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Trauma in the Classroom

Ali Hendrickson

Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota

Schools of Graduate and Professional Programs

Portfolio Entry for Wisconsin Teacher Standards Three and Five

EDUW 694 Classroom Environment

Instructor: Catherine Anderson

November 20, 2017

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Selected Wisconsin Teacher Standard Descriptors

Wisconsin Teaching Standard (WTS) 3: Teachers understand that children learn differently.

The teacher understands how pupils differ in their approaches to learning and the barriers

that impede learning and can adapt instruction to meet the diverse needs of pupils, including those

with disabilities and exceptionalities.

Knowledge. The teacher understands and can provide adaptations for areas of

exceptionality in learning, including learning disabilities, visual and perceptual difficulties, and

special physical or mental challenges.

Dispositions. The teacher makes students feel valued for their potential as people, and

helps them learn to value each other.

Performances. The teacher makes appropriate provisions (in terms of time and

circumstances for work, tasks assigned, communication and response modes) for individual

students who have particular learning differences or needs.

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Wisconsin Teaching Standard (WTS) 5: Teachers know how to manage a classroom.

The teacher uses an understanding of individual and group motivation and behavior to

create a learning environment that encourages positive social interaction, active engagement in

learning, and self-motivation.

Knowledge. The teacher recognizes factors and situations that are likely to promote or

diminish intrinsic motivation, and knows how to help students become self-motivated.

Dispositions. The teacher values the role of students in promoting each other’s learning

and recognizes the importance of peer relationships in establishing a climate of learning.

Performances. The teacher analyzes the classroom environment and makes decisions and

adjustments to enhance social relationships, student motivation and engagement, and productive

work.
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Danielson Framework for Teaching

Domain 2: The Classroom Environment

Component 2d: Managing student behavior

n order for students to be able to engage deeply with content, the classroom environment must be

orderly; the atmosphere must feel business-like and productive, without being authoritarian. In a

productive classroom, standards of conduct are clear to students; they know what they are

permitted to do and what they can expect of their classmates. Even when their behavior is being

corrected, students feel respected; their dignity is not undermined. Skilled teachers regard positive

student behavior not as an end in itself, but as a prerequisite to high levels of engagement in

content.

Element: Response to misbehavior

 Even experienced teachers find that their students occasionally violate one or another of

the agreed-upon standards of conduct; how the teacher responds to such infractions is an

important mark of the teacher’s skill. Accomplished teachers try to understand why

students are conducting themselves in such a manner (are they unsure of the content? are

they trying to impress their friends?) and respond in a way that respects the dignity of the

student. The best responses are those that address misbehavior early in an episode,

although doing so is not always possible.

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Pre-Assessment

Self-Reflection Assessment of Classroom Environment Related to WTS 3&5

I began teaching for the Eau Claire School District (ECASD) in 2014. Eau Claire is a

growing community of roughly 68,000 people with many shopping, entertainment, arts &

recreation opportunities. The district has 13 elementary schools, three middle schools, two high

schools, two charter schools, and many recognized EC4T sites across the area. I currently teach 1st

grade regular education at Sam Davey Elementary School. Sam Davey is not a SAGE school nor
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does it receive Title 1 support. Recently, we have worked diligently to incorporate technology and

engineering in our board approved “Innovation Zone.” This initiative allows Sam Davey flexibility

in the design and implementation of lesson plans and offers personalized learning opportunities for

students. We have a greater awareness of the importance of technology and the impact it has on

education. Attending Sam Davey, there are diverse groups of students. In the population we

include 14.8% students with disability, 5.1% limited English proficient, and 36.9% economically

disadvantaged. Our school represents many cultures including 0.9% American Indian or Alaskan

Native, 8.8% Asian, 0.6% Black or African American, 6.8% Hispanic/Latino, 79.0% White, and

4.0% two or more races. The mission of Sam Davey Elementary is to empower our children to be

critical thinkers and lifelong learners by providing a quality education.

