1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 Fostering Resilient Learners by Implementing Trauma Informed and Socially Just Practices Corresponding Author: Jennifer L. Walton-Fisette, EdD Director of Teacher Education Professor of Physical Education & Sport Pedagogy Kent State University jfisette@kent.edu 1 26 27 28 Abstract Becoming trauma invested across K-12 educational systems has become exceedingly 29 necessary over the past few years with much focus placed on the whole child and more 30 recently, a global pandemic and national systemic and institutional racism. With more and 31 more students experiencing trauma and being at a constant state of toxic stress, it is 32 imperative that health and physical education teachers are not only knowledgeable about the 33 signs and symptoms but can engage in preventative measures to minimize possible triggers of 34 past or current traumatic experiences they encounter. Due to lack of funding, licensed 35 counselors are limited within schools, leaving teachers to navigate students’ mental, social 36 and emotional behaviors and experiences. Yet, teachers are not trauma informed or invested 37 due to the lack of emphasis in our teacher preparation programs and professional 38 development opportunities. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to inform health and physical 39 educators on issues related to trauma, toxic stress, the social inequalities and injustices that 40 these students may encounter and strategies on how to foster resilient learners in physical 41 education and health. 42 43 44 45 Key Words: physical education, health, trauma, toxic stress 2 46 Fostering Resilient Learners by Implementing Trauma Informed and Socially Just 47 Practices 48 Becoming trauma invested across K-12 educational systems has become exceedingly 49 necessary over the past few years with much focus placed on the whole child and more 50 recently, a global pandemic and national systemic and institutional racism. With more and 51 more students experiencing trauma and being at a constant state of toxic stress, it is 52 imperative that health and physical education teachers are not only knowledgeable about the 53 signs and symptoms but can engage in preventative measures to minimize possible triggers of 54 past or current traumatic experiences they encounter. Due to lack of funding, licensed 55 counselors are limited within schools, leaving teachers to navigate students’ mental, social 56 and emotional behaviors and experiences. Yet, teachers are not trauma informed or invested 57 (see Table 1 for definitions) due to the lack of emphasis in our teacher preparation programs 58 and professional development opportunities. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to inform 59 health and physical educators on issues related to trauma, toxic stress, the social inequalities 60 and injustices that these students may encounter and strategies on how to foster resilient 61 learners in health and physical education. 62 As health and physical educators, we engage students in content areas that challenge 63 their minds and bodies in ways in which traditional academic areas, such as math and 64 language arts, do not. In physical education, it is a public domain that exposes students’ 65 bodies, physicality, and abilities (Fisette, 2011, 2013), which can often be embarrassing and 66 lead to negative experiences for some students, whereas students who may struggle in their 67 academic classes are able to flourish in this physical environment. In a health education 68 setting, students are asked to learn about topics related to their wellness, feelings, drugs and 69 alcohol, and sexuality education – all of which are personal to students. They may open up 3 70 and share their personal feelings and experiences within this space or shut down, not willing 71 to share. 72 Despite how students feel about health and physical education, you will have students 73 who are under toxic stress and have experienced trauma in their lives (see Table 1 for 74 definitions). Do you have students that act out by yelling, shoving chairs, hitting lockers, 75 talking back, or hurting themselves? Students who shut down, keep to themselves, fall asleep 76 in class, do not do their work, or begin to not change clothes for physical education? Often 77 times, these behaviors can be interpreted as students being defiant, disinterested, or resistant 78 to learning, but for many of these students, their behaviors are displaying a need that is unmet 79 – whether that is because they are facing high levels of stress or have experienced one or 80 more traumatic events (National Institute of Mental Health, 2019; The National Child 81 Traumatic Stress Network, 2019; Souers & Hall, 2016). 