Elements of Teaching Trauma

Providing support to students who have experienced childhood trauma requires whole school involvement. From school shootings that shock the nation to the daily violence, poverty, abuse, and addiction in communities that rarely make headlines, students and their families often experience traumatic events that can alter their lives forever. Unions and districts across the country are working together to address the epidemic of trauma in schools with students’ and educators’ needs in mind; collaborating to transform schools into trauma-informed environments, taking vital steps to become safe havens for every student. Trauma-sensitive focus on education supports a school community where students feel safe and confident in their ability to learn, can differentiate between trauma induced behavior and appropriate behavior, and communicate with adults and peers in a positive disposition