Format

Individual Presentation

First Presenter's Institution

Oklahoma Schools Advisory Council

First Presenter’s Email Address

kcoody@osac.us

First Presenter's Brief Biography

Dr. Kaylin Coody has over 40 years of experience in public schools, working as a Speech-Language Pathologist, Special Education Director, Assistant Superintendent and Superintendent. She currently provides training and consultation for public schools across the state of Oklahoma.

Location

Session Four Breakouts

Strand #1

Health: Mental & Physical Health

Strand #2

Heart: Social & Emotional Skills

Relevance

Now more than ever, we know that students' (and the rest of the world) are experiencing more intense stressors and struggling with mental health. Mental health concerns have been greatly exacerbated with 18 months of the chaos and uncertainty of the pandemic. From as far back as Maslow's Hierarchy (1943), we know that students who do not feel safe and are unable to self-regulate are unable to fully excel academically. It is critical that school personnel have an understanding of trauma, it's impacts and strategies to address the needs of students.

Brief Program Description

When looking at recent literature, it's clear that many students currently in school have experienced various levels of trauma, negatively impacting the social, emotional and academic progress. This session will review these specifics, with attendees have an understanding of trauma and strategies to support students in need.

Summary

The definition of trauma, and therefore the impact of trauma, is widely misunderstood. Trauma is tied to stress and the ability of the individual to tolerate stress in order to respond appropriately. School personnel need to understand trauma, how the brain reacts to stress, and identify supports for those sorting through the aftermath of trauma. Most critical in the school world is the idea of self-regulation - students monitoring their self-control to avoid time off task and classroom disruption. In this presentation, attendees will learn definitions, impacts and diagnosis of trauma, brain science, and strategies to easily create an environment of support in every classroom.

Evidence

We live in stress more than any time in recent history. The physical, emotional, and financial stressors of the pandemic have increased the probability of school-aged children living with trauma. Educators working with these children are seeking ways to reach them, teach them and avoid using ineffective strategies and consequences. SAMHSA (2014) has recommended that schools become trauma-informed, providing trauma specific interventions.

Soma and Allen (2019) reports the following:

  • 1 out of every 4 children attending school has been exposed to traumatic stress.
  • 14% of children have experienced abuse by a caregiver.
  • Over 1/3 of students have been bullied in school.
  • 70% of children living in inner city neighborhoods are exposed to chronic toxic stress.

Kaiser Permanente's Adverse Childhood Experiences Study (ACE) published in 1998 addressed the needs of under-resourced populations, which includes the impact of adverse experiences in childhood on adult health and health behaviors. This has lead to a wide-spread, concerted efforts to train educators on a resilience-oriented approach to Trauma-Informed Care.

This session will focus on increasing educators' understanding of trauma and working with these students for an improved ability for students to succeed in life, beyond trauma.

Learning Objective 1

Have increased information on researched-based strategies, easy-to-embed ideas to work with children of trauma

Learning Objective 2

Immediately implement strategies to incorporate trauma informed practices into their classroom routines

Learning Objective 3

Have increased understanding of brain science and trauma, to build improved relationships with students

Keyword Descriptors

Trauma, trauma-informed care, brain science of trauma

Presentation Year

2022

Start Date

3-8-2022 8:30 AM

End Date

3-8-2022 9:45 AM

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Mar 8th, 8:30 AM Mar 8th, 9:45 AM

Trauma in the Classroom

Session Four Breakouts

When looking at recent literature, it's clear that many students currently in school have experienced various levels of trauma, negatively impacting the social, emotional and academic progress. This session will review these specifics, with attendees have an understanding of trauma and strategies to support students in need.