Description

This course will provide school staff with the preparation in skills and knowledge necessary for providing purposeful direction in creating a positive and trauma-informed educational environment for all students. It offers tools and resources developed and tested by educational staff, national trauma support resource networks, school counselors, and leading child and adolescent psychologists and researchers.

Teaching resources focus on comprehending trauma and its effects, reading and analyzing multiple perspectives on important issues that occur within school, shaping school culture and value, facilitating a strategic vision and data recording to measure success, developing a positive and supportive language that implies safety, connection, self-regulation, and learning, and creating an inviting environment that shares a welcoming growth mindset. The course features discussion board with fellow school staff to both seek understanding of material, find greater connections to material, and to reflect on the material. Students will have a supportive environment as they learn, consider, and recommend next steps for themselves and fellow class members.

This course will also be focused on building staff-leaders who will lead implementation of PBIS and trauma-informed practices in their classroom and within the school and community.

Syllabus, Objectives, and Outcomes

Objectives:

As a result of completing this course, students will:

-         Develop knowledge of what trauma is and how it affects youth.

-         Practice responding to students in a way that is connected to that student’s humanity and dignity.

-         Create strong partnerships within the school, the student body, parent, and community resources to offer best support for students.

-         Form an Excel spreadsheet where the teacher will either be assessing self or students in order to measure for growth.

-         Develop and foster relationships within the school and community.

-         Cultivate a sense of efficacy within students in preparing them to accept ownership over their actions.

-         Establish a safe and connected environment where all students are welcomed.

Texts:

Alexander, Jen. (2019). Building trauma-sensitive schools: Your guide to creating safe, supportive learning environments for all students. Brookes Publishing. Print/E-book.

Smith, Dominique; Fisher, Douglas; Frey, Nancy. (2015). Better than carrots or sticks: restorative practices for positive classroom management. ASCD. Print/E-book/Audiobook.