Module 1: Introduction to Trauma
From a Teacher's Perspective
Trauma-informed education recognizes the impact of adverse experiences or traumatic events. It offers educators an opportunity to be equipped with the skills needed to support students who have experienced or are experiencing trauma. This approach fosters an environment where students feel safe but also allows the students to learn and connect with others in a positive environment.
Trauma-informed education recognizes the impact of adverse experiences or traumatic events. It offers educators an opportunity to be equipped with the skills needed to support students who have experienced or are experiencing trauma. This approach fosters an environment where students feel safe but also allows the students to learn and connect with others in a positive environment.
It is recommended to change the mindset from "What's wrong with this student?" to the mindset of, "What happened to this student?"
The lens through which we see students and their behavior must be one with knowledge about trauma.
Difference Between Stress and Trauma
The words stress and trauma are used several times throughout this course. While it is often difficult to distinguish between stressful and traumatic experiences, it is important to understand the difference between them.
Stress is a common and normal physical response to challenging or new situations. Stress has mental and physical aspects and can be triggered by different life experiences. Stress is not always harmful, while trauma is nearly always harmful. Stress also doesn't always have to be negative. In fact, stress can be both positive and negative depending on the circumstances.
Trauma is an experience that involves exposure to actual or threatened death, injury, or violence. It causes a person to feel afraid, overwhelmed, out of control and broken. Trauma affects how people view themselves, others, and the world around them and can lead to a pathological condition.
What is Trauma?
Trauma is an emotional, psychological, and physiological response to a single event or a series of events that are deeply disturbing, frightening, dangerous, or life-threatening, also known as a traumatic event.
Witnessing or knowing about a traumatic event that threatens the life or physical security of a loved one can also be traumatic. It is important to know that the child's subject's experience of the event or events is most important in determining risk for ongoing difficulty. Trauma can affect anyone, regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, age, ability, or geography.
Different children may experience the same event, with some experiencing it as trauma and others not. It is important to know that sometimes an event can be PERCEIVED as a traumatic event, even if it may not feel traumatic to others. The feeling of vulnerability is valid to that child, even if those around them may not perceive the event as traumatic.
The lens through which we see students and their behavior must be one with knowledge about trauma.
Difference Between Stress and Trauma
The words stress and trauma are used several times throughout this course. While it is often difficult to distinguish between stressful and traumatic experiences, it is important to understand the difference between them.
Stress is a common and normal physical response to challenging or new situations. Stress has mental and physical aspects and can be triggered by different life experiences. Stress is not always harmful, while trauma is nearly always harmful. Stress also doesn't always have to be negative. In fact, stress can be both positive and negative depending on the circumstances.
Trauma is an experience that involves exposure to actual or threatened death, injury, or violence. It causes a person to feel afraid, overwhelmed, out of control and broken. Trauma affects how people view themselves, others, and the world around them and can lead to a pathological condition.
What is Trauma?
Trauma is an emotional, psychological, and physiological response to a single event or a series of events that are deeply disturbing, frightening, dangerous, or life-threatening, also known as a traumatic event.
Witnessing or knowing about a traumatic event that threatens the life or physical security of a loved one can also be traumatic. It is important to know that the child's subject's experience of the event or events is most important in determining risk for ongoing difficulty. Trauma can affect anyone, regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, age, ability, or geography.
Different children may experience the same event, with some experiencing it as trauma and others not. It is important to know that sometimes an event can be PERCEIVED as a traumatic event, even if it may not feel traumatic to others. The feeling of vulnerability is valid to that child, even if those around them may not perceive the event as traumatic.
Sources of Trauma Experiences
There is a range of potential sources of trauma, but some examples include;
Additionally, natural disasters, such as storms and fires, as well as pandemics, can be the cause of trauma.
How Trauma Impacts the Brain
The most important aspect of trauma's impact on the brain and the body for teachers and educators is to be mindful that if the trauma is activated at the neurological level, little to no learning and future learning will occur when a student is navigating trauma.
When a child's brain is experiencing high levels of chronic stress or trauma, our good thinking brain goes offline and is focused instead on survival (flight, fight, or freeze). When a child's brain can re-establish a sense of safety, their good-thinking brain starts working again.
There is a range of potential sources of trauma, but some examples include;
- Experiencing life as a refugee during war
- Witnessing acts of violence
- Death of a loved one
- Life under occupation
- Parental deployment into the military
- Abuse or neglect
- Mental illness
- Homelessness
- Bullying
- Divorce
Additionally, natural disasters, such as storms and fires, as well as pandemics, can be the cause of trauma.
How Trauma Impacts the Brain
The most important aspect of trauma's impact on the brain and the body for teachers and educators is to be mindful that if the trauma is activated at the neurological level, little to no learning and future learning will occur when a student is navigating trauma.
When a child's brain is experiencing high levels of chronic stress or trauma, our good thinking brain goes offline and is focused instead on survival (flight, fight, or freeze). When a child's brain can re-establish a sense of safety, their good-thinking brain starts working again.
The Survival State
When a child is stressed, their survival mode is activated. When look at the brain, the "downstairs" part of the brain, the brain's stem, is responsible for this fight, flight, or freeze response. It also controls the functions of breathing, consciousness, blood pressure, heart rate, and sleep. The way to smooth the survival state in the brain is to create a sense of safety.
The Emotional State
When a child's brain is stressed, the limbic system of the brain is flooded with emotion. The limbic system of the brain asks the questions, "Am I loved?". It is where emotions come from and keeps us from thinking clearly. The way to soothe an upset emotional state is through avenues of "Connection" (discussed later in this course).
The Executive State
The prefrontal lobes, the "upstairs" part of the brain, represent the executive state of the brain and it is where problem-solving and learning occur. It interacts with the "downstairs" part of the brain to say, "I have this". When a child is stressed, the "downstairs" part of the brain takes over and the brain responds with fight, flight, or freeze. Many teachers invoke redirects and consequences when the child is in the fight/flight/or freeze state. When the "downstairs" part of the brain is taking over, the "upstairs" part of the brain cannot take over.
Long-term Impacts of Trauma on Children
An event that a child finds overwhelming distressing or emotionally painful, often results in lasting mental and physical effects. Children experiencing traumatic events are 2x more likely to develop depression and 3x more likely to develop anxiety disorders.
When a child is stressed, their survival mode is activated. When look at the brain, the "downstairs" part of the brain, the brain's stem, is responsible for this fight, flight, or freeze response. It also controls the functions of breathing, consciousness, blood pressure, heart rate, and sleep. The way to smooth the survival state in the brain is to create a sense of safety.
The Emotional State
When a child's brain is stressed, the limbic system of the brain is flooded with emotion. The limbic system of the brain asks the questions, "Am I loved?". It is where emotions come from and keeps us from thinking clearly. The way to soothe an upset emotional state is through avenues of "Connection" (discussed later in this course).
The Executive State
The prefrontal lobes, the "upstairs" part of the brain, represent the executive state of the brain and it is where problem-solving and learning occur. It interacts with the "downstairs" part of the brain to say, "I have this". When a child is stressed, the "downstairs" part of the brain takes over and the brain responds with fight, flight, or freeze. Many teachers invoke redirects and consequences when the child is in the fight/flight/or freeze state. When the "downstairs" part of the brain is taking over, the "upstairs" part of the brain cannot take over.
Long-term Impacts of Trauma on Children
An event that a child finds overwhelming distressing or emotionally painful, often results in lasting mental and physical effects. Children experiencing traumatic events are 2x more likely to develop depression and 3x more likely to develop anxiety disorders.
