Does Eric Jensen's Brain Based Learning Align with Trauma Informed Approaches?

My understanding is that it is not specifically trauma based, but it seems to align with it in it's focus on stress and learning.  If the staff has already had training on TIC, it would be interesting to host that training and include some dialog around how it does or does not align with TIC! 

And let us know the outcome, please!

I spent a week getting training on classroom trauma-informed processes/philosophy by Conscious Discipline.  Altho they don't mention ACEs specifically, everything is aligned to avoid triggers and they prioritize supporting emotional development.  I recommend their program as well as the book, 'Help for Billy' by Forbes.

Jonathan Williams

Maureen Hinman posted:

Hi all,

I'm working with a school where someone is strongly advocating that the next school-wide training they receive be this Brain Based Learning Training. I'm not familiar with it so wanted to see if anyone here was and if you thought it aligned with TI principals. It sounds like he incorporates strategies for reducing stress in the classroom, and that he takes a universal environment approach to reach all students but it's hard to gauge from the website, which frankly seems very sales-oriented. The teachers have received a number of trauma informed concepts trainings and are now clamoring for some concrete classroom-oriented examples and strategies, which is why this came up. I'd appreciate any thoughts or insights you might have, including other suggestions for already developed classroom strategies trainings.

Here's a link: http://www.jensenlearning.com/...rain-based-research/

Thanks,

Maureen

 

Maureen, I am writing a paper on this now for a graduate course I am finishing on learning theories. I will also be doing a presentation using Articulate Storyline that I will publish. I should be finished within a week to 10 days. I might add my research on trauma in children was the bulk of my master's degree in Applied Behavioral Analysis. I also have a child who suffered with "extreme" pre-adoptive abuse and neglect. So this is both professional and personal for me. So far my answer to this would be "it depends". 

The definition (according to the educational community) for BBL is "Brain-based learning theory refers to teaching methods, strategies, lesson designs, and programs that base their strategies on the latest neuroscience research. The Brain-Based learning theory emphasis is on how the brain learns, cognitive development and how students change, grow and learn differently as they mature"

My suggestion to you is to first learn a trauma-informed approach and then apply BBL to that. A trauma informed approach is based in a large part on the brain science. Schools are slow to catch up many times.  A big issue is that neuroscientists doing research often exclude  or don't think about educators or collaboration with them. I find this not only disturbing but lacking in logic as students with ACEs sit before teachers daily in schools across the country - teachers and the educational community are in need of understanding the brain science that informs trauma informed approaches.  An excellent resource for trauma-informed education is MASS Advocates for Children - they basically started the approach (as far as education is concerned) and work with physicians like Van der Kolk and Perry and others in the field of developmental trauma.

I hope this information is helpful to you -

Nancy