Fostering Resilient Learners: Strategies for Creating a

Trauma-Sensitive Classroom(Written By: Kristin Souers with Pete Hall)

Presenter: Amanda MixDistrict RtI Math/Science Specialist

amandamix.weebly.comAmanda_Mix@isd31.net

Ext.: 44211

The Purpose Behind This Training/Book:● “You are what you do, not what you say

you’ll do” -Carl Jung.

● “Accountability versus availability, alternating

between pushing students with rigorous

expectations and nurturing students with

sensitivity and care. We needn’t choose one

or the other. It is high time that we embrace

both” (pg. 5).

● “We have a responsibility to educate every

single child who enters our schoolhouses”

(pg. 7).

● “Raise levels of academic achievement for

every student” (pg. 1).

● Additional R’s our students must learn:

Responsibility. Respect. Resilience.

Relationship.

● One singular focus: “To help you equip your

students with the skills to succeed” (pg. 1)

● ACEs: Adverse Childhood Experiences

● Not-OK Events: A euphemism for trauma and

other damaging occurrences-affect students’

readiness to learn.

● Trauma-Sensitive Learning Environment: A

location in which each and every students is

healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and

challenged through self-awareness,

relationship, belief, and live, laugh, love.

Part 1: TraumaFundamental Truths about Trauma (pg. 10):

1. Trauma is real.

2. Trauma is prevalent. Much more common

that we care to admit.

3. Trauma is toxic to the brain and can affect

development and learning in a multitude of

ways.

4. We need to support students, in our schools,

who have experienced trauma. Even if we

don’t know who they are.

5. Children are resilient and can grow, learn,

and succeed within positive learning

environments.

“Trauma is bigger than just a mental health

issue-it’s everyone’s issue” (pg. 11).

Reflective Time:

1. Why did you choose this profession

(Why are you here?)?

2. What motivated you to enter the field,

and what keeps you here (Why do you

stay?)?

Understanding Trauma and the Prevalence of the Not-OK

The definition of trauma focuses on the impact of

the events, not the nature of the events.

It is more beneficial for an educator to monitor

the effect of the event on each individual, not to

preoccupy themselves with the details of the

event itself (they are more than their story).

“Changing our focus enables us to concentrate on

nurturing the whole child and creating

trauma-sensitive learning environments for all

students” (pg. 16).

Initial Eight ACEs:

1. Substance abuse in the home.

2. Parental separation or divorce.

3. Mental illness in the home.

4. Witnessing domestic violence.

5. Suicidal household member.

6. Death of a parent or another loved one.

7. Parental incarceration.

8. Experience of abuse (psychological, physical,

or sexual) or neglect (emotional or physical).

More about ACEsTrend: “The higher an individual’s score, the

more likely his or she could experience

significant health concerning

outcomes-chronic obstructive pulmonary

disease, hepatitis, STD’s, intravenous drug

use, depression, obesity, attempted suicide,

or early death” (pg. 19).

“Trauma exposure is toxic to the body (and

brain)” (pg. 19).

Effect of ACEs on Children:

● As of 2012, 35 million U.S. children

have experienced at least one type of

childhood trauma.

● As of 2013, a report of child abuse is

made every 10 seconds.

● In 2010, suicide was the second leading

cause of death among children ages

12-17.

● Look at Figure 1.1 on page 21.

The Manifestation of ACEs in the Classroom“If students aren’t in the learning mode (mental,

physical, emotional, spiritual, and psychological

readiness to learn) they simply will not learn” pgs.

26-27.

When students/adults enter survival mode (to

manage stress) it can manifest into behaviors that

are avoidant, disruptive, or disengaged (flight, fight,

or freeze).

Look at Figure 2.1 on pg. 29.

“Stressed brains can’t teach, and stressed brains

can’t learn” (pg. 29).

Upstairs Brain (prefrontal cortex-logic) vs.

