Building TRAUMA

SENSITIVE Schools

JEN ALEXANDER

Your Guide to Creating Safe, Supportive Learning Environments for All Students

Contents

• About the Online Materials
• About the Author
• Foreword
• Acknowledgments
• Introduction

1 UNDERSTANDING TRAUMA

• Trauma and Its Effects
• What Is Trauma?
• Trauma Defined
• Prevalence of Childhood Trauma
• The Effects of Trauma on the Body

2 The Role of Attachment in Development

• Healthy Attachment
• Attachment Issues
• Attachment-Trauma

3 Trauma’s Impact on Youth at School

• Faces of Trauma in the Classroom
• The Effects of Developmental Trauma at School
• Triggers in the Classroom
• Common Approaches to Trauma in the Classroom

II BUILDING TRAUMA-SENSITIVE SCHOOLS

• 4 The Trauma-Sensitive School Framework

  • What Is a Trauma-Sensitive School?
  • Trauma-Informed Response to Intervention
  • Trauma-Sensitive Educators

• 5 Paradigm Shifts

  • What Happened to You? Versus What’s Wrong With You?
  • Can’ts Versus Won’ts
  • Needing Attention Versus Seeking Attention
  • Time-In Versus Time-Out
  • And Versus Or

• 6 Essentials of Trauma-Sensitive Schools

  • Essential 1: To Help Students Feel Safe
  • Essential 2: To Help Students Be Connected
  • Essential 3: To Help Students Get Regulated
  • Essential 4: To Help Students Learn
  • The Four Essentials in Action

III IMPLEMENTING TRAUMA-SENSITIVE STRATEGIES

• 9 The PACE Approach to Working With Traumatized Students

  • Follow, Lead, Follow
  • Playfulness
  • Acceptance
  • Curiosity
  • Empathy

• 10 Trauma-Sensitive Discipline Practices

  • Restorative Discipline Practices
  • Trauma-Sensitive Consequences
  • Ending on a Positive Note

• 11 Self-Care for Educators

  • Job-Related Stress
  • Final Lifeguarding Lessons
  • Self-Care Plans
  • In Closing

About the Author

Jen Alexander believes that we can make a positive difference with kids, one relationship at a time, which is why she is a passionate leader in the movement to build trauma-sensitive schools. Jen loves helping others help kids and has done so in schools, as a volunteer for the Attachment & Trauma Network (ATN), and when facilitating her own trainings for educators. Most know Jen as Ms. Jen (grown-ups included).

Introduction

During a visit, as we played together on the floor, she said,
“Sometimes I wish that you could be my mom.”
“Well, kiddo, the truth is, I do get to be your mom when you’re ready for that.”
“I’m ready! I’m ready now!”
—A conversation with my daughter, age 6

The goal is to help each and every educator better understand the needs of students like Pepper in order to build trauma-sensitive schools. This movement is about sparking awareness in teachers that brings hope for kids. It is also how we can create or rekindle hope for educators. Trauma-informed strategies will enable school personnel to experience how they can make a conscious difference in students’ lives on both a personal as well as academic level.

PEPPER'S STORY

Chapter 1 introduces you to Pepper. Her story is woven into the entirety of this book. Although fictional, she is like one of many traumatized students in every school district across the country.

WHAT IS YOUR WHY?

Consider these questions:

• Why did you go into the field of education in the first place?
• Why have you stayed?
• What might help you connect with and/or rekindle your hope and passion for meeting individual student needs?

Building schools that meet the needs of traumatized students like Pepper will be a challenge. I offer no quick fixes in this book.

ONE STEP AT A TIME

In the chapters that follow, the effects of trauma, neglect, and caregiver absence on children’s brains are explored. Suggestions for building trauma-sensitive school environments are outlined in the following chapters in alignment with SAMHSA’s recommendations.