I have 22 students between the ages of six and seven. I teach reading, writing, math, social

studies, and science. My class is composed of the following students: 19 White students, two

Mulatto students, one Hispanic student, 11 boys, 11 girls, one special education (SPED) student,

and one student receiving School Based Mental Health (SBMH) services. The knowledge

descriptor stating that the “teacher understands and can provide adaptations for areas of

exceptionality in learning, including learning disabilities, visual and perceptual difficulties, and

special physical or mental challenges” is critical for my current class make up. According to the

most recent state report card for Sam Davey, 38.6% of the students are economically

disadvantaged, 11.4% of the students have disabilities, and 3.4% of the students have limited

English proficiency.

This group of students has a wide range of social and emotional needs which is why I chose

to focus on the disposition descriptor “the teacher makes students feel valued for their potential as

people, and helps them learn to value each other.” I do not have many Special Education (SPED)
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students, however, this year our grade level is comprised of many children participating in the

referral process for behavior. The specific behavior needs of students in my classroom include

speech and language, social academic instructional group (SAIG), SBMH services, oppositional

defiance disorder (ODD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), behavior

accommodations including breaks, and check in check out (CICO) sheets as a part of Positive

Behavior Intervention and Supports (PBIS). In first grade, our team works diligently to provide the

best academic and social supports for children and often we do not complete this process in a

years’ time. Usually by second grade, families and the school complete a plan to foster academic

and social success. At times, it feels as though we go to great lengths to reach individual students

learning and behavior needs in the general education setting with little to no response from the

child. As a result, I want to continue building positive relationships with my students and help

them to feel empowered and accepted every day.

First graders come to school brimming over with enthusiasm and excitement for learning,

life, friends, and interests. This age is commonly marked by tremendous growth, lost teeth, and

emotional highs and lows. This year’s group is especially eager and curious. They jump into

projects with both feet and work as a team to reach new learning goals. Together, we create an

environment where enthusiasm for school is infectious and learning is a priority. Teaching first

grade has been a joyful experience mixed with many challenges and triumphs from both a teacher

and student perspective. As I continue to grow as an educator, I find importance in knowing the

developmental stage and what to expect from all students, but even more crucial is knowing how to

care for and effectively teach students as individuals. Getting to know what teaching and learning

strategies work best for them, their likes and dislikes, and how to best support children who
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experience less favorable environmental situations has been my focus this year. Knowing these

common traits and forming a strong relationship with students will help when problems arise.

My class is very social and needs many reminders to continue working on independent

tasks. Overall, I see the greatest growth when students are participating in tasks that are

collaborative and creative. Knowing the wide range of behavioral diversity I have encountered this

year, I decided to focus on the performance descriptor stating that the “teacher values the role of

students in promoting each other’s learning and recognizes the importance of peer relationships in

establishing a climate of learning” and the performance descriptor that the “teacher analyzes the

classroom environment and makes decisions and adjustments to enhance social relationships,

student motivation and engagement, and productive work” to create a positive learning

environment for student success. During guidance with our school counselor or social emotional

learning, my class is eager to participate in shared literature and role-playing activities. Therein

lies the reason I have decided to plan my research surrounding research-based social emotional

learning to enrich the classroom community and respond to the needs of my students with trauma

history.

Sam Davey strives to create a positive, inclusive, and welcoming climate for all students.

The staff believes in creating a strong sense of community and values the interactions and

educational experiences of each child. We use a combination of Restitution, Responsive

Classroom, and Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports (PBIS) to create a nurturing learning

environment. Our Parent Teacher Association (PTA) is extremely generous and reaches out in

support of teachers and students alike. Some of the many ways PTA supports Sam Davey include

providing meals on conference days, funding filed trips, donating time to classrooms, organizing

family events like back to school night and the talent show, providing teachers with a stipend, and
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supporting the curriculum by sponsoring parent workshops and author visits. Parents in my room

stay connected by following our classroom Facebook group and communicating through e-mail.

I believe in creating a classroom of respect and rapport by using the philosophy of

Restitution and the five needs which includes (a) power, (b) fun, (c) freedom, (d) belonging, and

(e) survival. This philosophy is taught in the first six weeks of school and is frequently used as a

behavior communication standard between teachers and students. Restitution helps students make

choices, communicate effectively, take responsibility, and build intrinsic motivation. The

knowledge descriptor focusing on “intrinsic motivation” and helping students become “self-

motivated” guides my learning.