Downstairs Brain (limbic system-emotion)

“We cannot separate our lives from our work, so

how can we expect those less developmentally

advanced to do so?” (pg. 33)

“The overall goal for us is to act with integrity, to

be consistent and reliable, to remain logical and

regulated in times of stress, and-when facing

disruptive, defiant, and disrespectful behavior-to

stay in our upstairs brain. By remaining in

control of our own emotions, we are modeling

appropriate ways to manage stress” (pg. 37).

Part II: Self-Awareness● “Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom”-Aristotle

● “It is our demeanor, our approach, our behaviors, our volume, and

our presence that affect how our young people live, breathe, and

perform in the classroom” (pg. 41).

● “It starts with us. It starts with you” (pg. 41).

Cement Shoes: Staying True to Who You Are● Availability vs. Accountability

● “It’s crucial...that teachers not brush

aside self-care as an unnecessary

luxury...taking care of ourselves is what

enables us to take care of our

students” (pg. 44).

● Cement Shoes: Think about what key

aspects of yourself cannot, no matter

what, be taken away from you (Be true

to you!).

● Our Mission Statement: Clarifies our

core values, our unifying purpose, “our

true north.”

● By solidifying our “shoes” and “statement”

we will “behave and interact in ways that

will make us feel proud, not remorseful” in

times that are trying or emotional. We will

be using our upstairs brain (pg. 49).

Activity:

Look at the questions on page 50. Pick one of the

questions and discuss your answer with the

person next to you (2-3 min.).

Stay Out of Oz: Remaining Grounded Amid Chaos

“Students who experience chronic stress and

trauma...LIVE in their downstairs brain” (pg. 56).

“This is not an intentional attempt to hurt

others; rather, it is the best tool they’ve got to

manage the intensity of their reality” (pg. 56).

1. Beware of Tornadoes (stay focused)

2. Avoid getting taken to the “Land of Oz”

3. The Upstairs Brain Prevails

4. Be the Good Witch!

5. Be Preventative

How to Maintain Composure:

1. Having a plan.

2. Avoiding power struggles.

3. KNOWING the students.

4. Reinforcing the goal to stay out of

Oz.

5. KNOWING our own triggers.

When in Doubt, Shut Your Mouth and Take a Breath“Your breathing is your greatest friend.

Return to it in all your troubles and you will

find comfort and guidance.” -Buddhist

proverb.

● “Peekaboo” breathing.

● Breathing and Self-Control: Using the

Pause Button

Baseline and Triggers:

1. Determining our baseline energy level

(our temperament, attitude, and life

experiences)

2. Identifying triggers (make us more

susceptible to exhaustion, relating to

previous bad experiences, challenges

to our belief system, preconceived

notions, fear (what if?)).

“If it’s predictable, it’s preventable” (pg.

71).

It’s Not About You“Everything we say to and do with our

students and families must be done solely

for their benefit, not our own. It’s never

about us. I repeat: it’s not about you” (pg.

76).

● What is my role?

● Who am I working for?

● What is about to drive my behavior?

“Sometimes, our immediate need to make it

better overrides our long-term goal of

empowering students to problem-solve on

their own” (pg. 78).

Don’t Sew Their Pillows Analogy:

“When we sew for them, we send two

powerful devastating messages:

1. You are incapable of doing this on your

own.

2. If you wait long enough and create

enough of a fuss, someone will

eventually do it for you” (pg. 79)

In Times of Crisis/Conflict, Effective Communication is Vital!1. Listen: Listen deeply and pause after

listening.

2. Reassure: Let the person know that his

or her perspective is important.

3. Validate: The emotional state.

Connect with the right (the emotional

part of the brain) before redirecting

with the left (logical part of the brain).

4. Respond: An explanation, not a defense

statement of what actually occurred.

5. Repair: A heartfelt apology for whatever

role you may have played in the

miscommunication or strife (even if you

don’t believe you were in the wrong).

6. Resolve: Coming to terms with what

happened and collaborating to find

alternative ways of acting to prevent future

disruptions of the same type.

Part III: RelationshipActivity: What is your definition of the term

relationship?

(Discuss this term with the person next to you.)

Relationships require us to:

1. Listen more

2. Understand others’ perspectives

3. Develop empathy (NOT sympathy)

No One Said Relationship is Easy“Too much is asked of us as professionals.

