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Being a

Trauma-

Sensitive School

JMS

2023-24

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JMS

What is Trauma?

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JMS

What is Trauma?

Trauma is a lasting emotional response from living through a distressing event.

What are some distressing events you know our students deal with every day?

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JMS

Lasting effects from trauma

  • Anxiety
  • Anger
  • Sense of safety
  • Sense of self
  • Ability to regulate emotions
  • Relationship issues
  • Chronic health issues
  • Exhaustion, confusion, sadness

What behavior issues do you see in your classroom that could be an effect of trauma?

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Poverty

Poverty is a chronic experience resulting from an aggregate of adverse social and economic risk factors.

How does Poverty affect our students?

  • Chronic Stress
    • Symptoms-edgy, angry, profane
  • Cognitive gaps
    • Language, memory, cognitive control
  • Less emotional support
    • If we don’t teach students how to behave, they may not know.

“The classroom teacher is still the single most significant contributor to student achievement; the effect is greater than that of parents, peers, entire schools, or poverty”

~Eric Jensen

(Poor Students, Rich Teaching)

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JMS - Trauma-Sensitive School

  • Safety
  • Relationships
  • Academics

What does it mean to be a trauma sensitive school?

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JMS - Trauma-Sensitive School

  • Safety
  • Relationships
  • Academics

Being a trauma-sensitive school comes down to CULTURE

Traumatic experiences CAN impact learning, behavior, & relationships at school.

A trauma-sensitive school help ALL children to feel safe to learn.

We may be the only SAFE adult in some kids lives!

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JMS - Trauma-Sensitive School

A trauma-sensitive school focuses on what the adults in the building do.

The behavior of the adults sets the tone MORE than the behavior of the students.

It is not a curriculum or lesson plan it is a mindset.

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JMS - TSS

A student’s situation does not define them.

“You don’t have a choice about being in the trauma business, but you do have a choice of what you do about it.”

~Kristin Sauers (Book -Fostering Resilient Learners)

“Either we spend time meeting children’s emotional needs by filling their cup with love or we spend time dealing with the behaviors caused from their unmet needs. Either way we spend the time.”

~ Pam Leo, Author of Connection Parenting

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JMS - TSS

“You cannot stop trauma from happening, but you can create a setting that is safe for students.” ~Kristin Souers & Pete Hall

(Relationship, Responsibility, & Regulation)

Remember that every behavior is an expression of NEED.

The Power of Seven Seconds! How we greet our students when we first see them – our facial expressions, words, gestures, tone of voice, contact, level of enthusiasm—those things matter!

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Goals

Build positive classroom community.

Helps students build self-awareness.

Help students build new relationships.

Teach students to act with kindness & empathy.

Students feel calm, safe, & connected.

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mtss

Tier 1 - Whole School/ Whole Class

“Rules without relationships inspire rebellion.” ~Josh McDowell

Tier 2 - Small Group (More intentional)

Kagan Strategies

Tier 3 - Intensive Interventions

  • Mentoring programs
  • Daily student check-ins

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JMS - Trauma-Sensitive School

Beware of Tornadoes

Fostering Resilient Learners

A student exploding and acting out is their effort to manage the intensity of their own situation.

It is a learned tactic to avoid the truth. It is a distraction.

We, as educators, must stay focused and avoid getting sucked into the tornado and taken to OZ.

Behavior is a form of communication. What are our students trying to communicate to us?

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self-Awareness.

What is the first step in JMS becoming a trauma-sensitive school?

self-concept

thoughts

feelings

emotions

body

values/passions

An unregulated adult cannot regulate an unregulated child.

XOXO

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self-Awareness.

The first step in becoming a trauma-sensitive school is for us as educators to be self-aware!

  • Actions
  • Thoughts
  • Emotions

self-concept

thoughts

feelings

emotions

body

values/passions

An unregulated adult cannot regulate an unregulated child.

XOXO

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self-Awareness.

Becoming Self-Aware

  • ACEs Score
    • Test for Adults
  • Love Language
  • Enneagrams
    • Enneagrams Test

self-concept

thoughts

feelings

emotions

body

values/passions

An unregulated adult cannot regulate an unregulated child.

XOXO

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ACE’s Score

10 Categories before the age of 18

  • Physical abuse
  • Sexual abuse
  • Verbal abuse
  • Physical neglect
  • Emotional neglect
  • Mental illness in family
  • Substance abuse in family
  • Incarcerated family member
  • Witnessing abuse of parent/family member
  • Losing a parent to death or divorce

Dr. Nadine Burke Harris Ted Talk

Book - The Deepest Well

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Love Language

  • Words of Affirmation
  • Quality Time
  • Physical Touch
  • Acts of Service
  • Receiving Gifts

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self-Awareness.

self-concept

thoughts

feelings

emotions

body

values/passions

  • Enneagrams

XOXO

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9 enneagram

Types & self care

  • 1 - let go of the need to control everything
  • 2 - prioritize your needs over needs of others.
  • 3 - let go of the need to perform & achieve
  • 4 - embrace your qualities
  • 5 - step out of your comfort zone
  • 6 - manage anxiety & fear
  • 7 - be present in the moment (embrace stillness)
  • 8 - manage anger & intensity
  • 9 - Find your voice and learn to express your own opinions

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JMS - Trauma-Sensitive School

Every Hello makes a difference!

“Somebody’s got to be crazy about that kid. That’s number one. First, Last, & Always.”

~ Dr. Jody Carrington

Everyone needs someone who is “Light-Up Crazy” to see them.

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self-Awareness.

  • We are hardwired for connection
  • Connect by
    • Giving respect
    • Listen
    • Show empathy

What are other ways to connect with our students?

self-concept

thoughts

feelings

emotions

body

values/passions

XOXO

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Strategies & structures

Kagan

Envoy

PBIS

RTI

PLC

A disruption is a teaching opportunity for the teacher and a learning opportunity for the student.

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KAGAN - 4 disruptive behaviors

A B C D

Aggression

Breaking the rules

Confrontation

Disengagement

A disruption is a teaching opportunity for the teacher and a learning opportunity for the student.

When any of these basic needs cannot be fulfilled responsibly, the student resorts to disruptive behavior. ~ Dr. Spencer Kagan

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KAGAN - 7 basic needs of students

  • Attention seeking
  • Angry

  • Bored
  • Avoiding failure
  • Energetic
  • Control seeking
  • Socially Uninformed

Behaviors are a form of communication - Understand the WHY

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SEL

5 Core Values of Social Emotional Learning

Social emotional learning is the process to help learners acquire necessary life skills. Those skills make up five core domains:

  • Self-awareness: understanding who we are as individuals
  • Self-management: learning to manage our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors
  • Social awareness: understanding the social world around us
  • Relationships: developing meaningful connections with others
  • Decision-making: Learning to make responsible choices

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THANK YOU

A teacher’s greatest superpower is

KINDNESS

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resources

The Deepest Well

Nadine Burke Harris

Fostering Resilient Learners

Kristin Souers & Pete Hall

Poor Students, Rich Teaching

Eric Jensen

Kids These Days

Jody Carrington

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