During a recent event at the White House focusing on how schools should be addressing the traumatic experiences of girls, and girls of color in particular, a Latina student talked about the childhood abuse she suffered at the hands of her stepfather.
“I never really coped with my anger. I thought [the teachers] don’t care about you,” she said.
But then she received help from counselors through a trauma-informed approach, called PACE, which stands for playfulness, acceptance, curiosity, and empathy. This allows the student to feel safer in the classroom and fosters better trust with adults and other children by fostering a more positive teacher-student relationship, and in turn, helps students form bonds with other students. Mindfulness practices are also part of PACE.
“I had a counselor and she told me things similar to my story and that’s when I started opening my eyes. With their actions and everything they’re trying to do to put a smile on your face, you start noticing that it’s true, it’s not just a myth [that teachers care],” she said.
[For more of this story, written by Casey Quinlan, go to https://thinkprogress.org/girl...928dea4c8#.op4lycfef]
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