From the Research to the Classroom – How to Build Resilience in Children
Center for Great Expectations3rd Annual Trauma at the Core Conference
December 6, 2019Jeff Segal, Psy.D.
Today’s Agenda Activity Introduction to resilience strategies Discussion on specific strategies that can be
incorporated with children at different developmental levels
Various traumatization and how trauma impacts school personnel
Synthesis of resilience materials and future directions for intervention
Utilizing a cultural lens in building resilience Top 10 Takeaways Questions & Answers
Activity
Let’s name the doll Try to imagine that it is a real child. We’re going to use the doll to talk about
violent situations that hurt young children and its consequences.
What are some abusive, traumatic situations words or things that hurt children?
How can we help the child heal from or deal with the traumatic experience?
How can we help the child feel safe and loved?
How has the doll changed since the beginning of the activity?
What are the messages that you realized from the activity?
Resilience and Schools
Resilience is about the process of “becoming” and when children believe that they are worthy and capable of overcoming challenges.
How can they learn this in schools? Teachers, school psychologists, counselors
and other school personnel can teach students how to become more resilient.
Early educational experiences can shape a student’s life for a lifetime.
For some children and adolescents, trauma –events that challenge an individual’s sense for physical, emotional, social and moral safety – often create alterations in their sense of self that can make opening to the benefits of the school environment quite difficult.
Do Children Need To Experience Adversity to Build Resilience? Children from any background can
experience adversity. It’s necessary to build children’s resilience
through universal interventions.
Should We Build Resilience or Prevent Adversity? While it’s preferable, in theory to prevent or
remove adversities that are detrimental to children’s development – not always possible.
Therefore, we need to seek ways to build children’s resilience while also addressing the source of adversity where possible.
It’s easier to build resilience than to prevent adversity.
Fostering Resiliency (Wolpow et al. (2016) Unconditional positive regard in a safe and
caring environment Always empower, never disempower
Assert appropriate boundaries, but do not be punitive or controlling
Peer support Consistency, boundaries, calm, respectful
Resilience - The Film
When the cause of the terror is the parent figure – the child has nowhere to turn.
Attachment research reveals that such a “fear without solution” can lead to a fragmentation of the mind – dissociation.
If a teacher or other school personnel is uninformed by the inner processes of trauma, outer actions of a child may be baffling, irritating and as a consequence, can lead to frustrated communications with a student that reinforce the child’s experience of being misunderstood, or worse, disrespected or disregarded.
This cycle can be stopped by an informed school personnel and a trauma sensitive school climate and classroom.
Promoting trauma-sensitive school approaches has the greatest potential to positively impact all students, regardless of trauma history.
When schools are trauma-informed, students cultivate lasting resilience, which leads to: Significant improvements in behavior Few suspensions Fewer expulsions Significant improvements in academic
achievement
The National Association of School Psychologists has pointed out that trauma informed schools promote: Feelings of physical, social and emotional
safety in children A shared understanding among staff about the
impact of trauma and adversity on students Positive and culturally responsive discipline
policies and practices Access to comprehensive school mental and
behavioral health services Effective community collaboration
National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) Per NCTSN – “4 Rs” that should be present in
any trauma-informed system: Realize both the widespread effects of trauma
and the many pathways to recovery Recognize the signs and symptoms of trauma Respond with a trauma-informed approach
that’s integrated into every aspect of the system in which you are working
Resist re-traumatization by reducing the likelihood of triggers
Getting Started With Trauma-Informed Practices
September 11: Trauma and Human Bonds – Coates, Rosenthal & Schechter (2003). Trauma and human relatedness viewed as
inversely related terms. Greater strength of human bonds that
connect an individual to others and the more those bonds are accessible in times of danger, the less likely it is that an individual will be severely traumatized and the more likely that he or she may recover afterward.
There is a limit when even the most securely related individual will be overwhelmed by a threat that is too massive to be borne.
Importance of human connection as a protection against later trauma and as a means of healing afterward seems so obvious and straightforward an observation of human nature that one might suppose that teachers and clinicians have always known this. They have – but not with clarity.
