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Trauma-Informed Education

This course is vital for all educators. Whether we recognize it or not, many students live with trauma, violence, and chronic stress. In addition, educators themselves may experience trauma, violence, and/or chronic stress in their own lives. It often seems almost impossible to avoid some level of trauma—either directly or vicariously through the lives of our students.

The course will begin by developing an in-depth understanding of trauma, violence, and chronic stress in general. It will then focus on how these experiences specifically affect schools and, most importantly, students. Participants will acknowledge the diverse populations we serve and examine how trauma is not a “one-size-fits-all” experience. Developing a clear understanding of the unique needs of diverse learners is a key component of educating students affected by trauma.

This course will also explore a strengths-based approach as an essential element of teaching our most vulnerable students. We will emphasize proactive strategies by learning to identify the signs and symptoms of trauma. The course will conclude with participants creating their own robust toolkits, filled with practical resources for establishing a trauma-informed classroom.

Carlow University: ED 6081 • Madonna University EDU 5830.64 • Mercy University EDUT 572

The required text for this course is Teaching to Strengths: Supporting Students Living with Trauma, Violence and Chronic Stress by Zacarian, D., Alvarez-Ortiz, L., and Haynes, J.

ISBN-10: 1416624600

Graduate participants earn 3 semester hours of graduate credit and will receive a transcript from one of our partner institutions below. Professional development participants will receive a certificate of completion for 45 hours of professional developments credit for face-to-face classes and 60 hours of professional development credit for online classes.

Professional
Development

Course Schedule

Zoom:

November 7-9 & November 14-16

Textbook List FAQs

Outline
Objectives
Important Information
Student Academic Integrity

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Outline

Module One: Trauma, Violence and Chronic Stress

Contents:

Define, (in general), the terms: Trauma, Violence and Chronic Stress
Assess the importance of understanding these terms as they relate specifically to the students in our classrooms.
Create clear working definitions of these terms, for the purpose of this course.

Module Two: Diverse Student Populations

Contents:

Identify and explore the many ways in which students, individually and as groups, can be diverse learners.
Differentiate between micro, meso and macro effects of trauma, violence and chronic stress for our diverse learners.
Understand the inclusive approach necessary to effectively learn strategies, while always respecting and individualizing strategies based on the student.

Module Three: Signs and Symptoms of Trauma, Violence and Chronic Stress

Contents:

Differentiate varying reasons for challenging classroom behavior at school.
Develop a clear list of behaviors which signify the possibility of trauma, violence or chronic stress.
Explore resources within your school to consult when concerned about trauma.

Module Four: The Strengths Based Approach

Contents:

Define strengths based approach for learning.
Review evidence based research based principles as they apply to students living with trauma, violence and chronic stress.
Explore the need for instructional practices that support student learning through positive relationships and interactions.

Module Five: Creating a Strengths Based Classroom

Contents:

Develop strategies for conducive learning environments by optimizing the physical environment of the classroom.
Identfying strategies to build positive, asset-based student-teacher relationships in the classroom.
Establish classroom routines that foster promoting student voice and choice.

Module Six: Fostering Family/Guardian Engagement through Trauma Informed Communication

Contents:

Define and fully understand the importance of circles of interaction.
Explore meaningful, realistic strategies to provide families to enhance their child’s academic progress and build on the family's strengths.
Identify unique strategies to provide critical feedback to families to support students.

Module Seven: The Internet and Social Media’s effect on Student Trauma

Contents:

Compare and contrast historical implications of trauma, violence and chronic stress on students (pre and post internet)
Explore the reality of media exposure leading to increased diagnoses of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Differentiate between your responsibility as a school professional when dealing with social media impact on your students, and the role of law enforcement.

Module Eight: Adverse Childhood Experiences

Contents:

Explore Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)
Participants will calculate their own ACE score.
Reflect on personal trauma experiences impacting teaching methods.

Module Nine: Vicarious Trauma

Contents:

Define vicarious traumatization.
Assess how, why, where and when vicarious trauma impacts educators.
Develop strategies to cope with vicarious trauma.

Module Ten: Pulling it all Together

Contents:

Implement core concepts, strategies and ideals from the first nine modules of this course.
Explain critical aspects of Teaching to the strengths of students with trauma, violence and chronic stress.

Objectives

Define and understand trauma, violence and chronic stress as they relate to education.
Develop an understanding of a strengths based behavior approach.
Assess the impact of trauma on diverse populations.
Differentiate between poor classroom behavior and true trauma response.
Identify the signs and symptoms of students living with trauma.
Explore and practice strategies to promote positive, meaningful parent-teacher relationships.
Decide how to best engage family/guardian in collaborative efforts for the traumatized student.
Develop a clear understanding of vicarious trauma.
Connect the importance of understanding Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) when educating students.
Explore and reflect on the impact of our own scores on the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) scale.
Recognize appropriate strategies for handling our own trauma when in the classroom.
Implement strategies to create a safe and supportive trauma informed classroom.
Implement core concepts, strategies and ideals from the first nine modules.
Explain aspects of classroom management.

Important Information

Online 3-graduate credit courses are 13 weeks in length.

On-site weekend courses are held Friday evening from 6:00pm-9:00pm and Saturday/Sunday, 8:30am-5:30pm.

Weekday courses are Monday-Friday from 8:00am- 6:00pm.

It is the responsibility of the student to check with their state, county, district, or school to ensure that all requirements are being met by the course you're taking.

Check the Partner Universities page for specific university information as well as course numbers which are specific to the university partner.

Students are required to purchase their own textbook, the information for which can be found here. If no book is required it will be specified on the list. We have copies of many of the textbooks should you wish to purchase directly from TEI.

Professional development (PD) participants receive a certificate of completion from TEI for 45 hours of PD credit for face to face classes and 60 hours of PD credit for online classes. These certificates are mailed within one week of the end of the class and reflect the course title, dates of attendance, and credit hour information.

Student Academic Integrity

Participants guarantee that all academic class work is original. Any academic dishonesty or plagiarism (to take ideas, writings, etc. from another and offer them as one's own), is a violation of student academic behavior standards as outlined by our partnering colleges and universities and is subject to academic disciplinary action.