I also incorporate many Restitution practices including morning meeting, interactive

modeling, logical consequences, brain breaks, establishing shared classroom rules, and guided

discovery. I am an active member on the universal PBIS team and contribute ideas during our

monthly meetings. I communicate behavior data to my grade level team and assist the school in

the creation of “cool tools” which aid in reinforcing a positive school culture. PBIS is the data

tracking system we use to identify behavior needs in different locations of the school. Each month

we celebrate with all school assemblies (Dolphin Pod Meetings), all school celebrations, and offer

many after school activities for children and families to enjoy.

Learning in my classroom is student led and engaging through hands on exploration,

project-based learning, and brain based techniques. I see myself as the facilitator and approach

learning with students’ needs, interests, and development in mind. To best meet our learning

objectives, I value the collaboration, communication, and leadership amongst peers and small

groups. Assessments are formative, summative, and informal. Those assessment include common
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grade level assessments, AIMSWeb math screener, the Phonological Awareness Literacy Screener

(PALS), and the Diagnostic Reading Assessment (DRA).

My classroom seating arrangement includes five tables where children have elbow buddies

sitting at their sides and eye buddies sitting across the table. There are four to five children at each

table and they share tools in their table caddies. As students show greater independence, I allow

them more choice in seating at each trimester. We spend time on the carpet during morning

meeting, read aloud, and whole group instruction. Each child has a color row where they sit for

classroom meetings. We also spend time on the carpet in circle sit and story sit. Students have

many choices during Daily 5 and can manipulate letter tiles, magnets, and dry erase boards to

practice and apply reading strategies taught in first grade. Student work is posted throughout the

classroom including their hopes and dreams, self-portraits, and classroom expectations. A birthday

chart is posted in the classroom for viewing all year. We have a “Frame Up Your Writing” bulletin

board where we post our best work and celebrate the end of each writing unit.

First grade is truly a year of important transitions. Children are expected to spend more

time learning and developing deeper academic skills and less time playing alongside peers. In first

grade, we start the day with a morning meeting to encourage the important social exchanges

between classmates. Later, we have An ELA block which includes guided reading, writer’s

workshop and target time. The afternoon is spent learning mathematics and finishing our ELA

time. We then conclude with science/social studies and art, music, or physical education to end our

day. With only having two scheduled 15-minute recess breaks, I also include the following into

my instruction/transitions: brain breaks, movement opportunities, and free choice time on Fridays.

At Sam Davey, kindergarten-second grade teachers have limited technology access in the

classroom. I have one document camera and one personal IPad that I allow the children to use. I
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take students to the computer lab twice a week for 30-45 minutes where they have access to

engaging online resources. This year I am incorporating more technology use by introducing a first

grade Symbaloo and an online reading website called Reading A-Z (RAZ Kids). Symbaloo is

where I link websites, videos, games, books, etc. that aid in first grade learning objectives to a

home page and the children can self-select and guide their own learning. First grade is the year of

reading and our PTA has generously help fund the RAZ Kids reading program that offers leveled

fiction and non-fiction books to read and listen to online. I encourage reading at home using the

Pizza Hut BookIT program, nightly reading homework, in class guided reading activities, and I am

excited to now have access to literature online!

When referencing Charlotte Danielson’s Framework for Teaching Domain 2, I am strongest

in 2a, creating an environment of respect and rapport, and 2b, establishing a culture of learning. I

can grow in areas 2d, managing student behaviors, and 2c, managing classroom procedures. I have

a strong classroom culture where risk-taking and mistakes are perceived as growth opportunities. I

would like to further improve my classroom environment by focusing on meaningful interactions

between all students and allowing more time for social-emotional learning.

With an increase of students experiencing trauma, I decided to focus my learning on those

specific students I serve in my classroom. Increasing my understanding, recognizing, and

responding to the effects of all types of trauma will also help other students. Learning how to self-

regulate emotions and communicate needs in an effective way will promote the necessary pro-

active social skills that are lacking in my classroom.