82 Toxic Stress and Trauma 83 The human body is created to deal with stress; that is, a certain amount of stress. We 84 are born with a stress response system that can identify something harmful or upsetting to us 85 (e.g., getting injured, getting cut off when driving, being late to school), which then releases 86 hormones (e.g., adrenaline, cortisol) that gears us up to face the stressful situation by the 87 fight, flight, or freeze response and eventually, we return to a state of homeostasis (i.e., 88 balance; Sciaraffa, Zeanah, & Zeanah, 2018). For many of us, we laugh it off or learn what 89 we need to do to manage the situation when our stress level is elevated. However, when a 90 person’s situation is not resolved or they cannot cope with what they are experiencing, they 91 are in a state of toxic stress, which can be detrimental to one’s well-being. The sad reality is, 92 toxic stress and trauma are real and prevalent, regardless of one’s age, social identity or 93 personal circumstances, and will impact students’ growth and ability to learn (Souers & Hall, 94 2019). As educators, it is our responsibility to provide learning opportunities for our students, 4 95 whether those learning experiences align with national or state standards, a district 96 curriculum, or specific unit and lesson objectives. However, if students’ needs are not first 97 being met, they will not be in a space to learn, despite our valiant efforts (Souers & Hall, 98 2016, 2019). Thus, we need to be trauma-informed to help meet our students’ needs. 99 Spectrum of Trauma-Savvy Practices 100 Becoming trauma-informed has become a primary focus for many school districts 101 throughout the country over the past few years. Districts are offering professional 102 development for teachers and staff to learn about trauma, Adverse Childhood Experiences 103 (ACEs; e.g., divorce, abuse, neglect, violence; Felitti, Anda, & , Nordenberg, 1998), and 104 strategies to help students that have experienced trauma (see Ellison, Walton-Fisette, & 105 Eckert, 2019 and the remainder of the articles in this Feature Series). Although providing this 106 professional development is a salient first step, it does not automatically mean that an 107 educator becomes informed or knowledgeable on how to deal with trauma in an educational 108 setting. Souers and Hall (2019) have developed a “Spectrum of Trauma-Savvy Practices” for 109 educators to identify where they are on the trauma spectrum based on their own beliefs, 110 philosophies, and teaching practices. Within the spectrum, Souers and Hall (2019) provide 111 descriptors related to behavior, academics, attendance, relationship, responsibility, and 112 regulation. In this article, the four categories and their definitions are provided: 113  114 115 students and/or adults.  116 117 118 Trauma-Inducing: a setting that not only lacks safety, but also is actively unsafe for Trauma-Indifferent: A setting that does not take childhood trauma into consideration in its policies and practices.  Trauma-Informed: A setting where stakeholders have acquired some knowledge about childhood trauma and are versed in related strategies. 5 119 120  Trauma-Invested: A setting where stakeholders have consented to act on their knowledge, truly working together to enhance safety across the board. 121 Like most continuums, the categories are not static or isolated as an educator can at times be 122 trauma inducing and in other instances engage in trauma-informed practices. The goal of this 123 feature series is to help guide health and physical educators to become trauma-informed with 124 the hope that we can collectively work with our departments, schools and districts to create a 125 trauma-invested educational space for all students. This also means that educators, programs, 126 and districts need to consider whether their policies, procedures, and practices are anti-racist, 127 equitable and socially just. For some students, particularly those who are marginalized, may 128 face encounters in school that are trauma-inducing. We cannot focus solely on what trauma is 129 and how to become informed without also addressing ways in which educational institutions 130 may potentially be inequitable, socially unjust, and/or trauma-inducing (see the Lynch, 131 Schneider, & McBean, 2021 article on Restorative Practices). For us to have a sense of where 132 we are on this spectrum and to engage in practices that are trauma informed or invested, we 133 first need to have awareness about who we are and how our personal beliefs and experiences 134 may influence our teaching practices. 135 Becoming Self-Aware 136 A message many of us may have received in our pre-service programs was to “leave 137 your personal life at the door when you walk into school.” Throughout my 12 years in higher 138 education, particularly due to my teaching and scholarly focus on social justice, I have 139 educated my students to do otherwise. Who you are and what you believe and have 140 experienced will influence the decisions that you make as an educator – even though you may 141 not realize the connections between the personal and professional. The most recent global and 142 national events with the COVID-19 pandemic and overt exposure to systemic racism and 143 White privilege are prime examples of how the personal and professional are connected. 