Trauma impacts children’s brains, behavior and socialization skills, making it more difficult for them to focus, follow directions or trust others. Traditional teaching methods simply don’t work for kids who have suffered chronic trauma like abuse, neglect or abandonment, which the CDC estimates is one out of two kids! This session will explain the effects of trauma on a child's brain and suggest how teachers approach children who have experienced trauma. Before coming to CCPS, I worked with Trauma-Free World, a non-profit training organization that teaches adoptive parents, caregivers, and educators, a trauma-informed approach to life and work. They have trained people from over 70 countries and 1000 organizations. During this time, I helped them edit curriculum specifically designed for teachers. I also went through the entire program and completed several classes on the subject. I have maintained a close friendship with the president of TFW, Julie Cooper, who has agreed to let me use the TFW for Educators curriculum (short videos and discussion materials) at no charge during TLA. For more information about the program, please go to their website: https://traumafreeworld.org/educators/.
