I Wish My Teacher Knew: Trauma, Stress, and Learning in Today’s Classrooms

Format

Individual Presentation

Presenters

Janie R. Goodman PhD, University of South Carolina - ColumbiaFollow
Victoria A. Oglan PhD, University of South Carolina - ColumbiaFollow

First Presenter's Institution

University of South Carolina - Columbia

First Presenter’s Email Address

goodmanj@mailbox.sc.edu

First Presenter's Brief Biography

Dr. Janie Riddle Goodman is a Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of South Carolina – Columbia. She is a career educator at both the K-12 and higher education levels. She teaches graduate courses in teacher education and the sociopolitical context of multicultural education along with undergraduate courses in content area literacy and ELA methodology and assessment. Additionally, Dr. Goodman is the academic advisor for all graduate students in the Master of Education in Teaching on-line degree program. Dr. Goodman’s service work includes providing professional development for teachers employed by the South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice independent school district and being a member of the UofSC Accreditation Team for SCISA (South Carolina Independent School Association). Dr. Goodman has shared her expertise with countless teachers and students through her presentations at local, state, national, and international conferences. She has also authored and co-authored many professional publications, including journal articles and book chapters.

Second Presenter's Institution

University of South Carolina - Columbia

Second Presenter’s Email Address

oglanmon@mailbox.sc.edu

Second Presenter's Brief Biography

Victoria Oglan is a Clinical Associate Professor in Secondary English Education / Language and Literacy at the University of South Carolina - Columbia. She is a veteran teacher at both the K-12 and higher education levels. She teaches graduate classes in classroom methodology & assessment, qualitative teacher research, and content/disciplinary literacy. As well, Dr. Oglan conducts professional development workshops and presentations on a variety of topics related to K-12 education. For several years, she has partnered with the Department of Juvenile Justice to offer both professional development and literacy endorsement courses for certification to their teachers. She has leadership expertise having worked as the Co-Director of the Midlands Writing Project (MWP), Co-Director of Project RAISSE (Reading Assistance Initiative for Secondary School Educators), Director of the USC Accreditation Team for SCISA (South Carolina Independent School Association), Board of Directors member for the Writing Improvement Network (WIN), Board of Directors for the Midlands Arts Conservatory (MAC), and has served as a member of the South Carolina Reading Initiative (SCRI) Teaching Team working with middle school literacy coaches.

Location

Session Nine Breakouts

Strand #1

Head: Academic Achievement & Leadership

Strand #2

Heart: Social & Emotional Skills

Relevance

This proposed presentation has several relevant connections to Strand 1: “HEAD”: Academic Achievement & Leadership: Closing achievement gaps and promoting learning for all children and youth; and, Strand 2: “HEART”: Fostering social and emotional skills and the social climate for all children and youth.

Information reported by the Modern Classrooms Project (2021) states that in their first 18 years of life, students will likely experience tragedy, loss, neglect, or abuse. Teachers face the aftermath of these experiences through the social, emotional, academic, and neurological results often apparent in classrooms. While teachers play an integral role in trauma-informed care, most did not have a dedicated teacher-preparation course in understanding the impacts of trauma or do not have ongoing professional development in trauma-informed teaching practices. Additionally, the majority of publications on childhood trauma and trauma-informed care are written for mental health care professionals and not educators.

The co-presenters of this proposed presentation will present attendees with a roadmap of information for creating trauma-informed classrooms and schools by connecting five conditions that foster student resilience with Strand 1: Head and Strand 2: Heart.

School conditions that foster student resilience include:

Connections with Strand 1: Head and Strand 2: Heart

1. the importance of teacher-student relationships that let students know that they matter and have value

Strand 1:

• Equitable opportunity to learn

Strand 2:

• Creating a sense of community in classrooms & schools

1. the ways in which social and emotional learning can be integrated into classroom and school experiences

Strand 2:

• Self-Esteem
• Positive identity development
• Emotional intelligence

1. how the use of powerful and purposeful reading and writing engagements can help students see themselves and their situations from multiple perspectives

Strand 1:

• Academic instruction (reading, writing, mathematics, or science) for students at risk of failure
• Differentiated instruction
• Brain-based instruction

1. teaching framed in learner empowerment as a way to restore students’ agency as they regain their control

Strand 1:

• Dropout prevention

Strand 2:

• Student empowerment

1. how the school community functions as an agent of change with on-going support from parents and stakeholders

Strand 1:

• After school programs
• Summer programs
• Early intervention

Strand 2:

• Reducing achievement gaps
• Turning around low-performing schools

Brief Program Description

Educators have the power to create schools where all students can learn and feel safe. This presentation highlights the importance of establishing teacher-student relationships, how these relationships impact learning and social-emotional well-being, the roles authentic reading and writing engagements play in learning, strategies for trauma-informed and trauma-responsive teaching, and the power of establishing family and community support for teachers and schools.