Through Our Eyes: Children, Violence, and Trauma—Introduction
Recognizing Trauma in the Classroom Educators, school psychologists, school
counselors and other school personnel are in the ideal position to observe behaviors and emotions that may result from childhood trauma and may be the only adults present consistently enough in a child’s life to distinguish trauma-related changes from the child’s normal disposition.
Childhood trauma may cause several realms of the child’s school life to be affected, including: Interpersonal communication skills Peer relationships Academic achievement
Children may be more comfortable receiving help from familiar faces and safe environments.
Educators and other school personnel are at the forefront of identifying and contributing to the treatment of childhood trauma.
Childhood Trauma Symptoms
Physical Symptoms Stomachaches and headaches Appearing overly alert or hyper-vigilant Sleep disorders Recurring nightmares Sudden weight changes Heightened startle reaction
Behavioral Symptoms For younger students
Regression and changes in play behaviors Restriction of play Repetitive play Replaying the traumatic event
For older students Socially isolating themselves through withdrawal
or avoidance Increase or decrease in talkativeness Increase in risk taking behaviors
Emotional Symptoms Abundance of emotion – although expression
of that emotion will differ from one child to another
Difficulty regulating emotions Feeling easily angered or irritable Depression Intense fear Feelings of helplessness Distrust of others Lack of self confidence
Cognitive Symptoms Most difficult to discern Inability to focus in school Poor skill development Flashbacks of the trauma Dissociation Changes attitudes about humanity, aspects of
life and their own future
The Impact of a Traumatic Event Depends On:1. Age and
developmental stage
2. Perception of the danger faced
3. Victim or witness4. Relationship to the
victim or perpetrator
5. Past experience with trauma
6. Adversities faced following the trauma
7. Presence/availability of adults who can offer help and protection
The Science of Resilience
Key Aspects of Resilience
Positive relationships – the most important factor
The ability to make plans and take action to solve problems
The capacity to manage difficult emotions –self regulation and mindfulness
Effective communication skills
What Schools Can Do To Build Resilience in Children What teachers can do What clinicians can do What schools can do
Education Speaker Paul Tough: You Can’t Teach Grit. But You Can Make Kids Act Gritty.
Camille Farrington – 4 Messages
1. “I belong in this academic community”2. “My ability grows with my effort”3. “I can succeed at this”4. “My work has value”
Trauma Exposed Students:
Are easily triggered May be disengaged May be disruptive Have a poor
attendance Have a downward
slope of failure
Seem disconnected and withdrawn
Feel hopeless
How many people have received training on working with children who have been traumatized?
Trauma Informed Education to Enhance Resilience – What Teachers Can Do Develop positive relationships between
students and faculty Critical to help students impacted by trauma
feel safe and trusting where possible School personnel may be the only people who
help these students learn what a healthy, supportive relationship looks like
Building relational trust Smiling Sharing parts of your life with your students Getting to know your students as individuals Using yourself as a role model of a reliable
and regulated adult
Positive physical space Physical layout and look of your classroom,
halls and offices can be used to build positive emotions
Putting up positive visuals and quotes can inspire creative thinking and teamwork in students
Provide consistency and structure Clear agenda for the day’s learning
Compassionate Communication-Tone of Voice and Body Language Traditional Response
“It’s not that difficult”
“You’re 10 now, learn to deal with life”
You should have never acted like that”
“You need to be responsible”
Compassionate Response
“I need to know how hard this is for you”
“What is it you need help with”
“Sometimes life just gets too big, doesn’t it”
“I’m sorry this is so hard”
Adding Mindfulness to The Classroom Mindfulness – how to be present in the
moment Mindfulness education – lessons on
techniques to calm the mind and body – can reduce the negative effects of stress and increase students’ ability to stay engaged, helping them stay on track academically and avoid behavior problems
In order for mindfulness to work, make time for staff and students to learn about the theory and science behind mindfulness so students know how to talk about mindfulness and understand its purpose
Creating consistent space for mindfulness practice – like guided meditations – and theory in the school day can positively affect the entire school culture, emphasizing acceptance, self-care and empathy
Important to provide teachers dedicated time to engage in mindfulness practice themselves In order for students to read benefits, teachers
also need time and support adopting it Research has also shown mindfulness to be
helpful to teachers, improving their own emotional wellbeing, helping them understand student perspective and feeing them up to be more effective in the classroom