Essential Question to Guide Learning Process and Growth

As I reflect on my current classroom environment, I found that I needed to focus on

“managing student behavior” especially with my students experiencing trauma. Lack of emotional
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regulation can pose many challenges to a productive learning environment. Providing students

experiencing trauma or trauma history with the supports needed to be successful in the general

education setting is critical for creating a positive learning environment for all students.

After reflecting on my classroom, the Wisconsin Teaching Standards, and Danielson’s

Domain 2 Classroom Environment, I centered my focus on the following essential question to

guide my personal and professional research and learning: What strategies will help to create a

positive learning environment for students with trauma?

Synthesis of Research

As a teacher, I am faced with many unique and exceptional conditions. I chose to focus on

students experiencing trauma or with trauma history. I have worked with only two students who

have experienced trauma as identified by the school district. However, when discussing the entire

population of first graders I have served, I could easily identify more students. In this number, I

am only considering students receiving School Based Mental Health (SBMH) services at school.

According to the National Child Traumatic Stress Network, one in four children who attend school

has experienced a traumatic event (2008). In my experience, students with trauma have difficulty

interacting with others, display defiance, interrupt instruction, and lack self-control. Without

strategies to include students with trauma successfully, the rest of the class loses a percentage of

their learning time due to disruption.

I chose to research trauma because it impacts all students. Whether from directly at home

or by peers, children experience the negative effects of trauma and its interference to the classroom

environment. I would like to learn about instructional strategies, interventions, and positive

supports for general education teachers to include in the classroom. I have used check in check out
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(CICO), positive teacher language, clear expectations, and redirection to help promote a positive

learning environment for students with trauma. I have had positive partnerships with parents of

students with trauma and the SBMH personnel because we continually communicate and

collaborate surrounding the unique needs of the children we serve.

According to Plumb, Bush, and Kersevich, childhood trauma is a common and pervasive

problem, affecting approximately two-thirds of Americans (2016). As the number of identified

cases continues to rise, it is distressing knowing that many situations are not identified by public

schools due to lacking personnel and resources. Trauma is considered an extreme form of stress

that affects a child’s healthy brain development. Research from Plumb, Bush, and Kersevich

states, “It can cause adverse reactions in all areas of life including behavior and learning” ((2016,

p. 38). High stress levels are considered detrimental to young children because their brain is more

malleable than that of an adult and it inhibits them from reaching their full academic potential.

When further explaining the affects of trauma to the brain, there are several crucial

structures affected including the limbic system, midbrain, and cerebral cortex. As stated by Plumb,

Bush, and Kersevich, “the limbic system, which regulates functions such as emotional control,

heartbeat, and physical balance, is also responsible for the fight or flight response” (2016, p. 39). If

a child is subject to severe, prolonged, unpredictable stressors, they may display hyperarousal or

hypoarousal. Hyperarousal is defined when the body is in a constant state of activation and

hypoarousal is a physiological state where your body slows down. It is important for educators to

recognize and understand the source of the behavior and that the child is not willfully defiant. This

perspective shift is imperative to teaching a child the coping skills they need to begin trauma

recovery and affirms the need for teachers to develop a trusting, caring relationship between
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themselves and their students. Teachers must learn to filter observable behaviors through a new

lens and begin to understand them as possible responses to traumatic experiences.

Students with trauma may or may not receive special education services. It is important for

teachers to create a safe, caring classroom environment by recognizing the social-emotional ability

of all children and taking adequate time to plan and implement lessons on developing emotional

literacy. Plumb, Bush, and Kersevich stated that, “students are far more likely to be successful if

they are consistently working on emotional competency” ((2016, p. 51). Maintaining a positive,

caring, and supportive relationship with children under traumatic stress will help facilitate the

healing process and is the first step when beginning intervention. Experiencing toxic stress has the

ability to significantly impact the development of healthy attachment and the ability to feel safe,

trust others, and feel a sense of power or control over one’s self and life (McConnico, Boynton-

Jarrett, Bailey, & Nandi, 2016). Reflecting upon your own beliefs, reactions, and triggers as an

educator will help promote an inclusive environment. Promoting a climate of calm and

predictability in the classroom by carefully designed lessons and transitions, orderly classroom

environment, clear expectations, and positive teacher language will especially help children of

adverse life situations.