6 144 When we observe students’ behaviors, we tend to translate those behaviors and respond based 145 on our prior experiences. That is, we tap into our “systems of meaning” on how to regulate 146 and navigate challenges and issues; however, some of these systems of meaning could be 147 founded in implicit bias or based from our own experiences with toxic stress and trauma. For 148 example, researchers have found that marginalized students (e.g., non-white, economically 149 disadvantaged, English Language Learners, special needs, LGBTQ+) face a higher level of 150 discipline, decreased support, and increased bullying compared to non-marginalized students 151 (Blitz, Anderson, & Saastamoine, 2016; MacIntosh, 2019). Although we may not intend to 152 make decisions that could negatively affect these marginalized students, we may, which can 153 be detrimental effect to them. Furthermore, we may get triggered by a student’s behavior or 154 the trauma they are experiencing as it brings up a negative event that occurred in our own 155 life. This may lead us to empathize and support the student or the opposite, because now we 156 are re-experiencing our own toxic stress. At the end of the day, we are all human beings, but 157 we are different in our identities, beliefs, experiences, as well as our responses to stress. 158 Since we are tasked with having to educate and interact with individuals that are 159 similar to and different from us, it is important for us to reflect on our social identities (see 160 Table 2) and systems of meaning (see Table 3). In the social identity profile, you are being 161 asked to share who you are and how you identify based on your personal frame of reference. 162 People may make assumptions about your race, gender, religion, sexuality, etc. just by 163 looking at you, without knowing who you are or how YOU identify. After you complete the 164 profile, it is important to consider questions such as: Why do I identify in these ways? What 165 has influenced my social identities? How am I privileged or marginalized based on my 166 identities? How does the way I identify influence who I am as a teacher – in how I interact 167 with students, the decisions I make and the way I teach? The questions in the “Systems of 168 Meaning” task (Table 3) are posed for us to consider how we feel and potentially accept or 7 169 judge others based on some of these identities and characteristics. Similar to the questions 170 above, reflect on why you respond and feel the way you do and how this influences you as an 171 educator. As a person who focuses on my social identity and issues related to social justice on 172 a regular basis, I still need to consider my systems of meaning and address biases that I have 173 when interacting and working with others. We are not immune to implicit biases and 174 judgement so it is important for us to be aware of what they are so we can be cognizant as we 175 engage with students and make decisions – both intentional or not – that can influence their 176 learning experiences, how they feel about themselves, and how they feel within your 177 classroom or gymnasium. For further self-reflective strategies and activies, read the K-12 178 physical education (Sutherland & Parker) and the Physical Education Teacher 179 Education/Health Education Teacher Education (PETE/HETE) (Ellison, Wynard, Walton- 180 Fisette, & Benes) articles in this JOPERD Feature Series. 181 Considerations to Foster Resilient Learners 182 As we become more self-aware and observe and respond to students’ behaviors and 183 experiences from a trauma-informed and socially just space, it is important for us to make 184 intentional decisions and engage in practices that attempt to foster resilient learners. We need 185 to offer hope and an ethic of care for all of our students, regardless of age, that they, too, can 186 lead a happy, positive life. In our attempt to engage in such practices, it is important that we 187 make decisions that allow students to feel safe, establish healthy and honest relationships 188 with our students, identify ways that they can develop a level of responsibility, and guide 189 them towards self-regulating their emotions and feelings (see Figure 1). 190 Creating Physically and Emotionally Safe Spaces 191 At school, students’ sense of physical and emotional safety can be affected in a 192 myriad of ways. For example, students may be concerned with how they will access the 193 building, if a teacher will not yell at them on a given day, if they will be treated differently 8 194 because of the color of their skin, or if they will be called a fag by their peers. In physical 195 education, physical safety may relate to not hitting another student with a racquet, not 196 throwing a ball without another student looking, or having your shoelaces tied before 197 running. In health, students’ emotional safety can be affected whether they feel safe asking 198 for help or whether they are going to be judged based on who they are, what they say, and 199 how they act. 200 The type(s) of trauma students experience (or you!) may influence their sense of 201 physical and emotional safety. How, then, do we create a culture of safety in your teaching 202 environment, especially when we may or may not be aware of the traumas our students are 203 experiencing? There is not a one-size fits all way of approaching this, although we certainly 204 know that feeling safe is paramount when we want to depreciate our levels of anxiety, stress, 205 and potential triggers (see Table 1 for definition). For students who are experiencing toxic 206 stress and trauma, having a consistent and predictable environment is critical