rauma in the Classroom
One in four children attending school have been exposed to a traumatic event. Trauma is the response to a deeply distressing or disturbing event that overwhelms an individual’s ability to cope, causes feelings of helplessness, diminishes their sense of self and their ability to feel the full range of emotions and experiences. Children are the most vulnerable and susceptible people to be affected by trauma making schools a likely place to find trauma behaviors. Unfortunately, teachers and administrators, in large, are not informed about what trauma looks like. They are also not informed on how to facilitate teaching strategies in an effort to improve trauma effected students academic performance and behaviors. Two of the most impactful strategies that have been proven to improve students GPA, test scores, absences, detentions, etc include creating a safe classroom environment and building relationships. Some more teaching strategies that are helpful for behavioral issues regarding trauma impacted students include using specific praise, consistent expectations, practicing active listening and modeling empathetic behavior. It is crucial that teachers and administrators are made aware of what trauma looks like in the classroom and how to support their students to improve their academic performance and behavior.
EDUC 330, Child Development
Brian Kaelin
L203, poster #13
10 AM – Noon