Rasha Glenn, Kindergarten Head Teacher
“Trauma-informed education is far more than mastering a set of strategies. Understanding and remedying the impacts of childhood trauma are an exercise in empathy and patience, coordination and flexibility, the forgiveness of ourselves and others, and long-term collective dedication to change.”
While many of us have experienced the dual pandemics of COVID-19 and systemic racism within the past year as a shared traumatic experience, what exactly is trauma? Prior to 2020, I had a narrow view of trauma. Trauma, in the most basic sense, is defined as an emotional response to a terrible event (American Psychological Association). At the onset of the pandemic, I sensed this COVID-19 era would mark a change not only for my personal teaching style, but a shift in the entire global education system. I knew this basic definition of trauma needed greater depth in my life as well as practical examples and actionable frameworks.
Source: Adapted Missouri Model by Trauma-Informed Learning.
It is common in the education field for teachers to seek ongoing professional development to better themselves, their practice, and ultimately the childrens’ experience. Motivated by the need to pivot my program for current and future students given the impacts of COVID-19 and systemic racism rearing its head, I set off with an imperative to deepen my understanding of trauma. I dove into an open-ended independent study, a journey which I will share with you.
Above is an excerpt of a piece by Rasha in our upcoming spring 2021 school magazine, News Notes. Read more by clicking here.