Caring for the Whole Student
Collective Trauma & Stress in the Classroom by Dr. Khiela J. Holmes
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ello, EAST community!! It is an honor to engage with such an amazing organization. As a society, we have been through SO much in the past months, including an unprecedented pandemic and social unrest around systemic racism. As a clinical child psychologist who has been trained in trauma-informed therapies and works with educators to create trauma-informed schools, I have been in constant reflection about examining the COVID-19 pandemic and social unrest through a trauma lens. Some might wonder why the word “trauma� would describe how to view this societal moment and why it is essential to approach these crises in a trauma-informed manner. Good question!!
economic hardship and food insecurity, increased substance use in the home, and more intense fear about safety. For those who did not have pre-existing trauma and adversity, COVID-19 has presented new concerns. Among them are:
A potentially traumatic event is an experience that a person (of all ages) has or witnesses that presents a threat to his/her safety and security. A notable portion of children in Arkansas had already experienced trauma and adversity before COVID-19. We know that 1 in 7 children experience abuse and neglect in any given year. The following are adverse experiences that Arkansas children have: parental divorce/separation (33% of children in AR), extreme economic hardship (33%), a parent in jail (16%), alcohol/drugs in the home (12%), a person with a mental illness in the home (10%), death of a parent (7%), the victim of or witness violence (5%), or experienced unjust treatment because of race/ethnicity (4%). For these children, the uncertainty, isolation, and losses of COVID added to their already adverse circumstances. For them, this could mean increased concern about abuse and violence, more profound
Using a trauma-informed lens in an education setting means that it is vital to have an awareness of, identify and provide support to not only the students but also the caregivers, teachers, administrators, and school personnel. Traumainformed approaches acknowledge that teachers have to feel safe to teach and students have to feel safe to learn.
Trauma Informed Schools Resources
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Unemployment in the family, Physical isolation from friends and family, Parental stress, Loss of essential routines, enjoyable activities, and self-care strategies; 5. Death and/or sickness of loved ones; and other direct and indirect stressors.
This is undoubtedly a stressful and challenging time for everyone‌and it is an opportunity to connect with each other as a community, nurture established supportive relationships, build important life skills, innovate and create new routines and approaches, and emerge as visionary and inspirational leaders. One powerful way to do this is to adopt traumainformed strategies. Below are some tips for having a traumainformed lens.
COVID-19 Trauma Resources
Addressing Race and Trauma in the Classroom
