Teaching Trauma Exposed Students

How do we teach students who have experienced trauma?

Well, in the book published by Educational Leadership called “Making School A Safe Place”, it shares ways the teacher can make small changes in their classrooms that can greatly benefit traumatized students. Many don’t know that up to two-thirds of children have experienced at least one type of serious childhood trauma such as, abuse, neglect, natural disaster, or experiencing/witnessing violence. Neurobiologically, students can’t learn if they don’t feel safe, known, and cared for within their schools (Aupperle et al., 2012). Here are some ways teachers can be proactive and responsive to the needs of students suffering from traumatic experiences:

1. Expect unexpected responses

Teachers need to understand that we can not take these students or any of our students reactions personally and we need to be able to put these reactions into the correct context. Think of these students as a bee hive- if we as teachers touch this bee hive we may trigger there trauma stress which will result in being stung. We need to have strategies in place in case of a situation that results in a triggering.

2. Employ Thoughtful Interactions

Traumatized students often behave in ways that may interfere with teaching and learning, which can be frustrating. Teachers are in a position of power, and these students may be overly defensive, anticipating adult criticism, or defiant, as a way to assert control (Jennings, 2018). These students need to be with a safe and supportive adult.

3. Be Specific About Relationship Building

Find a trust building strategy that you can use with this student to build a relationship with them. If you the teacher has a strong relationship with this student their behavior will reflect it and their learning will be enhanced.

4. Promote Predictability and Consistency

Provide visual scheduling of class agendas so this student knows whats coming next and is not surprised by a transition.

5. Teach strategies to “Change The Channel”

These students often engage in inaccurate thinking, they focus on the negative. Teach students that their brain is like a remote control that they can use to “switch the channel” to help them calm down (Minahan & Rappaport, 2012). These switching activities are called cognitive distractions or thought breaks and are incompatible with negative thinking. 

6. Give Supportive Feedback To Reduce Negative Thinking

It is important to smile and explicitly say when you are happy with these students, using a monotone facial expression and voice with these students could cause them to think negatively.

7. Create Islands Of Competence

Take the time to get to know the strengths of these students so you can fight poor self-concept and negative thinking that is related to trauma. Help them create a positive self-image.

8. Limit Exclusionary Practices

These students communicate their feelings through their behavior. We can not ignore these students ignoring them can trigger a trauma response and make them feel the teacher doesn’t like them or is even happy that they are upset. If you need to use incentives with these students.

Making these students, actually making all our students feel safe should be at the top of our priority list as a teacher. No student can learn if that do not feel safe.