Helping Kids to Help Themselves

     Last week, teachers from across the district listened to Dr. Vera Jackson's presentation about how to start incorporating Trauma Informed Education practices into daily instruction. According to the presentation, 67 percent of people in the United States have experienced Adverse Childhood Experiences.   Children who experience traumatic events could struggle with learning and memory and develop health issues that could last a lifetime.
     One of the first things teachers can do is to help students make a "safety plan." The plan focuses on internal and external strategies to help a student who is experiencing a stressful situation find ways to calm themselves. The idea is that the student will carry their plan with them all the time and have it whenever they need it. 
      Ms. Litchman helped her ELD students create their "calm" plans yesterday. Once they are laminated the students will add them to their "stress reduction" first-aid kits. All students will start adding things to the kit that might help them re-focus when feeling anxious. Once the students learn to start using these tools, it will give them the power to start self-regulating their emotions. 
     Teachers across the district are eager to learn more about how to help all of our students through these Trauma Informed practices. 

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