Trauma-Informed Teachers

In a recent podcast interview (link in bio), I talked with Shelley Vail-Smith from the Alabama Literacy Network about trauma-informed literacy. She brought up a situation she came across recently. A student she knew struggled with and absolutely hated standardized tests, yet the school was in the midst of administering winter literacy benchmarks. The child, a week ahead of time, began experiencing anxiety about the tests. Even though she was on a 504 plan, we discussed how she would still have to sit through the tests, experiencing, most likely, something akin to terror. Yet, not much would be changed for her.

Traditional literacy approaches center objectivity, predetermined structures/right answers, and can completely remove the amazing capacity of literacy for meaning making and even healing. Take a listen to this podcast interview to learn some alternatives and even ways you can subvert traditional literacies and mandates to center your students' (and your) humanity.

Warning: Vulnerable Reflection Ahead!

Much of the reading I've done so far in expanding my knowledge on trauma has been, admittedly, white-washed. As with so many things "white," which remain invisible to me as a white person, I didn't realize it until too recently. Even though I've done a lot of work on anti-racism, some things that are right in front of me remain unquestioned because of my position. With this admission, I'm working with , a staunch advocate for anti-racism in trauma work, to uncover how matters of race are inextricable from matters of trauma and how to make that a reality in my mind/research.

Reading Alvarez (2020) definitely helped to open my eyes to exactly how race is intertwined with trauma, yet when I go to incorporate this conversation into my blog posts and even IG posts, I feel like a piece is missing. I read a post the other day that said something about the difference between being willing to share privilege and being willing to give up privilege. I think that's what I'm grappling with. If our white-washed ideas about how to identify, treat, and teach students who've experienced trauma are not the answer (and they've been my go-to for this independent study on trauma), then what is the answer? Also, as a white person in a predominantly white state working with a majority of white students, how does this all apply to me, my research, and my teaching?

Alvarez goes on to explain that a lot of the response to trauma for children of color has been reactive in nature. That is, the trauma happens, then we respond. A huge paradigm shift and a call to action to dismantle hegemonic white-dominant power structures, is that the solution to rampant and disproportionate rates of trauma for children of color is to fix the problems that keep many of them subjugated. Alvarez also states that ongoing racism puts even high SES children of color at a higher risk of experiencing trauma than their white peers.

There is so much to unpack here. Even so, in order for my work to help white teachers see their role in mitigating trauma in their students, this work needs to be done.

Read on for a practical strategy for working with your trauma-affected students!

Change takes time. If you learn anything from me, that might be it. When trauma impacts the brain, it does so on a cellular level, therefore, the only way to repair that damage is at the cellular level. Rewiring the brain takes time.

What does that mean for you as a teacher? Build authentic relationships...this is not simple. Start by taking the time each day to connect with trauma-affected students. One option is to set up a meeting. Yes, you can schedule a meeting with students. Make a daily time, consistent each day, and never have an excuse for missing it. What do you talk about? You can develop a set of questions or simply make small talk. Even better, make "big talk." Talk about the things that are important to your student.

Whatever you do, make sure you're consistent. Build that relationship in a way that makes it bulletproof (on your end). The student may push you away, but always be there ready for the meeting, no matter what they did. That will make a huge difference in their brain (build trust, empathy, and social skills) and in their behavior (they'll want to do well for you if you show you care). And there are so many more benefits.

Help your trauma-affected students rewire their brains by changing their paradigm of how adults interact with them.