by Laura Belfiglio Gold
Trauma. It is a ubiquitous term applied daily to the 21-22 school year…as it was during the 20-21 school year. Trauma. It is impacting our students, our families, our colleagues.
But what is trauma?
Trauma can be thought of as the three Es or a result of an 1) event, or series of events or circumstances that is 2) experienced differently by each individual, e.g. what is traumatic to one person can be tolerated by another. Finally, trauma 3) effects each of us differently and can result in emotion, academic, physical, or spiritual impact. Sometimes trauma can be easily recognized, but just as often, goes undetected and undiagnosed.
How can we address trauma in our classrooms, particularly if we don’t always know if it’s there?
Given the triple tsunami of the pandemic, racial justice struggles and a rising US murder rate, we should simple assume trauma is in our classrooms and communities and act accordingly. This means shifting our paradigm from “What is wrong with you?” or “What happened to you?” These questions may satisfy our curiosity or even provide some concrete information, however, they don’t necessarily support the person experiencing trauma. Instead, encourage yourself to ask “What do you need?” or “How can I help?”
As we know from brain development research, before people can engage in higher order thinking (think: academics) they need to feel safe and cared for. Supporting needs and offering help is a solid first step.
What does this help look like in our classrooms? A Edutopia article describes eight concrete steps:
- Communicate with counselors or social workers. Most schools have resources on site. Seek help. Afraid to have a community circle where students discuss their feelings? Invite your counselor or social worker to model.
- Provide structure and consistency. People experiencing trauma are looking for safety. A consistent classroom is a calming classroom.
- Ease transitions. The trip to school, recess or lunch time can be dysregulating. Plan in calming transitions. Silent independent reading, yoga, tai chi, Calm classroom techniques, class read-alouds, free writing and drawing are wonder ways to invite your students to peacefully re-enter the academic space.
- Provide choice. A traumatized person feels a lack of agency. Follow the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL). https://udlguidelines.cast.org/ Can you offer a choice of topic for that five paragraph essay, or a choice of medium to express their knowledge of important history content?
- Develop strengths and interests. Think about creating opportunities for children to explore their own academic interests. Project based learning, and iProjects are great paths for students to find their passions.
- Be there. Sometimes we just need to be present with children. A hand on a shoulder, or an invitation to chat, a quiet corner can sometimes make all the difference.
Take care of yourself. Self-care is vital right now. Our students and families need so much from us. Walk. Take deep breaths. Chat with trusted loved ones. Take a mental health day. Do what you need to be fully present for those under your care. Be kind to yourself. Understand we have all been impacted during these traumatic times.
Laura Belfiglio Gold, MA, NBCT is a veteran (20+ year) teacher and administrator in San Francisco Unified School District. She is also the co-Founder of Kitab an NGO focusing on refugee youth and education in Greece. Currently she serves as a Supervisor and Lecturer at UCI and Sonoma State University.