Stock # 121036 S25
October 2020
Trauma-Sensitive Schools
Volume 78, Number 2
The October 2020 issue of Educational Leadership explores the effects of trauma on student learning and how educators can be more responsive to the needs of students suffering from trauma. This is a critical topic in a school year filled with uncertainties and challenges resulting from the pandemic and recent incidents of racial injustice. Our authors highlight new research and findings on developmental trauma and approaches for helping students cope and thrive amid difficult circumstances.
FEATURES
14 How Trauma-Informed Are We, Really?
Paul Gorski
To fully support students, schools must attend to the trauma that occurs within their own institutional cultures.
20 Maintaining Relationships, Reducing Anxiety During Remote Learning
Jessica Minahan
Teachers can play a huge role in helping students with anxiety or trauma issues feel safe—even from a distance.
28 Learning from Kids Who Hurt
Carol Ann Tomlinson
Experiences with four students facing trauma taught me key lessons about reaching—and teaching—hurting children.
34 Trauma Is a Word—Not a Sentence
Kristin Souers and Pete Hall
By building a culture of safety in schools, we can give students and educators living with trauma the resources and support they need to thrive.
40 Building Racial Equity Through Trauma-Responsive Discipline
Micere Keels
This school year, educators need to strengthen their use of social-emotional, social justice, and culturally responsive practices.
46 Self-Care: The Antidote to Compassion Fatigue
Mona M. Johnson
Compassion fatigue and secondary traumatic stress can be debilitating for education leaders. The good news is they can also be prevented.
52 Healing Communities to Heal Schools
Wendy R. Ellis
Since student trauma is often rooted in inequitable conditions, trauma-informed practices need to reach whole communities.
58 Creating a Culture of Care
Anne-Marie Conn, Shaun C. Nelms, and Valerie L. Marsh
A school-based behavioral therapy intervention helps at-risk students build awareness and coping skills.
64 Supporting Students with Disabilities in Trauma-Sensitive Schools
Amy Szarkowski and Jason Fogler
Trauma-sensitive schools create a space where all children can seek support without fear of escalating consequences.
69 Meeting Student Trauma with an Asset-Based Approach
Debbie Zacarian, Lourdes Alvarez-Ortiz, and Judie Haynes
Students living in adverse circumstances often lack positive recognition in schools.
COLUMNS
9 Reader’s Guide
Seeing Schools as Islands of Safety
Anthony Rebora
74 Research Matters / A “Write” Way to Address Trauma
Bryan Goodwin and Lisa M. Jones
Letting students write about negative experiences can help them process.
76 Show & Tell: A Video Column / Helping Students Cope with the Pandemic
Douglas Fisher and Nancy Frey
How educators respond to children’s fears now will influence the long-term effects.
78 Leading Together / Teams to the Rescue
Jill Harrison Berg
In a time of crisis, cultivating collective efficacy among teams is key.
80 Confronting Inequity / Healing Black Students’ Pain
Dena Simmons
If schools aren’t addressing racism, they aren’t fully addressing trauma.
82 The Resilient Educator / Black Boys Are More Than Inequity Statistics
Elena Aguilar
Detailing inequities without taking action can be dehumanizing.
DEPARTMENTS
6 Readers React
10 Advisory
84 Tell Us About
Readers share a strategy or change they’ve implemented to support students affected by trauma.
86 Whole Child Spotlight
Why social-emotional supports are more important than ever.
83 Index to Advertisers
87 ASCD Community in Action
88 EL Takeaways
The Empathetic Educator
EL ONLINE EXCLUSIVES
Trauma-Informed Design in the Classroom
Nancy Frey, Douglas Fisher, and Dominique Smith
Color. Carpets. Configurations. The classroom can create a sense of safety, calm, and invitation to learn—if designed correctly.
Helping Kids Facing Trauma Do Better
Brandi Clark
By building relationships and helping students create their own “wellness tools,” teachers can foster skills for managing challenging emotions.