Trauma Informed Literacy Practices for the 21st Century Classroom
Format
Individual Presentation
First Presenter's Institution
Focused Minds Education Group
Second Presenter's Institution
Focused Minds Education Group
Third Presenter's Institution
N/A
Fourth Presenter's Institution
N/A
Fifth Presenter's Institution
N/A
Location
Session 5 (Sloane)
Strand #1
Mental & Physical Health
Strand #2
Social & Emotional Skills
Relevance
II. “HEART”: Social & Emotional Skills Fostering social and emotional skills and the social climate for all children and youth
Our researched-based practices promote the well being of educators and students in order to establish a trauma-sensitive classroom.
IV. “HEALTH”: Mental & Physical Health Promoting the mental and physical health of all children and youth.
Our presentation curriculum provides an awareness of how truama impacts how students learn and how educators can use literacy to provide support for them.
Brief Program Description
This experiential workshop teaches participants trauma informed literacy practices for 21st Century learners in high risk settings. Participants will collaborate using role-playing, prompt driven scenarios and discussions to foster an understanding of the key components of trauma-informed instructional research based practices.
Our session utilizes evidenced-based literacy strategies, which provide interventions using writing therapy and bibliotherapy to support the health, well-being and academic success of students.
Summary
This experiential workshop teaches participants trauma informed literacy practices for 21st Century learners. Participants will learn instructional strategies to use as classroom interventions which support the health, well-being and academic success of students. As experienced English educators of "at-risk" students, we understand the importance of student voice and the ability for them to be their authentic selves.
Too many of our youth have been labeled "at-risk", and most educators lack the ability to effectively respond to them. This workshop addresses this concern, particularly as it relates to the motivation and engagement of students in urban and culturally diverse schools. Participants will learn how to use writing therapy and bibliotherapy as actionable classroom coping tools to create a healthy classroom community of learners.
Participants will be able to:
*Understand how traumatic experiences undermine students' development in ways that affect classroom functioning.
*Proactively intervene using evidence-based trauma informed and responsive instructional practices.
*Gain insight on how writing instruction/assessments can shift from reactive and punitive, to proactive and positive.
Icebreakers, brain breaks, small group collaboration, hands-on-activities, multi-media videos, improve role-play, prompt-driven discussions, music, and a variety of educational technology tools will be used to engage our audience.
Evidence
As veteran educators we understand the need to support the academic and emotional needs of students. Collectively we have served the Metro Atlanta area for over 30 years, and have witnessed how traumatic events affect students and their families. These events also take a toll on educators and support staff members, who tend to receive little training on how to recognize the symptoms of trauma— and virtually no training on how to deal with the way trauma can affect them (Wolpow et al., 2009).
This session promotes expressive writing as one intervention practice that can be self-revealing and therapeutic for children and teach them how to soothe at a later age. Scientific evidence supports the use of writing to improve mood and working memory which supports the academic growth and wellness for all.
Biographical Sketch
Emily Meeks is a dynamic individual with demonstrated capabilities of utilizing instructional best practices to obtain desired results. As the daughter of a retired educator, she has been passionate about learning and education all of her life. Ms. Meeks has served as an educator, content specialist, and facilitator for the past 11 years within Metro Atlanta Schools.
As a veteran educator, she understandds the struggles many of our students face daily; poverty, implicit biases, unresolved trauma, which can be a catalyst for the onset of mental illness.
Currently, Ms. Meeks is the Co-Founder of Focused Minds Education Group, LLC, which provides professional learning on creating trauma sensitive classrooms; focusing on ensuring educators are knowledgable of the resources available in the event a student has a mental health crisis.
She received her Bachelors of Arts in English from The University of West Georgia and a Master of Education in Adult Education from Strayer University. Through Focused Minds Education Group, she is dedicated to assisting all stakeholders in education with the tools and resources to engage,enhance,and inspire students to reach their postsecondary goals.
Taneesha Thomas has over 18 years of experience in education as a Teacher Leader and Instructional Coach. As a results-oriented instructional leader, she enjoys opportunities training and supporting principals and teachers to enhance their professional capacity to turn vision into action to achieve success. Taneesha is a former Education Curriculum Specialist for the Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice. She also served previously as a Ninth Grade Academy Coordinator, Smaller Learning Communities Instructional Coach and an Enhanced Freshman Academy Coach for Metro Atlanta school districts. Additionally, Taneesha served as a Master Instructional Coach for the DeKalb County Schools District, in charge of curriculum alignment, assessment/data analysis, and professional development for English Language Arts teacher’s grades 9-12. She received her Bachelor of Arts in English from Tennessee State University and a Master’s of Science in Adult Education from Troy University. Taneesha has designed and facilitated various professional development workshops at the district and state levels in Indiana, Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama.
With Focused Minds Education Group and her energetic work ethic, she is ready to help facilitate focused changes necessary for schools to reach students and successfully prepare them for the 21st century.
Keyword Descriptors
Writing Therapy, Trauma Sensitive, Literacy, English
Presentation Year
March 2020
Start Date
3-10-2020 10:15 AM
End Date
3-10-2020 11:30 AM
Recommended Citation
Meeks, Emily Focused Minds Education Group and Thomas, Taneeesha, "Trauma Informed Literacy Practices for the 21st Century Classroom" (2020). National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Conference. 71.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/nyar_savannah/2020/2020/71
Trauma Informed Literacy Practices for the 21st Century Classroom
Session 5 (Sloane)
This experiential workshop teaches participants trauma informed literacy practices for 21st Century learners in high risk settings. Participants will collaborate using role-playing, prompt driven scenarios and discussions to foster an understanding of the key components of trauma-informed instructional research based practices.
Our session utilizes evidenced-based literacy strategies, which provide interventions using writing therapy and bibliotherapy to support the health, well-being and academic success of students.
