On Friday, September 30th, my family and I participated in Saskatoon’s ‘Rock Your Roots’ walk for reconciliation, followed by a two-hour program honoring the survivors of residential schools and remembering the children who did not make it home. This event made me think and reflect on many things, one of them being the trauma and intergenerational trauma that many of our students have experienced. Trauma is not something that can be ignored when thinking about student mental wellness.
In the article, The How and Why of Trauma-Informed Teaching, Shervin states that, “according to a seminal study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, childhood trauma is far more pervasive than previously believed and is often invisible” (2018). He goes on to explain the importance of social-emotional learning (SEL) and how it can positively impact students’ academically, behaviourally, emotionally and mentally. He explains that by incorporating SEL into the classroom, teachers are taking a universal approach in that they are assuming that all of their students have experienced trauma in one way or another. The article, also talks about the importance of knowing your students and building relationships with them. I believe that this is so important but not always easy. Teaching in a rural school I know almost every students’ name in our building. I spend weeks at the beginning of each school year focusing on getting to know who my students are individually. Having said that, I usually teach the same 24 students all day, for the entire year. I think of my sister, who is a phys. ed. teacher at a Saskatoon high school and teaches 150 students per semester. While she also values relationships, it is harder for her to build a relationship with every student and to incorporate SEL in each of her class sections. This has left me wondering how can ALL teachers, build these relationships so that they can better recognize and respond to student trauma. I started to explore this thought more as I read the article, Understanding Trauma-Informed Education. This article explains that being trauma-informed is a mindset and that “every interaction is an intervention” (Portell, 2019). What this means is that creating a sense of belonging is essential for all students, specifically those who have experienced trauma. My take away from this is that, teachers who teach a large number of students every day may not be able to have a strong, deep relationship which each student, however, every interaction they have with every student can make a positive or negative impact. This is why it is essential for teachers to remain calm, regulated, kind, welcoming in each interaction they have. Trauma-informed education is not intending to “fix” children; however, it is aiming to fix a broken system that often alienates children who are marginalized (Powell, 2019). I like the idea of taking a universal approach as you cannot just look at a group of students and know who has experienced trauma. Teaching in Saskatchewan, a province with a large Indigenous population, and teaching post-pandemic, I think that it is fair to assume that every classroom in the province includes a student who has experience trauma and/or intergenerational trauma. Therefore, SEL is imperative. I think it really does come down to building relationships with your students and ensuring that you and your classroom are a safe space for all students. In my next post I will further explore what a safe space is. References Matthew Portell. (2019, December 16). Understanding Trauma-Informed Education. Edutopia. Retrieved October 2, 2022, from https://www.edutopia.org/article/understanding-trauma-informed-education Shevrin Venet, A. (2018, August 3). The How and Why of Trauma-Informed Teaching. Edutopia. Retrieved October 2, 2022, from https://www.edutopia.org/article/how-and-why-trauma-informed-teaching
2 Comments
Mona Haidar
10/8/2022 05:30:11 am
Thank you so much for encapsulating SEL in such a beautiful way. Last year I took on the role of LST at my school and I began to work with students who have experienced deep trauma that is affecting them in socially, academically, and emotionally negative ways. My role was to work with the classroom teacher, sharing tools, strategies, and resources but also to help facilitate a meaningful relationship. The relationship was the key. In every case when the student shared a sense of trust and safety with the teacher the tools and strategies worked. It is fascinating how much relationships mean in education. It is why your statement, “every interaction is an intervention” (Portell, 2019). What this means is that creating a sense of belonging is essential for all students, specifically those who have experienced trauma", resonated with me so much.
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Laura
10/11/2022 08:36:34 am
Hi Mona,
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