in feeling safe 207 (Souers & Hall, 2016, 2019). Knowing the rules, routines, expectations, structure of the 208 space, format of the teaching, and other salient pedagogical practices allow students to have a 209 sense of what to expect, which helps decrease the level of anticipation and their anxiety. If 210 the schedule is going to be altered for a day, inform the student(s) in advance. Furthermore, 211 to get as many students feeling safe as possible, ask the students in each of your classes as to 212 what it means to be physically and emotionally safe and for recommendations as to how you 213 can establish an environment where they feel safe. Student voice is powerful as they often 214 know what they need. Refer to the remaining articles in this Feature Series for specific 215 strategies, models, and systems that can be implemented in physical education (Sutherland & 216 Parker; Lynch, Schneider, & McBean), health education (Wynard, Benes, & Lorson) and 217 PETE/HETE (Ellison et al.). 218 Formulating Positive and Healthy Relationships 9 219 At the core for many teachers, is an ethic of care (Noddings, 1984) for students. 220 Whether this is demonstrated through the display of strong content knowledge, ability to 221 manage a classroom/gymnasium, implementation of best teaching practices and willingness 222 to connect and relate to students. For many students who experience toxic stress and trauma, 223 the ability to have one person in the school, whether that be a teacher, staff member, or 224 coach, that consistently demonstrates that they care for the student can make an important 225 difference in their ability to engage and learn in school and have hope for the future (Souers 226 & Hall [2019] call this person a “champion”). This, of course, can only happen if the student 227 feels cared about. For some students who experienced trauma, they may have a difficult time 228 trusting others or adults in particular, which will diminish potential opportunities to establish 229 relationships. With health and physical educators, formulating salient relationships with 230 students can be challenging considering how many students you may have in a given day or 231 week. For example, elementary physical education teachers may have 500 students or more 232 they teach a week, making it difficult to learn their names, never mind establishing rapport 233 with the student. Yet, we know that knowing a student’s name is salient for them to feel cared 234 about by a teacher. 235 In an attempt to foster relationships with students, in addition to learning names, 236 teachers can greet students as they walk into the gymnasium or classroom, give high-fives 237 and fist bumps as they meet their goals, ask questions to the students to learn more about who 238 they are, use non-verbal’s such as a smile or thumbs up to let them know you notice them, 239 and attend their sporting, musical, or school events. If a student wants to share with you, find 240 a way to make that interaction occur. In your teaching spaces, it is important to be consistent, 241 predictable, maintain high levels of expectations, and to hold students accountable (Ellison, 242 Walton-Fisette, & Eckert, 2019; Souers & Hall, 2016, 2019). Our systems of meaning, social 243 identities, and past experiences in life will certainly influence our ability to connect and relate 10 244 to students – some will be easier to connect with than others. We are not expected to have 245 relationships with all students, although we are expected to provide fair and equitable 246 learning opportunities for all students. For example, we can prevent ourselves from 247 generalizing or labelling students based on a social identity or past experience with a sibling. 248 For the students with whom we do not connect, teachers may find a “champion” in the school 249 whom that student trusts and can relate to – the more we operate as a team, the closer we can 250 formulate programs and schools that are trauma-invested. Moving beyond building 251 relationships, Sutherland and Parker (2021) offer suggestions on how we can also build 252 communities within our teaching and learning spaces. 253 Developing Responsibility 254 Responsibility, according to many teachers, can be demonstrated by bringing physical 255 education clothes, having something to write with in health class, showing up to class on 256 time, paying attention to the teacher, completing assignments and tasks, and following the 257 teacher’s instructions. These examples relate more to students being compliant to rules and 258 expectations; some of which are important! However, responsibility, according to Souers and 259 Hall (2019), also focuses on a person’s mindset and how they feel about themselves. We 260 often hear students (or even ourselves) question their knowledge (e.g., “I’m not smart and 261 cannot learn about the body systems”) and ability (e.g., “I suck at basketball. I can’t even 262 reach the rim when I shoot”) and generally put themselves down, especially when they 263 compare themselves to others. In today’s internet-based, social media world, students 264 consume many messages that they translate as to whether they are “good enough.” 