Teachers need to know how to talk and interact with students affected by trauma and learn

how to help those children develop the necessary resiliency skills to be successful. Teaching

specific social-emotional skills that encourage students to practice self-regulation will help all

students identify and communicate their feelings consistently. One intervention, The Zones of

Regulation, can be a tool that trauma-sensitive schools use to best meet the needs of students. The

curriculum was developed by Leah Kuypers and is currently a practice based on evidence.

Currently, many research projects are being conducted as the program is gaining momentum
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around the United States and internationally. According to Kuypers and Winner (2011), “The

Zones of Regulation is a framework of thinking that is based on evidence from the fields of autism

spectrum disorder (ASD), attention deficit disorders (ADD/HD) and social-emotional theories.”

Woltering and Shi describe the relationship between self-regulation and resiliency, “Strong self-

regulation can form a resiliency against stressors, allow for a better focus on long-term goals, and

make students more proficient at cooperating and displaying other socially adaptable behaviors

((2016, p. 1086). Creating an environment with a shared language around recognizing emotions,

and talking about feelings will help build our classroom community and provide a sense of safety,

empowerment, and trust.

There are four zones used to foster self-regulation, self-control, and problem-solving. The

Blue Zone is described as when the body is running slow, such as when you are tired, sick, sad, or

bored; Green Zone, like a green light, you are ready to learn, and the body may feel happy, calm,

and focused. The Yellow Zone describes a loss of control, such as when you are frustrated,

anxious, worried, silly, or surprised. Lastly, the Red Zone is for extreme emotions such as anger,

terror, and aggression. When a child is in this zone they are out of control and often have trouble

making sound decisions (Kuypers & Winner, 2011). Student can have a hard time controlling their

excitement and energy when surrounded by peers. At times, the out of control behavior is viewed

as aggression and the student consistently receives negative feedback from those around him.

Adding more social-emotional learning opportunities, will be important to allow him to address his

own emotions and help him understand emotions in others. Positive changes in classroom

dynamics can happen when incorporating more conversations to affirm and communicate social-

emotional behaviors using Zones.

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Another intervention supported by McConnico, Boynton-Jarrett, Bailey, & Nandi, (2016) is

called Supportive Trauma Interventions for Educators (STRIVE), which is aimed at helping

schools support students impacted by trauma exposure. This program identifies a toolkit used by

the students to help identify and self-regulate emotions along with trainings, consultation, and

coaching opportunities to support educators. The toolkit contains various coping tools appealing to

the different senses, including stress balls, noise-cancelling headphones, calming scents, and visual

barriers (McConnico, Boynton-Jarrett, Bailey, & Nandi, 2016). Other important calming strategies

identified include, kinetic sand, stress eggs, theraputty, emotion cards, mindfulness, reflection

journal, etc. Using the STRIVE Intervention Toolkit helps children independently identify their

emotional needs and display them in appropriate ways and allows for choice in what works best for

them. Developing a sensory toolkit will help individualize the coping strategies to best meet a

child’s needs. McConnico, Boynton-Jarrett, Bailey, & Nandi, (2016) on incorporating a toolkit:

Introducing these tools in the classroom and providing teachers with an awareness of

trauma’s effects on child development helps schools create a safe and supportive learning

environment that not only reduces stigma and associated behavioral challenges for children

with trauma history, but optimally enhances the socioemotional development for all

children within school systems (p. 40).

