The Heart of a Teacher is Within Us All
By The Peace and Justice Institute at Valencia College
In this time of turmoil and pain surrounding the systemic injustice that still prevails in our nation compounded with the collective trauma of a global pandemic, many are asking themselves, “what can I do?” More specifically, those of us who work with children and youth worry about the potential life-time impacts of these traumas and how this could contribute to the negative health outcomes we know can be related to Adverse Childhood Experiences.
Beyond the original ACEs Study which focused on adversity primarily in the home, we now recognize there are “expanded ACEs” which include stressors outside of the home, some forming even before birth. In his book Reaching Teens, Dr. Kenneth Ginsburg elaborates on this point:
“Emerging science has established, however, that “Expanded ACEs”—stressful childhood exposures occurring outside the home, which include experiences of discrimination—exert similar negative effects on physical, emotional, and social health throughout the life course.3 In fact, they can have an impact even before an individual is conceived. Epigenetics has helped us understand that one’s DNA may be altered depending on the stress of the parent’s environment.”
At the upcoming, week-long Academy for Teachers offered by the Peace and Justice Institute at Valencia College, educators from Pre-K through higher education have the opportunity to take a deep dive into many of the important topics of our time and learn to create more inclusive, respectful, compassionate, and trauma-informed classrooms. 
In these virtual professional development workshops, participants will learn about topics like Adverse Childhood Experiences, Exploring “isms”, Culturally Responsive Teaching, Systems of Privilege and Oppression, Restorative Practices, Gender Equity, Mindfulness, and much, much more.
Part of what makes the Academy for Teachers such a powerful experience is the credibility and experience of the facilitators. The portion of the Academy focused on Adverse Childhood Experiences and Resilience will be facilitated by Dr. Judi Addelston and Dr. Linda Freeman who have both been professors of Psychology at Valencia College for over 20 years.
Dr. Addelston earned her doctoral degree in Social and Personality Psychology and her Master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy. In addition to teaching at Valencia College, she has also built a private practice in Orlando as a Certified Internal Family Systems Therapist.
Dr. Linda Freeman is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and Certified Addictions Professional. After treating individuals with addictive related disorders, she made a full transition to academia, where she now focuses on how to bring Positive Psychology into the lives of students. She is also an avid meditator and enjoys teaching others about how to bring mindfulness into the classroom. Dr. Freeman is the co-host of the Valencia Radio show “The Anxious Potato” and teaches Positive Psychology, Abnormal Psychology, and General Psychology.
Register for the Academy!
Location: online via Zoom
Investment: $800/person (or see scholarship application below)
Session 1: June 21—26, 2020 (register by June 18th)
Session 2: July 12—17, 2020 (register by July 9th)
Scholarship Application: We encourage all participants to first identify potential financial resources through their institutions or other avenues to cover registration costs. If not available, please fill out this application form to apply for a 50% discount. Please contact us if you have a greater need than this scholarship would cover.
Contact: Lauri Lott, PJI Academy Coordinator: LLott1@valenciacollege.edu
“…especially crucial in these times of heightened social division, [we are invited] to put ourselves into other’s shoes, regardless of who we are, our individual origins, or where we come from. In so doing, we may come to recognize our habits of harm, find our pillars of strength, discover the ways to heal, and come to a deeper understanding of what it means to care for one another. Because we belong to each other.” -Dr. Kenneth Ginsburg, Reaching Teens.
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