Trauma-Informed Practices

A teacher shares how she has worked to gain perspective on her responses to situations and found impactful ways to break negative habits.

For students who have internalized a message that they’re destined to fail, promoting realistic optimism can be game-changing.

By bringing in arts education, this school found a creative way to help heal trauma and encourage a more supportive learning environment.

A trauma-sensitive, proactive plan for safely managing disruptive behavior includes knowing when to call for support and how to help a student de-escalate.

A teacher stopped penalizing late work and started asking students questions about why assignments were late. Here’s what he learned.

A variety of exercises that promote self-regulation can function as elements of a safe and supportive learning environment.

While teachers are not social workers, just saying the right things to a student suffering from trauma can make a big difference.

Middle and high school teachers can address distressing events in ways that support students and help them process their reactions.

Trauma may look different from student to student, so it’s prudent to always use trauma-responsive practices.

Teachers can rebuild connections and create an educational environment in which they support students and each other.

To help newly arrived English language learners feel welcome, teachers can represent their cultures and languages in the classroom.

Students can develop the core competencies of social and emotional learning with the support of strong relationships with teachers.

While teachers don’t need to know the details of preschoolers’ adverse experiences, offering appropriate care and support is crucial.

Data shows that Black youth are especially prone to develop mental health issues but less likely to seek out or receive the specialized services and care they need.

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Andrea Elliott on the way public school education is expected to “fill in the gaps” left by societal abandonment of poor children and families.