265 Deconstructing these societal messages can be hard for teachers, but part of our own 266 responsibility as educators is to help students in learning who they really are and changing 267 their self-concept, self-efficacy and level of competence to one that is positive (Souers & 268 Hall, 2019). Thus, responsibility can be about compliance, but it is also about how a person 11 269 feels about and perceives themselves. This has never been more central or important in our 270 world than during the 2020 pandemic (COVID-19) that encompassed myriads of changes for 271 our students, which is why developing responsibility in this manuscript will focus on how 272 students think and feel about themselves. 273 Depending on the grade level, health classes focus explicitly on self-esteem and self- 274 efficacy, getting students to reflect on how they perceive and feel about themselves and why 275 they feel this way (see the Wynard, Benes, & Lorson paper in this Feature Series for more 276 information). In physical education, a student’s competency of skills, fitness, and tactics may 277 influence how they feel about themselves as physical movers. Often times, especially in 278 elementary and middle school, students struggle if they believe they are not skillful, 279 successful, or competent in units of instruction taught in physical education. They may shut 280 down, not change, bring in notes from home to not participate, or continue to try and meet the 281 objectives of each lesson. This, of course, occurs in math or language arts; however, what is 282 unique to physical education, is that the student’s performance is on public display – 283 showcasing their level of competency in front of others. Most teachers will encourage their 284 students to persevere, believing in their ability to achieve or overcome, yet, for many young 285 people, they do not know how to navigate challenges they might encounter that may 286 negatively affect their sense of self. Engaging in growth mindset and mindfulness activities 287 would certainly benefit most students, especially those who have experienced trauma. 288 Educating students on how to problem-solve, reflect upon their own behaviors and actions 289 and taking careful consideration in what they say and how they say it can guide them to 290 become more responsible, which will have significant influence as they interact with many 291 others throughout their lives. The Teaching Personal and Social Responsibility model offeres 292 physical education teachers with a framework as to how a curriculum and units of instruction 293 can overtly emphasis these concepts for students (Hellison, 2011). Teaching such important 12 294 concepts can only occur when the students are regulated – open to the idea of having a 295 positive sense of responsibility. For some students who may not be able to self-regulate – 296 whether in that moment or consistently in a physical or health context, we can use tasks, jobs, 297 or other forms of activities to divert their attention away from the issue, such as asking a 298 student to be the teacher helper, teach an activity to a team or group, or set up/break down the 299 equipment at the start/end of class. We can continue to be transparent with our rules, routines, 300 expectations, and projected outcomes; allow students to select partners or teams; and 301 continuously offer hope and positive encouragement to all students, regardless of their own 302 sense of self. We may not be able to connect with each student, yet we can certainly have 303 impact simply by believing in them and encouraging them to succeed. 304 Engaging in Self-Regulation 305 At the beginning of this article, the stress response system was discussed and related 306 to how students who are experiencing toxic stress or trauma are unable to get to a place of 307 homeostasis. If a student cannot achieve balance in their stress response system, they will be 308 unable to regulate their emotional or behavioral responses to situations that arise. Ultimately, 309 our goal is help students develop a healthy response to stress so they can continue to grow 310 and learn instead of being so negatively affected that they are unable to function or learn in 311 health and physical education. When they are in that state, they may exhibit behaviors such as 312 shutting down, displaying anger, or an inability to focus. If we have a sense of what is going 313 on with the student before it escalates to a level where they are unregulated, we can use 314 numerous strategies to get them into a regulated state. Some strategies may include: provide a 315 stress ball; get them to sit/bounce on a stability ball; go to a carved out ‘safe space’ in your 316 gym or classroom that may be dark, quiet, can rest or play some music; give them something 317 to fidget with; and get them to move, even if it is not in the same capacity as the rest of the 318 students in the class. Establishing rapport and relationships with our students will allow us to 13 319 have insight and an awareness of our students’ behaviors to notice when they are off or 320 altered. When a student is at a heightened state, using these techniques will not be helpful 321 until they are able to get to an anxious or stressful place that is manageable. This might mean 322 deflecting them from the situation, having them go to their safe person or “champion” in the 323 school if it is not you, or working with the school counselor. As predictable as we want to 324 make our classroom environments for our students, their behavior is not always predictable, 325 which means we need to have the skills and ability to navigate these challenging behaviors in 326 the moment when they arise. 