Dr. Jennifer L. Bashant – Trauma Informed Compassionate Classrooms: Strategies to Reduce Challenging Behavior, Improve Learning Outcomes and Increase Student Engagement

Outline

Trauma in Students: What to Look For

• Fight, flight or freeze responses: How it manifests in school
• Wired for fear: Impact on the whole child
• ACEs – Adverse Childhood Experiences study and survey
• The role of poverty and mental health challenges

Trauma Therapy

• Benefits
• Limitations of the Research
• Potential Risks

Discipline in a Trauma-Informed Classroom

• Changing your mindset: Punitive vs. collaborative
• Strategies to foster intrinsic motivation
• 3 steps to implement a collaborative approach
• Case study: How you respond

Neuroplasticity: Activities to Establish & Strengthen Neural Pathways

• Strategies to develop new ways of responding
  • Slow down, stop and think
  • Respond rather than react
  • Social stories
• Techniques to incorporate the 4 R’s:
  • Rhythmic
  • Repetitive
  • Relational
  • Rewarding

Relationships as a Protective Factor

• Techniques to form positive relationships and increase students’ likeliness to:
  • Stay in school longer
  • Work harder
  • Increase test scores & grades
  • Increase their self-confidence
• Techniques to help students feel connected to school making them less likely to:
  • Smoke or drink
  • Have sexual intercourse
  • Develop emotional problems
  • Experience suicidal thoughts or attempts
  • Carry weapons
  • Be involved in violence or dangerous activities
• Case study: Strengths-based, solution-focused approach

Mindfulness and Self-Awareness Activities To:

• Help with transitions
• Reduce impulsive behaviors
• Strengthen empathy, kindness and compassion
• Calm and focus attention

Social and Emotional Learning Techniques to Increase:

• Focus and concentration
• Impulse control
• Conflict resolution skills

Mindful Communication Tools to Improve Student Engagement

• Lead with presence
• Attention
• Intention

Mindful Strategies to Increase Connection, Empathy & Community

• Gratitude
• Heartfulness

Zones of Regulation to Teach Self-Awareness & Emotional Control

• Red zone
• Yellow zone
• Green zone
• Blue zone