Paradigm Shift: Seeing Students Through a Trauma-Informed Lens
This training resource page contains all of the videos and training materials needed to facilitate a face-to-face version of the following ArkansasIDEAS professional development course: Paradigm Shift: Seeing Students Through a Trauma-Informed Lens (HWC21001).
About this Training:
Research has shown that adverse childhood experiences, or ACEs, are more common for children in Arkansas than any other place in the nation. Children who have endured one or more ACEs are at a greater risk for health complications as they age, but they are also at a greater risk of struggling in school and social settings. Students with adverse childhood experiences or childhood trauma can benefit immensely from teachers and administrators who work through a trauma-informed lens. Just one caring adult can change a child’s life.
In order to implement trauma-informed practices in schools, we must first change our perspectives surrounding trauma. This course aims to create a paradigm shift in school personnel by discussing the biological ways trauma impacts the brains and bodies of growing students, then increasing understanding and empathy for students who have endured childhood trauma and adversity. It will also compel educators to ask different questions, be curious, and engage with students using a new mindset.
By taking this course, school personnel, counselors, nurses, and administrators can better understand how to lead trauma-informed practices within any school setting. While we learn that being trauma-informed is crucial in leading a successful educational experience, we also discuss just how important it is to take care of yourself. Because having empathy and compassion can be exhausting, this course highlights forms of self-care and self-compassion to ensure that you’re providing a healthy environment for your students.