Engaging the Traumatized Child

Teachers and administrators across the country are being faced with a challenge never seen before: attempting to educate students who are presenting with ever increasing mental health difficulties that traditionally interfere with the actual learning itself. This session provides a foundational understanding of trauma presented in a way not typically seen and equips participants with skills, confidence and unique ideas to reach this challenging population of students. 

Learning Objectives: 

• Identify what trauma actually is (the types and neurobiology of trauma) and is not, as well as how to communicate that to teaching staff 
• Discover the 10 foundational components of creating a trauma-empowered school & classroom 
• Become familiar with “Trauma Roadblock” and “Aversive State” and why students seem to sabotage their own academic success 
• Gain creative strategies for dealing with specific behaviors from students including “I Action Language,” “My Needs Checklist” and many others to get below the surface of behavior 
• Examine how to use videos, your environment and experiential moments to inspire and give hope to traumatized students 
• Master preventative strategies for dealing with a toxic classroom or school culture 
• Explore how to use “one-liners” to get the student’s attention, put responsibility where it needs to be, instill hope or confront oppositional behavior