Ways To Ensure Your Mindfulness Teaching Practice Is Trauma-Informed
Students may have experience trauma that makes sitting silently with their eyes close feel threatening and teachers can’t assume it will be an easy practice for every child
If you incorporate mindfulness into the classroom, it can bring up uncomfortable feelings and layered on top of existing trauma can be frightening or psychologically dysregulating
No one should be forced to close their eyes or sit in a certain way
Important to build relational mindfulness Discuss and develop group norms or
agreements with students Check in with students and ask them if they
are feeling safe and trust in the room May need to do trust games and icebreakers
before doing mindfulness
Two Distinct Approaches to Building Resilience Everyday strategies
Incorporated into routine practice and service delivery and designed to be used whenever an appropriate opportunity arises
These strategies rely on the same skills you might use every day when working with children
Structured resilience strategies Intervention specific training and are often
accompanied by a guide or manual These interventions differ from everyday
strategies as they are delivered over a specific period of time
Everyday Strategies to Build Children’s Resilience Teach children about the meaning of
resilience Explain in simple terms using everyday
language Remind children that it’s OK for them to ask
for support Brainstorm with them about where and who
they can go to when they need support Talk to children about when they might need
support, as when something bad happens, when they’re going through a difficult time
Provide children opportunities to practice empathy Read age-appropriate stories and books to
children about people having a difficult time, ask them how they would fee if they were experiencing the same things as the character
Magination Press Children's Books Be sure to include stories and books about a
diverse range of cultural backgrounds and people with disabilities
Structured Resilience Interventions
What Works Clearinghouse Reviews existing research on different
programs in education High quality research to answer the question
“what works in education” Infoaboutkids.org
Collaboration of the Consortium for Science-Based Information on Children, Youth and Families
Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL) High quality, evidence-based social and
emotional learning (SEL) Penn Resilience Program and Perma
Workshops Evidence-based programs that have been
demonstrated to build resilience, well-being and optimism
Trauma Informed Education to Enhance Resilience – What Clinicians Can Do Reach out to students Validate, validate, validate “I hear you” and
If you are a counselor, rather than waiting for the student to seek you out, reach out to them
Use a strength based approach – identify examples of resilience in what they have done or already doing
Children are often told what they are doing wrong, rather than what they are doing right Affirmations Catch them being “good” Teach self-regulation skills
Give opportunities to help others, teach empathy
Dr Daniel Siegel presenting a Hand Model of the Brain
Trauma Informed Education to Enhance Resilience – What Schools Can Do No single skill or capacity for building
resilience Need to take an approach that focuses on
different levels including the individual child and building a supportive environment
Integrate Social Emotional Learning into the School and Classroom According to the Collaborative of Academic,
Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL) –SEL is the process through which children and adults acquire and effectively apply the knowledge, attitudes and skills necessary to understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships and make responsible decisions.”
What is SEL?
Educate and support all levels of school personnel Administrative staff Teachers Paraprofessionals Lunch & playground aides Maintenance staff Bus drivers
What Builds Resiliency
Close relationships with family, friends
Positive view of yourself, confidence in your abilities
Ability to manage strong feelings and impulses
Good problem solving and communication skills
Feeling in control
Seeking help and resources
Seeing yourself as resilient (not as a victim)
Coping with stress in healthy ways
Helping others Finding positive
meaning in your life despite difficult events
Trauma Informed School Staffs
Understand that causes and effects of trauma on students
Understand the potential to re-traumatize individuals IF: Interventions and interactions ARE NOT
sensitive to their experience or needs Create a culture that builds community
Trauma Informed Schools
Foster positive school climate and classroom design
Build relationships Build social competence Use restorative practices Build resiliency Move toward compassionate discipline
Connect with the main stakeholders School board members Have children educate the school members
about resilience
Restorative PracticesRestorative Justice
Enhancing Resilience Through A Cultural Lens What is cultural humility?
A lifelong practice of self-reflection and self-critique; understanding how one’s own culture influences our interactions with others.
