Trauma senstive schools for adolescents

Working in a high poverty school has had me thinking about the root of the challenge for my kids. I do not feel that poverty is the underlying cause. It is trauma. One type of trauma is poverty and the various forms of insecurity that accompany it- primarily food and housing. Many of my students are children living with only one parent or a guardian. Many live in houses where abuse is or was occurring. Many are exposed to substance abuse or are now using themselves. Many have untreated medical or dental problems, especially mental health. These kids need extensive support to help them engage in the learning process. Susan E. Craig's book, Trauma-Sensitive Schools for the Adolescent Years: Promoting Resiliency and Healing, Grades 6-12, tackles this concern head on.

Craig defines trauma as "exposure to experiences that exceed one's capacity to cope" (p. 8). Once a first trauma has occurred subsequent resiliency is impaired and individuals are more easily traumatized again. The author acknowledges the link between trauma and disengagement, something I see in the classroom. Trauma limits the "ability to use higher-order thinking to regulate subcortical brain activity" (p 7). She recommends acknowledging the academic challenge and then actively working to counter the fear response of fight or flight. The strategies she recommends to deal with this impaired brain include promoting integration of new and old information, fostering collaboration and perspective taking.

This work takes time. The brain has been impacted by trauma and needs to develop new patterns of use. New dendrites need to be built and reinforced so that old, dysfunctional to learning patterns are overwritten. It relies on the development of relationships with often relationship shy young people. Clear and precise language  needs to be used to talk about strategies that will be successful in school for solving challenges. From an instructional standpoint, she recommends using differentiated instruction and dialogic teaching.

She recommends teaching and reinforcing strategies for stress management. We cannot eliminate stress from anyone's life. A little stress is good- it pushes us to be mindful, study or be careful. Too much is a problem. When students approach unhealthy stress levels they need productive ways to deal- visualization, yoga, and deep breathing are examples. Each person needs to find their method. For my son, deep breathing was a nonstarter. We could sometimes prompt him to refocus on relaxing topics. He learned to have a book handy when it was likely he was going to have to wait. Each individual needs their own tool box of stress management.

Trauma exposed people tend to focus on the negative rather than the successes. They need the adults in their lives to celebrate and help them recognize their successes and opportunities. Many people exposed to trauma see the future as a black hole. We need to help them imagine a future of possibilities. We need to help them plan for positives rather than wallow in their problems and past.