Have you ever wondered what it looks like when you walk into a classroom marked by trauma-sensitive teaching?
Sometimes it looks like an educator standing in the doorway smiling, making eye contact and welcoming each student as they enter the room. It can be a teacher who facilitates morning meeting as a way to start each day – helping students connect positively with one another. Trauma-sensitive teaching can also be reading a story aloud that has everyone laughing together, then calming back to a place where teacher and students can dig into the meaning of the text together. The teacher in the hall between classes is also trauma-sensitive when putting a hand on a student’s shoulder to say, “I heard that your grandfather passed away; I’m so sorry.” And, teachers who build in mindful breathing, yoga, or other “good for the brain” practices are being trauma-sensitive too. I could go on for pages explaining more examples, and in fact, I am in my book, which is set for publication in late 2018 or early 2019. Exciting!
Here’s another example of trauma-sensitivity in action. It’s called, “Doodle Draw!”
Say, “Whiteboards out, and one minute doodling staaarts… NOW…”
Lickity-split your students will be doodling. Kids will also be excited, on task, and even though they don’t know it, they will be regulating their brains so they can be ready to learn.
This is a great example of how doing what’s best for traumatized students is what is best and more FUN for all kids!
What does trauma-sensitivity in action look like in your classroom or a classroom you’ve visited?