Similarly, the use of another practice, mindfulness in the classroom, will help with personal

stress and coping, as well as emotional and behavior regulation in schools and at home. Goodman

and Calderon (2012) state, “Mindfulness means being purposely present and attune to your body

and mind.” Controlled body awareness and sensation exercises can help trauma survivors to

decrease hyperarousal symptoms, reconnect when dissociated from their body, and differentiate

past trauma memories from here-and-now sensations (Goodman & Calderon, 2012). Mindfulness
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practices include mindful breathing, observation and listening through use of sounds, every day

experiences, and body awareness. Children today need the answers fast and have little patience for

independent problem-solving. Through mindfulness, children experiencing trauma receive

adequate time for reflection. It teaches them to slow down and appreciate the serenity of the

moment. It will help children feel less anxious about the pressures around them and help identify

their inner balance. Through mindfulness, “Trauma survivors may build strength and resilience by

acquiring a sense of control, developing internal resources for symptom reduction and healing, and

facilitating the meaning-making process” (Goodman & Calderon, 2012). Adding mindfulness

activities into daily instruction will increase student participation, motivation, and engagement in

class and benefit all students.

Finding a balance between mindful activities that slow the body and energizers that awaken

the brain is important. Increasing physical activity has positive learning effects on the brain.

Getting kids up and moving increases the oxygen and blood flow to the brain. Students who

experience trauma may have high energy or low energy responses and planning for movement will

help them release energy and refocus attention. Energizers wake up learners, increase their energy

levels, improve their information storage and retrieval, and help them feel good (Jensen, 2000).

During the school day it is very apparent when young children need to stretch. Understanding your

students’ needs and thoughtfully identifying times of the day when movement is necessary is

important and helps relieve behavior problems in the classroom. Brain breaks and movement

opportunities are increasingly more important as recess and Physical Education class time has

decreased due to academic rigor. Through use of brain breaks, yoga, or brain gym children will be

more engaged in learning and will result in more effective teaching.

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Working with students affected by trauma in the general education classroom is not

uncommon. There is potential for disruption to learning for all students without implementing

interventions. Implementing a consistent social-emotional curriculum and developing a coping

toolkit will take longer to plan, however, incorporating brain breaks and mindfulness activities will

take little preparation. Positive integration of students with trauma into the classroom will benefit

all learners and create the optimal classroom environment where everyone can thrive.

Professional Implications of Research

My essential question was what strategies will help to create a positive learning

environment for students with trauma? I knew building positive relationships with students is an

important factor for student success and the research supported that. I will continue using

supportive teacher language and provide a wide range of social emotional learning opportunities

with all students; however, I will pay closer attention to my language and interactions with students

experiencing trauma.

Within my classroom, I plan to use the Zones of Regulation with fidelity and provide

students with ample time for social emotional learning, movement, and mindfulness activities to

better support all students including students experiencing trauma. Understanding how trauma

manifests into the classroom and the important role teachers play in the development of social

emotional competence is critical to begin addressing individual needs of students in class. I will

create ways for students to check in throughout the day to communicate their emotional needs. I

will create a self-regulation toolkit for students to use when they encounter challenges in the

classroom and incorporate more learning breaks including movement and mindfulness. These
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strategies will give students with trauma a supportive structure to be a positive member of the

learning community.

Research-based Action Plan

Action Plan Summary

1. Continue positive teacher language and feedback to create a welcoming environment where

students with trauma can be successful.

2. Incorporate the Zones of Regulation to enhance the social and emotional competency

within all students in my classroom (Artifact A and B).

3. Incorporate a STRIVE Toolkit into the classroom by designing an accessible space where

students can engage with their senses and appropriately use manipulatives.

4. Remain attune to my students needs by incorporating brain breaks into our schedule

allowing students to refuel for learning (Artifact C).

5. Include mindfulness activities to bring balance and time for reflection which will support

resiliency in our students with trauma.

6. Work with colleagues to communicate mental health needs in our building to develop

stronger relationships and positively impact every student we serve.

Anticipated Implementation
Many of the strategies I found can be implemented right away. I have access to the

Zones of Regulation book and the electronic resources. I will begin reading and

implementing this social emotional curriculum into my classroom routine each day. I

believe that social emotional learning should take place in all academic areas and I plan to be

creative when incorporating these strategies. Similarly, when behaviors occur, I want all
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children to have the necessary tools accessible to them to help regulate and express

themselves appropriately regardless of their location in the school.