Guess what? It’s true!” (pg. 93)

We must think of ourselves as “safe enough”

and “healthy enough” for our students.

”Because for the most part, that is all our

kids really need from us” (pg. 96). We must

provide:

● Consistency

● Positivity

● Integrity

“No significant learning occurs without a

significant relationship”-James Comer

(1995).

“Students don’t care to learn until we learn

to care” (pg. 100).

Trust is crucial in a healthy relationship

because it gives an aspect of feeling safe.

This sense of safety helps students who

have experienced trauma to gain access to

the “healthy parts of their brain” (pg. 102).

The Power of RelationshipSafety First (pg. 103):

● School grounds/building are

safe/secure

● School staff clearly share/implement

behavioral expectations/procedures.

● Family is welcomed/communicated

with.

● Assigned seating

● Check-in and check-out

● Posting of pictures

● Notes/calls home

● Rituals

Discipline does NOT “fix these broken kids.”

“We need to show them a window into a

different way of managing how they handle

their emotions” (pg. 105).

“Explore alternative ways of managing that

intensity, and help them see that they do

have some control in their lives” (pg. 106).

“It is these moments that give students hope

and fresh insight into what their lives could

be” (pg. 108). Be authentic and sincere.

Names, Labels, and the Need for ControlWe need to change our perspectives from

“adult-centered and deficit-focused” to

“student-centered and strength-focused.”

Activity: Consider the following statistics on

page 114. Talk with your neighbor on your

feelings about one of these statistics.

“The kids who enter our classrooms are

ours-every single one of them. We must do

whatever we can to keep them in our

classrooms, in our schools, and in

school-period. Leaving is not an option” (pg.

115).

We need to shift our perspective stemmed

from a common fear-the perceived lack of

control.

Sit on Your Pockets! Analogy

I Can’t...But I Can Activity (pg. 121)

“Most of us don’t teach with the intention

of fixating on deficits, but we are trained to

operate from that perspective” (pg. 122).

Doors and Windows: Remembering to Explore All Options“This is the last time I’m going to ask. If you

don’t do X right now, I’m going to do Y.”

What We Really Needed to Do Instead:

1. Step back

2. Assess the situation

3. Analyze all the options available to you

4. Widen your peripheral vision (to go

back to our upstairs brain)

5. Changing our patterns and trusting the

process

Having the Patience Not to Eat the

Chocolate Analogy

“The more we learn about our students, how

the human brain learns, and the many ways

we can teach (and reach) our kids, the better

we can keep our students engaged” (pg. 130)

which is part of the whole-child approach.

Part IV: Belief“Our beliefs are the most powerful influence on the way we live, the choices we make,

the relationships we have, the things we do, the places we go, and the dreams we keep”

(pg. 134).

“The existence of trauma does not excuse our students from the rigors of academic

press...rather, our knowledge of our students’ trauma background offers us other

avenues to connect with them so that they can continue to push and strive and excel”

(pg. 134).

“A positive outlook on life and a belief in the inherent goodness of people are important

and helpful to us in our work” (pg. 135).

Forever Changed, Not Forever Damaged“Regardless of how our trauma has affected

us, we get to choose whether we will allow

to damage us forever” (pg. 139).

Trauma as an event, or trauma as a

definition?

Pity and low expectations, or a focus on

strengths and potential? (It’s up to us.)

Reflection Activity on pg. 143

(Student Focused)

Reflection Activity on pg. 144

(Teacher Focused)

“The way we see our students-through a

strength-focused lens or a deficit-based

model-shapes our beliefs, and our

expectations follow suit” (pg. 146).

“Once we are open, honest, and generous

with ourselves, we are more available to our

students” (pg. 146).

It’s OK to Be Not-OK“No one should feel pressured to ‘just get

over it.’ It takes time to work through grief,

hurt, and traumatic experiences-longer for

some than for others” (pg. 148).

1. Making Meaning (Having a trusted

“safe person.”)