327 Concluding Remarks 328 The purpose of this paper is to inform health and physical educators on issues related 329 to trauma, toxic stress, the social inequalities and injustices that these students may encounter 330 and strategies on how to foster resilient learners in health and physical education. What we 331 have learned is that dealing with students’ trauma and toxic stress is hard. We may not feel 332 we have the skills to manage it, we may be triggered by their experiences, and we may hurt 333 and feel sadness towards them for what they are going through. All of these are real feelings 334 that we should acknowledge. It is important for educators to engage in self-care and find 335 ways to navigate these challenging and difficult experiences with students, so we do not 336 experience secondary trauma (see Wynard, Benes, & Lorson’s paper for more information on 337 self-care). We need to engage in activities that allows us to be (or become) regulated and in a 338 positive and healthy place for all of our students day after day. We have to be beacons of 339 hope for our students, so they see what is possible. We have the ability to make these 340 possibilities a reality by creating classes, programs and schools that are equitable, socially 341 just and trauma-invested. 342 References 343 Blitz, L. V., Anderson, E. M., & Saastamoinen, M. (2016). Assessing Perceptions of Culture 14 344 And Trauma in an Elementary School: Informing a Model for Culturally Responsive 345 Trauma-Informed Schools. Urban Review, 48, 520-542. 346 Ellison, D., Walton-Fisette, J. L. & Eckert, K. (2019). Utilizing the Teaching Personal and 347 Social Responsibility (TPSR) Model as a Trauma-Informed Practice (TIP) Tool in 348 Physical Education. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, 90(9), 32- 349 37. 350 Ellison, D., Wynard, T., Walton-Fisette, J. L., & Benes, S. (2021). Preparing the next 351 generation of health and physical educators through trauma-informed programs. 352 Journal of Physical Education, Recreation and Dance. 353 Felitti, V.J., Anda, R. F., Nordenberg D. (1998). Relationship of childhood abuse and 354 household dysfunction to many of the leading causes of death in adults: The Adverse 355 Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study. American Journal of Preventative Medicine, 356 14, 245-258. 357 Fisette, J. L. (2013). “Are you listening?”: Adolescent girls voice how they negotiate self- 358 identified barriers to their success and survival in physical education. Physical 359 Education and Sport Pedagogy, 18(2), 184-203. 360 361 362 363 364 Fisette, J. L. (2011). Exploring how girls navigate their embodied identities in physical education. Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy, 16(2), 179-196. Hellison, D. R. (2011). Teaching personal and social responsibility through physical activity. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics. Lynch, S., Schleider, J., & McBean, L. (2021). Restorative practice in health and physical 365 education: Shifting the norm from punitive to reparative. Journal of Physical 366 Education, Recreation and Dance. 367 McIntosh, M. L. (2019). Compound Fractures: Healing the Intersectionality of Racism, 15 368 Classism and Trauma in Schools with a Trauma-Informed Approach as Part of a 369 Social Justice Framework. Journal of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies. 370 371 372 373 374 National Institute of Mental Health (2020). Coping with traumatic events. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/coping-with-traumatic-events/ind… Noddings, N. (1984). Caring: A Feminine Approach to Ethics & Moral Education. University of California Press: Los Angeles, CA. Sciaraffa, M. A., Zeanah, P. D., Zeanah, C. H. (2018). Understanding and Promoting 375 Resilience in the Context of Adverse Childhood Experiences. Early 376 Childhood Education Journal, 46, 343-353. 377 378 379 380 381 382 Souers, K., & Hall, P. (2019). Relationship, Responsibility, and Regulation: Trauma-Invested Practices for Fostering Resilient Learners. ASCD: Alexandria, VA. Souers, K., & Hall, P. (2016). Fostering Resilient Learners: Strategies for Creating a Trauma Sensitive Classroom. ASCD: Alexandria, VA. Sutherland, S., & Parker, M. (2021). Responding to trauma in and through physical education. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation and Dance. 383 The National Child Traumatic Stress Network. (2019). https://www.nctsn.org/ 384 Wynard, T., Benes, S., & Lorson, K. (2021). Trauma-sensitive practices in health education. 385 Journal of Physical Education, Recreation and Dance. 