Week 1 - January 12th

Takeaways: 

• Trauma is feeling too much, too fast, too soon and it can be shown with eating disorders, insomnia, substance abuse, among others. 

• There are four types to react to trauma: fight, flight, freeze, fawn.

• Some principles for a trauma-informed school are teaching emotional and social skills, using brain based strategies for classroom management; i.e., giving positive regard.

Reflection:

Trauma can be identified in many actions that everyone does and seem "normal." It is important for us to be aware of these actions that can show a trauma in our students, so we can help them. Learning about the four types of reaction to trauma helps us to be more understandable with our students when they act in any of these four types. Being a trauma-informed teacher is helpful for both the teacher and students because the relationship may be better. Being a trauma-informed teacher allows to identify these reactions and being able how to help them regulate by teaching them more emotional and social skills.

Activity in class:

Ask the students to draw how they feel when they experience each of the four trauma responses and to write what would help them when they feel like that.

References

Wallace, K. (2021). Trauma informed teaching practice [pdf]. 

Took the ACE Test and Resiliency Test (see on section "Tests and Quizzes")