Lesson Three: Strategies to Create a Trauma Sensitve Classroom
Introduction
In lesson one you learned what trauma is and the different types. In lesson two, you will learn about the effects of trauma on the brain and how this effects a student in school. The brain is molded during the school years and trauma often changes how a brain reacts. Knowing that a student is not being difficult, lazy or misbehaving by choice is the first step to implementing strategies that help create a trauma sensitive classroom, which will be learned in lesson three.
Learning Objectives of Lesson Two
- Identify how trauma effects the brain
- Explain how trauma effects a student in the classroom
Materials
Computer with internet access, Google Docs Responses and Reflection (This will be called: Response and Reflection Journal in the lesson)
Learning Task
The Brain and Trauma
As an introduction of the the brain and trauma, watch this Video. You may start the
video at the 1:00-minute mark and stop watching at the 5:45 mark. After watching the video, go to your Response and Reflection Journal to respond. Students who expereince trauma but do not have support from adults can as Patrcia Jennings (2009) writes, "become stress adapted, meaning that their development adapts to the demands of the context in which they are growing up" (p.14). These stress adapted behaviors are focused on survival and not cognitive thinking as seen in the picture to the right. This video explains the difference between a "learning brain" and a "survival brain" Some of these behaviors will be discussed in the second part of this lesson. After watching the video, respond in your Response and Reflection Journal.
In School
A student who has expereinced trauma may learned to adapt survival behaviors which are used in the classroom. Some of these behaviors include; "rapidly shifting attention, impulsiveness, increased motor activity, and dissociation" (Jennings, 2019, p.15). After watching this video, Download Trauma Tool Kit pdf. file (It is virus free). Read the information for your students age group and then respond on your Google Docs form.
Reflection
Answer the following questions in your Response and Reflection Journal:
1. What are some behaviors that students may display in the classroom if they expereinced trauma?
2. Do you teach any students that have any of these behaviors?
3. Do you think they have expereinced trauma?
4. How do you know if students have expereinced trauma?
5. Can schools re-traumatize students?
6. Do you think you have any routines or procedures that are not effective with students who have expereinced trauma?
7. Watch this video up to the 1:25 minute mark (This video contains strong language).
- How would you respond in each scenario?
- How could you prevent the situation?
Conclusion
Lessons
Lesson One: What is trauma?
Lesson Three: Strategies to Create a Trauma Sensitve Classroom
Links
Introduction to Mini-Course
Portfolio page