386 16 Terms and Definitions Related to Trauma Traumatic event: a shocking, scary, or dangerous experience that can affect someone emotionally and physically. (National Institute of Mental Health) Toxic Stress: When a person’s hormone levels are elevated, cannot return to a state of homeostasis and cannot cope with what they are experiencing. (Sciaraffa, Zeanah, & Zeanah, 2018) Triggers: Something that informs us or makes us feel similarly to a negative experience in the past. Spectrum of Trauma Savvy Practices (based from Souers & Hall, 2019) Trauma-Inducing: a setting that not only lacks safety, but also is actively unsafe for students and/or adults. Trauma-Indifferent: A setting that does not take childhood trauma into consideration in its policies and practices. Trauma-Informed: A setting where stakeholders have acquired some knowledge about childhood trauma and are versed in related strategies. 387 Trauma-Invested: A setting where stakeholders have consented to act on their knowledge, truly working together to enhance safety across the board. Table 1. Terms and Definitions Related to Trauma. 388 17 Social Identities Race Gender Class Physical/Mental/Develop mental Ability Sexual Identity Religion Age SOCIAL IDENTITY PROFILE Examples of Social Identities Black, White, Indiginous, Asian/Pacific Islander, Latino/a, Native American, Biracial Woman, Man, Transgender Your Identity Poor, Working Class, Middle Class, Owning Class Non-Disabled, Disabled, Hidden Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Heterosexual, Questioning Catholic, Jewish, Protestant, Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim, Baptist, Evangelical Young, Old, Middle-Aged Other 389 390 391 Table 2. Social Identity Profile. 18 • • • • • • • 392 393 394 395 Reflecting on Systems of Meaning What is your comfort level with? A person who is a different racial, • A person who practices a ethnic or cultural group? different religion than you? A person who believes you are • A person who is suicidal? incompetent? • A person who is loud and loves A person who is openly the attention of others? judgmental and critical of others? • A person who is obese? A person who speaks a different • A person who is always right and language? never asks for opinions? A person with a physical • A person who believes women disability? are not worthy of respect? A person who is abusing drugs or • A person who believes that abuse alcohol? is acceptable in certain situations? A person who was raised in a • A person who dislikes children? different social class than you? Table 3. Reflect on your Systems of Meaning. Adapted from Souers, K., & Hall, P. (2019). 19 Create physically and emotionally safe spaces Formulate positive and healthy relationships with students Keys to Fostering Resilient Learners Develop student responsibility 396 397 398 Guide students towards self-regulation Figure 1. Keys to fostering resilient learners. 20 Social Identities Race Gender Class Physical/Mental/Develop mental Ability Sexual Identity Religion Age SOCIAL IDENTITY PROFILE Examples of Social Identities Black, White, Indiginous, Asian/Pacific Islander, Latino/a, Native American, Biracial Woman, Man, Transgender Poor, Working Class, Middle Class, Owning Class Non-Disabled, Disabled, Hidden Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Heterosexual, Questioning Catholic, Jewish, Protestant, Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim, Baptist, Evangelical Young, Old, Middle-Aged Other Table 2. Social Identity Profile. Your Identity • • • • • • • Reflecting on Systems of Meaning What is your comfort level with? A person who is a different racial, • A person who practices a ethnic or cultural group? different religion than you? A person who believes you are • A person who is suicidal? incompetent? • A person who is loud and loves A person who is openly the attention of others? judgmental and critical of others? • A person who is obese? A person who speaks a different • A person who is always right and language? never asks for opinions? A person with a physical • A person who believes women disability? are not worthy of respect? A person who is abusing drugs or • A person who believes that abuse alcohol? is acceptable in certain situations? A person who was raised in a • A person who dislikes children? different social class than you? Table 3. Reflect on your Systems of Meaning. Adapted from Souers, K., & Hall, P. (2019). Traumatic event: a shocking, scary, or dangerous experience that can affect someone emotionally and physically. (National Institute of Mental Health) Toxic Stress: When a person’s hormone levels are elevated, cannot return to a state of homeostasis and cannot cope with what they are experiencing. (Sciaraffa, Zeanah, & Zeanah, 2018) Triggers: Something that informs us or makes us feel similarly to a negative experience in the past. Spectrum of Trauma Savvy Practices (based from Souers & Hall, 2019) Trauma-Inducing: a setting that not only lacks safety, but also is actively unsafe for students and/or adults. Trauma-Indifferent: A setting that does not take childhood trauma into consideration in its policies and practices. Trauma-Informed: A setting where stakeholders have acquired some knowledge about childhood trauma and are versed in related strategies. Trauma-Invested: A setting where stakeholders have consented to act on their knowledge, truly working together to enhance safety across the board. Table 1. Terms and Definitions Related to Trauma.
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