2. Acknowledging our Reality (the

not-OK) on pg. 151

3. Becoming Vulnerable (our students

are vulnerable too)

4. Managing the Not-OK (How do you

communicate “You are safe with me.”)

Safe People:

“Having a safe person is an essential

component for fostering resilience. One

person often isn’t enough...it helps with

professional, personal, and spiritual life” (pg.

155).

“I cannot overstate the importance of having

a safe person, or a robust inner circle of safe

people, in developing a healthy approach to

life and providing some security and comfort

for when things go awry” (pg. 156).

Don’t Let Fear Drive the Bus“Children have not changed. Childhood has.

The children around us are merely reflecting

the challenging, sometimes scary changes in

their environment and world” (pg. 158).

1. Is fear driving our bus?

2. Fear in the classroom

3. How do we handle fear?

(Self-evaluation on pg. 164)

“When we see a student as a tornado

waiting to happen rather than a child who

needs guidance and instruction, we’re

letting fear drive our bus...give the bus keys

to the facts” (pgs. 166-167).

Fact vs. Fear:

1. Clarify the facts of the matter.

2. Allow the facts, not the fear,

determine the course of action.

3. Succeed by keeping our students

challenged.

Part V: Live, Laugh, Love or Love, Laugh, Live“See the positive amid the chaos.” AND “Manage your own mess.”

“Keeping busy and making optimism a way of life can restore your faith in yourself. The

busy part is no problem for us, but the optimism is up to us! It’s up to you” (pgs.

170-171).

Access and Become Aware of These Three Key Ideas:

1. Grace (to show and receive)

2. Cookies (meaningful praise, and define ourselves as worthy and strong)

3. Self-care (take care of yourself and dedicate to the self-care challenge)

Grace● Grace can be life-altering.

● Grace isn’t our natural response.

● Grace involves: intentionality,

patience, tolerance, understanding,

empathy, kindness, and acceptance.

● To model and teach gratitude and

acceptance empowers our students to

do the same for themselves and

others.

Remember, our students are “little people

(even the high schoolers!) who are still

developing into bright and amazing human

beings” (pg. 181).

Every Thorn Has a Rose:

● When it comes to someone who we

find “difficult,” identify this person’s

greatest strength. It allows us to view

this person with compassion rather

than hatred.

● The Unknown Context (we don’t know

the whole story) on pg. 178. It will

cause a shift from blame to grace.

● Blame vs. Grace in the Classroom

(Figure 14.1 on pg. 179)

The Cookie Jar: The Art of Giving Praise (and Self-Praise)“We use external feedback to help

determine our sense of self-worth” (pgs.

183-184).

“Students who have experienced trauma

have a significantly compromised capacity to

self-acknowledge-that is, to recognize and

validate themselves, their feelings, or their

efforts” (pg. 184).

They (students) need tokens of kindness of

warmth and love (“cookies”).

1. The Power of Praise (not all praise is

equal)

2. Our Need to Praise Isn’t Always Their

Need to Receive (Make sure it isn’t for

our own desire. Compliments can be

overwhelming. Ease gradually into the

praise process.)

3. Self-Acknowledgement: Giving

Ourselves a Cookie (“We need to be

able to rely on ourselves to make

certain decisions and to be proud of

such decisions” (pg. 189).)

The Self-Care Challenge1. Comfort Isn’t the Goal (find an

effective way to get ourselves healthy,

which involves change)

2. Avoiding Burnout (realize the

importance of balance, realistic

expectations, gratitude, and grace)

3. Self-Care Challenge:

● Health: Just keep moving! (40 min x 3)

● Love: Yourself (a cookie once a week)

● Competence: Challenge yourself

● Gratitude: Write something down

daily, demonstrate your gratitude in

some way.

Self-Care Challenge Outline (Figure 16.1 on

pg. 199)

Try the Self-Care Challenge for 28 days, then

expand.

It starts with you!

It’s up to you!

Questions? Comments?Please fill out a Post-It Note

before you leave.

Thank you for your time

today!

Name: ________________________

+ One thing you liked from today’s

presentation.

? One question you still have from today’s

training.