Summary

Up to two-thirds of U.S. children have experienced at least one type of serious childhood trauma, such as abuse, neglect, natural disaster, or experiencing or witnessing violence. Trauma is possibly the largest public health issue facing our children today (CDC, 2019). Traumatized students are especially prone to difficulty in self-regulation, negative thinking, being on high alert, difficulty trusting adults, and inappropriate social interactions (Lacoe, 2013; Terrasi & de Galarce, 2017). They often haven't learned to express emotions healthily and instead show their distress through aggression, avoidance, shutting down, or other off-putting behaviors. These actions can feel antagonistic to teachers who don't understand the root cause of the student's behavior, which can lead to misunderstandings, ineffective interventions, and missed learning time (Minahan, 2019).

However, educators have the power to create schools that are places of learning about oneself and the world for all students, and safe harbors for those whose lives are chaotic (Fisher, Frey, & Savitz, 2020). In order to reach and support all students, educators must approach everything they do through a trauma-informed lens. Dr. Jamie Howard (2021) writes, “There’s chronic loss happening right now. So much of what kids have lost recently — the end of the school year, celebrations, camp — is related to real developmental milestones. These things…really matter to kids.” Additionally, researchers have discovered how brains under chronic stress will have trouble learning new things and committing new material to memory (Pellissier, 2014).

In this presentation, attendees will learn about the importance of establishing teacher-student relationships, how these relationships impact learning and social-emotional well-being, the roles authentic reading and writing engagements play in learning, strategies for trauma-informed and trauma-responsive teaching, and the power of establishing family and community support for teachers and schools.

Although this is not intended to be a comprehensive presentation of the educational issues surrounding stress, trauma, and violence, it will give attendees a broader understanding of these topics. It will provide information that can be applied directly into work with students in the classroom and community. This course is appropriate for preK-12 teachers and other educators of all grade levels, elementary and secondary.

Evidence

CDC. (2019). Adverse childhood experiences. Retrieved from www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/childabuseandneglect/acestudy/index.html

Fisher, D., Frey, N., Savitz, R.S. (2020). Teaching hope and resilience for students experiencing trauma. New York, NY: Teachers College Press.

Lacoe, J. (2013). Too scared to learn? The academic consequences of feeling unsafe at school. Working Paper #02–13. Institute for Education and Social Policy.

Learning for Justice Staff. (2020, March 3). A Trauma-informed approach to teaching through coronavirus. Learning for Justice. https://www.learningforjustice.org/magazine/a-trauma-informed-approach-to-teaching-through-coronavirus

Minahan, J. (2014). The behavior code companion: Strategies, tools, and interventions for supporting students with anxiety-related or oppositional behaviors. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Education Press

Minahan, J. (2019, October 1). Trauma-informed teaching strategies. ASCD. https://www.ascd.org/el/articles/trauma-informed-teaching-strategies

Pellissier, H. (2014, October 23). Stress and your child’s brain. Great Schools. https://www.greatschools.org/gk/articles/how-stress-affects-your-child/

The Modern Classrooms Project. (2021, January 11). Trauma-informed teaching in a modern classroom. https://www.modernclassrooms.org/blog/trauma-informed-teaching-in-a-modern-classroom?utm_source=google_cpc&utm_medium=ad_grant&utm_campaign=media_resources&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIgaXKvOam8gIVL8qUCR1OGgC_EAAYAiAAEgJRSfD_BwE

Terrasi, S., & de Galarce, P. C. (2017). Trauma and learning in America's classrooms. Phi Delta Kappan, 98(6), 35–41.

Wilder, P. (2019). Conversations with myself: Literacy as a conscious tool of healing. English Journal, 108(3), 60-66.

Learning Objective 1

Understand the educator’s role in supporting and accommodating students who have special learning needs arising from exposure to stress, trauma, or violence in their lives

Learning Objective 2

Understand the special learning needs these students bring to the classroom

Learning Objective 3

Understand the educator’s role in protecting and supporting vulnerable students

Keyword Descriptors

Trauma, Stress, Adjustment Disorder, Resilience, Learning Environment, Literacy, Safety

Presentation Year

2022

Start Date

3-9-2022 11:15 AM

End Date

3-9-2022 12:30 PM

Recommended Citation

Goodman, Janie R. PhD and Oglan, Victoria A. PhD, "I Wish My Teacher Knew: Trauma, Stress, and Learning in Today’s Classrooms" (2022). National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Conference. 87.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/nyar_savannah/2022/2022/87