These past few weeks have been heartbreaking for many experiencing the devastation of war and for others watching it from afar. Many of the Multilingual Learners in our classes are connected to Palestine, Israel, or the neighboring countries. As teachers, most of us are not social workers or psychologists, but there are some trauma-informed practices that can be implemented.
“In a trauma-informed school, the adults in the school community are prepared to recognize and respond to those who have been impacted by traumatic stress. Those adults include administrators, teachers, staff, parents, and law enforcement. In addition, students are provided with clear expectations and communication strategies to guide them through stressful situations. The goal is to not only provide tools to cope with extreme situations but to create an underlying culture of respect and support.”
Many Multilingual Learners have experienced trauma before coming to the United States or while adjusting. A painful move from a culture and country with which they are familiar to a new one can be traumatic. Events or circumstances may include the actual or extreme threat of physical or psychological harm or the severe withholding of resources for healthy development. It’s important to note that an event may be experienced as traumatic by one person and not another. The experience may be influenced by cultural beliefs and the developmental stage of the individual, among other factors. Adverse effects may occur immediately or over time. Effects may include physical, mental, emotional, cognitive, behavioral, social, and spiritual challenges.
Trauma-informed experts have developed practices that could be helpful within your classroom. Below are some ideas adapted from How to Help a Traumatized Child in the Classroomby Dorado and Zakrzewski (2013):
1) Awareness is a key start. When teachers recognize that a child is going into survival mode and respond in a kind, compassionate way—“What’s happening here?” vs. “What’s wrong with this child?”—students feel genuine care.
2) Create calm, predictable transitions in your classroom routines. This doesn’t mean that you have to give up variety within the classroom, but students should know what to expect for the day. Writing your essential questions/I can statements and activities on the board is helpful.
Your students should know:
a. what the transition is going to look like,
b. what they’re supposed to be doing, and
c. what’s next.
3) Praise MLs publicly and criticize privately. Nurture the students even more than you might think is necessary. Notice those moments when the student is doing really well and point it out in specific ways to build their self-worth: “Wow, I noticed how Jorge helped translate that new word for Carla,” or “Thank you for taking a risk and reading that passage for the class.” When you need to re-direct the behavior, do so privately and in as calm a voice as possible.
4) Consider implementing a “mindful minute” before your class begins. You could play the short three-minute daily meditation from Headspace, or you could have them close their eyes or look at a spot in front of them so that no one feels like others are watching them. Tell them you will put on the timer for one to two minutes and you want them to work on breathing. They can count their breaths silently. Link for: Mindful Minute Ideas
Of course, the ideas I’ve shared are just the bare minimum when it comes to trauma-informed practices that can support MLs. I encourage you to do more research and enroll in workshops to further your background knowledge and expand your toolbox in this area. I hope that by sharing a few ideas, I’ve given you a starting point for creating a soft landing place for these students.
What has worked for you?
Has your school provided trauma-informed workshops or professional development?