Additionally, I plan to meet with our guidance counselor and SBMH personnel to

discuss the potential use of Zones of Regulation as a school-wide intervention tool to

increase emotional literacy in students who experience adverse life situations. I will also

review the benefits of the resources found in the STRIVE toolkit. I will continue to discuss

with the guidance counselor and SBMH personnel the interventions I am using with students

with trauma to evaluate the effectiveness. As a building, we will work together to create a

well-vested, researched plan for student success.

Anticipated Outcomes

My anticipated outcomes would be that students with trauma experiences will be

more successful in the classroom. With this success, will come improved behavior and a

stronger sense of community. It will create a supportive environment where all students feel

valued and cared for. I will be able to evaluate the effectiveness of my efforts by monitoring

P.B.I.S. data directly related to my students with trauma.

I also anticipate positive outcomes for all students. Positive teacher language, social

emotional curriculum, sensory toolkit, breaks throughout the day. The classroom

community will be more peaceful and students will be more independent. Explicitly

teaching social emotional behaviors and providing resources to students will promote

resiliency, problem-solving and communication skills, and peer collaboration in the

classroom.

Post-assessment: Reflection
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Classroom environment is one of the most important factors affecting students learning. It

creates the conditions for students to feel a sense of belonging, trust others, and feel encouraged to

take risks and ask questions in the classroom. It is important for all students and especially

students experiencing trauma to have clear expectations, consistent routines, and positive feedback.

I will continue to keep this focus in my classroom because of its importance to all students. The

goal of my research is to help children to recognize, regulate, and communicate emotions and

behaviors with less adult intervention. To best support the diverse needs in my classroom I need to

include more time throughout the day for children to learn and practice their emotional competence

through explicit teaching, role-playing, and cooperative learning structures. I recognize the

importance of movement and mindfulness strategies toward the healthy development of a young

child’s brain and will allow for multiple breaks throughout all academic areas. I need to create a

sensory toolkit for children to use when they are talking, acting out, bothering others, unfocused, or

upset. I learned that not all challenging behavior needs a consequence and that children need a

chance to reset and return to the group.

Through my research, I have deepened my awareness and acknowledged any personal bias

toward children with trauma and shifted to a trauma-sensitive mindset. This personal growth will

create a positive learning community and lead to a more smoothly operating classroom

environment. I learned that children experiencing trauma need to feel connected and supported by

caring adults. I will continue my collaboration with students, parents, guidance counselors, and

SBMH staff to ensure students with trauma have access to research-based resources and tools in

the classroom and at home. These strategies combined, will allow students experiencing trauma to

remain in the classroom with less disruptions to learning.

What Worked (or anticipate what will work) and Why

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1. Positive peer-teacher, peer-peer relationships will flourish, and children will feel a

strong sense of community that allows them to feel comfortable, safe, and respected. Knowing

they are working with caring individuals, will help foster resiliency among students with trauma

and begin to repair trust.

2. Students with trauma related experiences will remain in the classroom and meet P.B.I.S.

data benchmarks. Children will be more apt to learn and less disruptive when their learning

environment responds positively and effectively to their personalities and backgrounds.

What Did Not Work (or anticipate what will not work) and Why

1. The school day is already jam packed and teachers feel pressed with time constraints. It

is going to be hard to allocate enough time to teach all social emotional lessons with fidelity.

2. Another problem is that students with trauma can react negatively even with all the

proactive forethought to maintaining a peaceful classroom environment. Classroom relationships

are important to student success and it can be difficult to repair those bonds with other students as a

child with trauma might have already reacted negatively with an outburst.

My Next Steps

1. Implement the Zones of Regulation lesson plans to help children self-regulate emotions

and support them as they track their emotions throughout the day. This will be done during our

Social Studies block each day for 30 minutes. I will create a trauma toolkit for all students to use

during the day to manage stress and negative behaviors.

2. Incorporate regular brain breaks and mindfulness activities throughout the school day. I

will closely monitor the timing of behaviors in the classroom and purposely plan for needed breaks

during the “peak” behavior times I observe.

