Center to train teachers on trauma-informed approaches for classrooms

CATEGORY: SCHOOLS

Josh Carlson, LCSW, Executive Director of The Knowledge Center at Chaddock

Source: KHQA Staff
Read time: 2.4 minutes

This is Happening
The Knowledge Center at Chaddock, a non-profit organization in Quincy, IL, will hold its third-annual conference to train teachers in trauma-informed approaches. The two-day event will be March 6 & 7, 2024.

Who Is Doing This?
The Center offers trainings, supervision, and publications, with much of its work based on their trademarked Developmental Trauma and Attachment Program® model.

The Premise
The premise is that when teachers learn how trauma impacts a wide range of children’s emotions, neurobiology, sense of self, learning, aggression (and much more) then they can implement new skills in classrooms to make children and schools more successful.

Analysis
Among the fifteen presentations, teachers will learn how to prevent burn out, use circles to transform classroom culture, connect with the whole child as a person, build a vocabulary to become truly trauma-informed on six core principles, play the Brain Architecture Game to learn how trauma and ACEs change children’s brains, use reflection to understand emotional responses, engage families, identify why kids misbehave, learn the Nurtured Heart Approach® to reduce aggression, use writing to help students turn pain into power, and hear from a keynote speaker who believes that “Every child faces a moment in life that determines their future self.”
     There is, however, no good evidence that implementation of a trauma-informed culture enhances well-being, reduces disruptive behaviors, or helps children learn better.
     The slogan “trauma-informed” was invented in the early 2000s for the purpose of trying to popularize a narrative, and is not a scientific term. There is no consensus on what it means to be trauma-informed. Trainings teach that becoming trauma-informed is a never-ending process rather than a specific outcome. Central to the narrative is that nearly all aspects of humans are molded by life experiences nearly to the exclusion of inherited genetic predispositions, which is captured in the catchphrase “What happened to you?”, as opposed to “What is wrong with you?”

Why Is This Happening?
 Empowering teachers to replace the rightful roles of parents as being responsible for childrens’ social and emotional education is in line with other controversial efforts by schools such as teaching progressive revisions of race (diversity, equity, and inclusion; critical race theory) and gender identity. 


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