Poster #29 - Trauma-informed Practice: A School-based Initiative

• In Event: Poster Session 07

Abstract

Experiencing trauma, heightened by the COVID-19 pandemic, is a strong predictor of developing a psychiatric illness (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2020). Brain development can be permanently altered after trauma exposure as the focus shifts from learning to survival. Additionally, trauma impairs emotion regulation (Ford, 2009). Poor regulatory skills weaken the student-educator relationship (Eisenberg et al., 2003), which increases the probability of a special education referral (Pianta et al., 1995) and school dropout (Alexander et al., 1997). Well-designed and well-implemented social-emotional learning (SEL) programming in elementary schools shows immediate and long-term positive outcomes in academic achievement and prosocial behavior as well as reductions in conduct problems, emotional distress, and substance abuse (Dusenbury & Weissberg, 2017).
A primary goal of this research is to discover how elementary educators define trauma-informed teaching and their responsive practices to trauma. How are SEL practices implemented and are they trauma-informed? How are classroom behavioral and emotional challenges effectively managed? Are educators supported by administrators, staff, and parents?
Thirty-seven elementary educators (grades PK-5) who had taught between 0.50 and 37 years (M = 18.05, SD = 10.38) participated. Educators were contacted by their principals via email to complete an online, anonymous survey using Qualtrics.
Nearly half (42.4%) of the educators surveyed had no formal education on trauma-informed teaching practices and 18.2% lacked confidence in dealing with students who have behavioral and emotional challenges. Many educators cited the need for parental involvement to successfully navigate current challenges with 13.6% receiving no support from parents. Qualitative analyses revealed common themes of feeling overwhelmed (e.g. “It’s hard. It’s tiring. It doesn’t mean I don’t do it, but by the end of the day it’s exhausting.”) and “limited resources and time.” The theme of student-educator relationships was central to definitions of trauma-informed teaching and SEL (e.g. “…building trusting, non-judgmental, unconditional relationships with students…”) as well as descriptions of how to navigate emotional and behavioral challenges and increase student engagement (e.g. “…I try to build relationships from day one…”).
Educators are rightly concerned with establishing programs to foster resilience and academic success for trauma-exposed children. Identifying trauma-exposed students and understanding their specific challenges can be complicated, which makes forming appropriate programming in response difficult. The experts, the educators themselves, can provide important information to guide next steps, which include additional education and resourcing to support trauma-informed practices and SEL.

Authors

• Michele M Miller, University of Illinois at Springfield
  Presenting Author

• Meghan A. Kessler, University of Illinois Springfield

• Julia Mayes