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3. Offer resources on social emotional learning, “take a break” or “trauma toolkit” posters

and manipulatives, brain breaks and mindfulness activities to parents, colleagues, and SBMH

professionals. I will focus my attention toward not only implementing these researched strategies

but also sharing the information with individuals likely to connect and support students with

trauma.

Examples of Artifacts
Artifact A

Artifact A is a Zones of Regulation inspired social emotional

check-in/check-out visual. I plan to use this routine during morning

meeting and our closing circle asking the children to use the magnets to

identify how they feel at both the beginning and end of the day. This

procedure will not be punitive, and the children are not required to

explain themselves to myself or peers. The magnets will be numbered

so they are not associated with the names of any student. I will use this tool for planning “settling-

in” instructional activities, as a reference when children experience either emotional or behavioral

challenges, gauging how the day went, and when reporting to parents. The Zones check-in/check-

out visual will help students monitor their responses from events happening before school and

allow children to be recognized when they are in different emotional states. The magnets give

children a voice and allows them the opportunity to share concerns they are having with a caring

adult. Implementing this classroom procedure will show all students that I care about and help us

build positive relationships. I will also use it when responding and sharing my own personal

experiences (I will have a magnet) to model how I persevere in personal situations.

Artifact B
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Artifact B is a portable Zones of Regulation clip chart using popsicle sticks. I plan to make

one for every student in class and send them home with student along with a Zones of Regulation

informational guide named in Artifact C. Before sending the clips home I plan to ask for feedback

on my parent Facebook group to see if they are a tool parents would like to utilize after the start of

the new year. The clip chart will be beneficial for parents when reinforcing emotional regulation

strategies learned at school. Parents can use this strategy with their children to promote positive

emotional and behavioral responses during meal times, nighttime routines, play dates or simply to

encourage a positive state of mind. This tool can travel with kids and allows them to track their

emotions on their own. My goal is self-regulation with less adult intervention and this tool will

help kids even when an adult is not readily available.

Artifact C

Artifact C is a Zones of Regulation informational

guide for students, parents, colleagues, support staff,

Special Education staff, and administrators. This tool is

meant to create awareness to the ever-growing mental

health state in our country. Promoting social and

emotional learning through the Zones of Regulation is

especially important to me as I see an increase of

disruptive behaviors in the classroom. I feel that

teaching self-control is at the center of education and

more and more studies support the importance of teaching students how to self-regulate and

monitor their emotions. Some studies go as far to say it is a better predictor of future success than

I.Q so how do we go about teaching it? This visual will remind teachers, administrators and
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parents that there is more to education than solely academics. I plan to make this resource readily

available at conferences and use it as a poster in my classroom by the “take a break” station.

Artifact D

Artifact D is a copy of my brain breaks that I plan to use in the classroom.

References

Goodman, R. D., & Calderon, A. M. (2012). The Use of Mindfulness in Trauma Counseling.

Journal of Mental Health Counseling, 34(3), 254-268.

Jensen, E. (2000). Moving with the Brain in Mind. Educational Leadership, 58(3), 34-37.

Kuypers, L. M., & Winner, M. G. (2011). The zones of regulation: a curriculum designed to foster

self-regulation and emotional control. Santa Clara, CA: Think Social Publishing,Inc.

McConnico, N., Boynton-Jarrett, R., Bailey, C., & Nandi, M. (2016). A framework for trauma-

sensitive schools. Zero to Three, 36(5), 36-44.

Plumb, J. L., Bush, K. A., & Kersevich, S. E. (2016). Trauma-Sensitive Schools: An Evidence-

Based Approach. School Social Work Journal, 40(2), 37-60.

Sullivan, K. M., Murray, K. J., & Ake, G. S. (2016). Trauma-Informed care for children in the

child welfare system. Child Maltreatment, 21(2), 147-155.

Terrasi, S., & de Galarce, P.C. (2017). Trauma and learning in America’s classrooms. Phi Delta

Kappan, 98(6), 35-41.

Woltering, S., & Shi, Q. (2016). On the neuroscience of self-regulation in children with disruptive

behavior problems. Review of Educational Research, 86(4), 1085-1110.