Cultural Competence vs. Cultural HumilityCompetency Knowledge and training The idea that one can
become “competent” in other cultures
Based on academic knowledge rather than lived experience
Promotes skill building and working toward an end goal
Supports the myth that culture does not change or evolve
Humility Introspective and co-
learning The idea of learning with
and from clients No end goal or end result Encourages lifelong
learning with an appreciation of the journey
Attempts to diminish power dynamics between advocate and survivors
Practicing Cultural Humility
Cultural humility is not about having a “checklist of facts” about other cultures
Instead focuses on self-reflection and self-critique
Important to ask oneself: “What is my worldview and how may it be
different from my student’s/client’s?” Develop an appreciation for different points of
view
Open Mind, Compassion and Sincerity There is no cultural encyclopedia of rigid
“do’s” and “don’ts” Avoid stereotypes Compassion and sincerity goes a long way Be aware of your own judgments about
cultural practices and don’t minimize cultural experiences
Culturally-Sensitive Trauma-Informed Care The capacity for educators and mental health
professionals to effectively provide trauma-informed assessment and intervention that acknowledges, respects and integrates students/clients families’ cultural values, beliefs and practices.
Vicarious Traumatization (VT)
VT is a transformation in the self of a trauma worker or helper that results from empathic engagement with traumatized clients and their reports of traumatic experiences.
It is a special form of countertransference stimulated by exposure to the client’s traumatic material.
The Importance of Self-Care
How many people received training on self care?
Compassion Fatigue/VT
Compassion fatigue is the physical and mental exhaustion and emotional withdrawal professionals experience when working with distressed children, adults or families over an extended period of time.
Addressing Vicarious Trauma in Victim Service Professionals
Vicarious Trauma Toolkit
Compassion Fatigue Awareness Project -Self Test
Research about compassion fatigue as it relates to educators is not keeping pace with the increasing stress of our professional responsibilities.
Professional development for teachers tends to focus on what to do for students.
Often the addition of a SEL curriculum does not include training with examining the needs of the employees first.
Professional development for teaching in the new normal must include strategies for self-care and ways to mitigate compassion fatigue or burnout.
Educators – and all of us in the helping profession – begin their careers with compassionate ideals – they want to make a difference in the lives of their students/clients.
Helping the helpers keep breathing life-sustaining oxygen throughout their careers is aiding them to build and maintain a healthy statis.
“…there is such terrible darkness within me, as if everything was dead…the silence and the emptiness is so great that I look and do not see, listen and do not hear…no faith, no love, no zeal…the saving of souls holds no attraction…heaven means nothing…what do I labor for…where is my faith…I no longer pray…what hypocrisy…”
When educators are suffering from compassion fatigue, they avoid student contact and become cynical toward colleagues, parents and students. They can say things about their students’ and
parents’ problems that lack empathy and use sarcasm as a form of humor.
Distance themselves emotionally from coworkers and friends.
What Professionals Can Do to Combat VT and Compassion Fatigue Get training in trauma informed care. Be aware of your own trauma history as you
work with children and teens who have been traumatized. Be aware of your own triggers and mindful of
the impact your personal life experiences have had on you.
Find other professionals who are working with trauma and be part of a group to support one another.
Remain calm in tense situations takes practice. Use mindfulness techniques, relaxation
breathing and other techniques to help self-regulate.
Social-emotional needs are equally important for school staff as they are for students.
Romero, Robertson & Warner (2018). – 3Rs: Retreat – What am I feeling? Reflect – Why am I feeling this way? Review – How must I respond so as not to
hurt someone’s feelings?
Top 10 Take-A-Aways
10. Resiliency can be taught in schools9. Seek out professional development
opportunities on trauma informed care.8. When doing trauma informed care –
important to look through a cultural lens.7. Early educational experiences can shape a
student’s life for a lifetime6. Promoting trauma-sensitive school
approaches has the greatest potential to positively impact all students, regardless of trauma history
5. You can build resilience using everyday activities
4. Use Dr. Daniel Siegel’s Hand Model of the Brain to explain dysregulation to children
3. The impact of trauma on the child depends on many factors
2. Even Mother Theresa struggled…..1. Be on the lookout for compassion fatigue
and take care of yourself!
Top Related