
Self-Care for Teachers of Traumatized Students
It can be difficult for educators, who are so often over-tasked and under-resourced, to prioritize self-care. But doing so is incredibly important and beneficial, both
Many of the challenging behavior seen inside classrooms stem from stress or trauma in students’ lives outside of school. Trauma, both physical and emotional, can alter a young person’s brain functions, which impacts learning and behavior. Students don’t need to stumble through emotional minefields. Let’s give them a map using trauma-informed tools.
It’s not only students dealing with stress – teachers feel the burden too. Heavy workloads, challenging behavior, and lack of support are just some of the issues today’s teachers handle daily. It’s very difficult for teachers to unplug but it’s so important that they do. Long-term elevation of stress leads to mood killers and health issues. Educators can overcome burnout but they need the right tools.
Here’s a collection of trauma-informed resources for managing stress at school. Learn about long-term self-care and ways to tackle challenging behavior caused by trauma.
Many educators feel that teaching is their calling, but the many stresses and long hours within the profession increase exposure to exhaustion and burnout. These resources can help teachers learn to manage stress, unplug from day-to-day struggles, and practice self-care. For more resources about Teacher Well-being, read about helpful relaxation and rejuvenation tips.
It can be difficult for educators, who are so often over-tasked and under-resourced, to prioritize self-care. But doing so is incredibly important and beneficial, both
Teaching is a tough profession. Heavy workloads, challenging students, and lack of support are just some of the issues today’s teachers have to handle. Many
Innovative teachers like you keep students engaged and excited, but you know kids learn best when they’re not tense. Deal with stress in the classroom
The trauma-informed approach provides students with emotional tools to build their capacity for healthy relationships, more focused learning, and greater happiness. Teaching students about stress responses and resilience can help them better recognize their emotions, cope with trauma, and reach out for help before they act out—freeing them from emotional roadblocks so they can learn more readily and thrive in classrooms. These resources provide informative, best practices guidelines for implementing the trauma-informed approach to achieve positive results in schools.
As teachers are the adults who see students for the longest periods of time throughout the day, they play a critical role in recognizing the symptoms of trauma and treating it at the classroom level. Check out these tips that are absolutely essential for anyone working with trauma. Learn about the eight categories of trauma and trauma-informed approach best practices for classrooms.
Explicitly teaching our students about stress responses and resilience can help them better recognize their emotions, cope with stress, and reach out for help before they act out. Social-emotional learning tools can have a profound and long-term impact on our students and the classroom. Here’s how to get started.
Recognizing where our students come from, what they’re facing, and how we can help them in different ways is a key component of responsive teaching practices.
When students face trauma and tragedy, educators need practical resources to facilitate difficult discussions and support their learning communities. Here are some powerful resources for teaching and counseling through tragedy for educators on the front lines.
There has been an increase in trauma-informed schools according to Google Trends. Many schools are basing their decision to steer resources toward developing trauma-informed classrooms, and associated programs, on the increase of studies that identify the clear benefits of such efforts.
“Incorporating trauma-informed approaches into school settings, including school-based adolescent pregnancy prevention programs, is a viable and important way to address the multiple needs of traumatized children.” (link)
Reported that students in disadvantaged communities with high rates of exposure to trauma experienced improved teacher-student outcomes after just 12 sessions of school-based trauma counseling. (link)
“When school systems approach students through a trauma lens, they are better equipped to provide the educational and social–emotional supports necessary to help students reach their potential.” (link)
To develop a trauma-informed classroom, teachers need training. Both schools and individual teachers need to consider the many benefits of professional development in this field. For current teachers, continuing education and programs that foster trauma-informed learning environments can help. With the right training and support, teachers can learn:
Become a school, district, or community leader with the understanding and use of trauma-informed and resilience-building practices while also studying the importance of self-care. Online coursework provides the building blocks needed to create a comprehensive trauma-informed program at school.
A degree in trauma-informed teaching provides the foundation for recognizing and managing traumatic behavior in the classroom. It’s can also help you move into a position to affect policy regarding the treatment of traumatized students.
A certificate in trauma-informed teaching can give you the tools to handle challenging behavior in the classroom with the application of the trauma-informed approach. And certificate programs may be shorter in length than degree-earning programs.