Understanding and responding to the effects of trauma in the classroom: A primer for educators

Abstract

Although nearly half of U.S. students have experienced a potentially traumatic event (Bethell et al., 2017), educators are not routinely trained in trauma or trauma-informed practices (Hobbs et al., 2019; Koslouski & Stark, 2021; National Council of State Education Associations, 2019). Yet, trauma can have profound negative impacts on students’ social, emotional, and behavioral needs. Thus, this primer introduces educators to the prevalence of trauma in PreK-12 students’ lives, the effects of trauma on students’ development, and proactive and responsive strategies that adults can use to support students who have experienced trauma. We provide several vignettes to help educators understand varied presentations of trauma and the range of trauma-informed practices that can benefit students. We also address educators’ relationships with caregivers and describe strategies for mitigating the toll secondary traumatic stress (Figley, 1995) can take on educators. Throughout, we aim to build educators’ understanding, empathy, and agency for their work supporting students affected by trauma.