Educators are increasingly aware of how trauma that students experience in their lives outside school affects learning in the classroom. And while this isn't new information, focusing on how to make the learning environment a safe, nurturing place where those students can succeed has become a robust topic of conversation in many districts. Some teachers worry that trauma-informed practices will mean more work for already overburdened teachers, but others respond that using a trauma-informed approach makes the rest of their job easier.
Edutopia profiled Fall-Hamilton Elementary for a series on shifting to trauma-informed practices and the impact it has made on learning there.
As a whole school, the staff has focused on social and emotional learning, the learning spaces themselves, and building in structures that give students one-on-one time with adults in the building. They've also been careful to acknowledge how teaching this way affects teachers, and have had open discussions about self-care on staff.
To read more of Katrina Schwartz' article, please click here.
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