Teachers Learn how to Help Students with Trauma Issues

http://mtstandard.com/education/teachers-learn-how-to-help-students-with-trauma-issues/article_b9dcd5bd-89f3-50f5-9ad5-11265c4cc935.html

Earlier this week, while most students had Presidents Day off, teachers at Butte public school in Montana were learning about what causes students to act out and how to appropriately handle it. Their speaker, Stacy York, of Colorado, is a mother and licensed clinical social worker who has 16 years of experience. This training was a part of a trauma-informed initiative to create a healthier community. York’s training centered around “regulate, relate, and reason” (in that order). These are three things that students who have suffered some type of trauma should do as a means to calm them down and prepare them for what they need to do in school. It’s about establishing healthy patterns for students who shut down in a random environment and helping them overcome complex emotions. First, teachers should start the day by helping students “regulate” their behavior. This can be done by checking in to see how their evening or morning went. If it didn’t go well, then one thing a teacher can do is give them a task as a means of distraction from the bad experience. York explained that because a young person’s brain cortex isn’t fully developed until age 25, it is important that these steps are not reversed-“reason, relate, regulate.” The point is to shift unhealthy thought patterns so that something positive comes before the “reason” (math or science class, for example). 90% of a child’s brain is already formed before age 5. If they suffer abuse or neglect, a teenager may only be developed at a toddler level, for example. They may not know how to handle tasks, or problem solve, which can lead to behavior issues. York stated that prevention-not intervention-is vital. Regulation includes that students feel safe and welcome in their classrooms. School nurses can also provide insight to why a child is acting out.  If a student is presenting with a high heart rate or oxygen level, they may shut down because they are emotionally overwhelmed about anything that is home, peer, or academically related. This can then lead to poor mental health, which can then to depression. The special education teacher stated that he plans to shorten lessons by a minute or two to better deal developmental and behavioral problems. It can be overwhelming for teachers, as well. Sometimes they are expected to be more than just the teacher. However, York stated that if teachers keep their heart rates down, students can reflect that calmness and hopefully that can lead to a better learning environment.

I’m not a school social worker, but I see some good potential in strategies outlined in this article. I really appreciated the prevention initiative and that York was also considerate of physical repercussions that stress can have on the students. Because I am not in a school setting, I’m curious to know if there is any similar kind of initiative happening here in Ohio. Do we have the means to hold training like this in Columbus City Schools, for example? Would there be barriers to doing this, and what would they be?

~Cara