Responding to Student Trauma by Stephanie Filio

Author:Stephanie Filio
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781631986505
Publisher: Free Spirit Publishing
Published: 2020-12-15T00:00:00+00:00

Figure 2.3 Items to Include in a Trauma Kit

Informed Practices

Many of our families currently feel let down by the institutions that are supposed to be protecting their children—sometimes even including their schools. We must recognize with compassion that, rightfully so, parents need reassurance that we are a safe place for their children. Because of this, school staff could benefit from a little refresher on the do’s and don’ts of thoughtful communication and classroom delivery. In chapter 1, we discussed calling home for rapport building; now let’s dive a little deeper into how specific language can alter a conversation to be more open and productive.

Following COVID-19’s emergence, conversations have taken on a much different shape. Moving forward, not only will we be potentially missing the in-person intimacy of conferences and pop-in visits, we should also be taking on conversations about topics such racism, stereotyping, and social advocacy. It will be especially important for all educators to honor their students and families by approaching these conversations with open listening skills and honesty. Staff members should take the time to educate themselves on these topics and may benefit from training to ensure everyone is comfortable allowing our families to express their concerns, feelings, and even doubts about the environment they are entrusting their children to.

Open and honest conversations can also occur in the classroom. Students benefit from voicing their concerns and feeling heard by others. Many of them also turn to their peers for support, and the classroom is a great space for them to do this with a guiding adult. To begin, curriculum should be evaluated to ensure that it is not only unbiased but also supports anti-bias resources. The crisis team can help here too. Materials used in class must be critically evaluated to ensure that they are inclusive and unbiased. Crisis teams can work collaboratively with curriculum planning committees and help staff point out problematic areas that are biased and potentially retraumatizing to students.

This is where the fun part of reform comes in! Reducing material that could potentially retraumatize students does not mean leaving arbitrary holes in lesson planning. It means that we are reimagining what a class could look like when we remove outdated practices that may help only some students and adding more diverse activities that will benefit all students. By giving our students the green light to explore their feelings academically, we help them feel empowered as advocates rather than victims of unjust circumstances. Consider increasing some of the following activities and strategies to create lessons that encourage students to have a keen eye on justice and full grasp of the power of introspection:

• Consider the source: Evaluate primary and secondary sources in core content areas, then apply this to decision-making in the real world.

• Growing philosophers: Utilize strategies such as Socratic seminars to encourage students’ abilities to express themselves, listen to others, and respectfully advocate for their views.

• Inclusivity for the win!: Use a wide range of inclusive materials as students learn, including diverse expert opinions, authors, and examples of culture within assignments, testing, and content.

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