaching strategies and resilience support strategies, you began critiquing and determining strategies that you would like to use in your own classroom. Now is the time to document your efforts in your own book! Select six teacher actions/strategies from the many we have explored to create a mini-book. You may create manually or electronically - either way, I hope this exercise not only cements these ideas for future use but also you learn an assessment that you could use in your own classroom.
Unit 3 content adapted from
Bernardi & Morton. (2019). Trauma-informed school practices. https://www.oercommons.org/courses/trauma-informed-school-practices-building-expertise-to-transform-schools/view
Trauma-Informed School Practices by Anna A. Berardi and Brenda M. Morton is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.