Your Monthly News & Updates |
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Anxiety and Trauma: Needs and Best Practices |
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As you wrap up the first semester and prepare for the holiday season, it is a time to celebrate – to celebrate the small things as well as the major successes you and others have achieved. A time to celebrate and to pause to consider what remains to be done, and what we can do to better assure equity, advance inclusion, and provide greater support to those who have experienced trauma.
As you plan for 2023, consider recommendations from this month’s newsletter. How might you help students address anxiety and dysregulation? How might you recognize the warning signs, symptoms, and effects of intergenerational trauma and build a more trauma-informed and resilient school community? How might you confront LGBTQI+ bias and better support these students?
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Anxiety, Dysregulation, and a Walk Down Memory Lane
Christine Mason, CEI Executive Director
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“Anxiety and dysregulation” – words educators hear far too frequently today. Our students are disruptive, ill-at-ease, and seemingly unwilling to settle down for… a long winter’s nap… or for school “business as usual.”
What’s to be done? There aren’t enough teachers, counselors, or therapists. So, to top off our dilemma, teachers are struggling with these issues at a time when they are overloaded and stressed out themselves. Sometimes teachers are handling larger class sizes, functioning without resource support services as resource teachers are forced to take on the role of subbing or other tasks.
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Understanding and Addressing Intergenerational Trauma
Meghan Wenzel, CEI Senior Researcher
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Trauma is pervasive. It often doesn’t affect individuals in isolation, but tarnishes interactions and relationships, and can even be inherited across generations. Intergenerational trauma is “the transmission (or sending down to younger generations) of the oppressive or traumatic effects of a historical event” (Duke Office for Institutional Equity, 2019).
Let’s explore an example. A young woman who found herself in a concentration camp in World War II may have learned to survive by repressing or “cutting off” her emotions. Later when she interacts with her children and grandchildren, she may be emotionally distant and stoic, which could strain their relationships and communication.
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Confronting LGBTQI+ Bias and Harassment: Lessons From the Field
Hallie Williams, CEI Intern
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How individuals address each other holds power; it either asserts power or demonstrates equity and understanding. Intentionally using incorrect pronouns or dead names to address a transgender individual is a form of harassment and sends clear messages of exclusion. Regrettably, 83% of transgender students experience harassment based on gender identity in school: this number only grows for students of color, immigrants, and students of low socio-economic status.
All students should have access to a safe and fair education. The mistreatment of transgender students disproportionately impacts these students’ right to learn in a bullying-free environment. It is imperative that administrators and educators explicitly and implicitly see, hear, and support transgender students. In this article, we outline some ideas on how to support LGBTQI+ students.
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Upcoming Events and Announcements |
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Learn More About the Compassionate School Leadership Academy
The CSLA aims to prepare school leaders in high-need districts to be culturally responsive and proactive in implementing trauma-conscious practices in the classroom and meet the urgent mental health needs of American children.
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Seeking Schools in MA and MI for the Compassionate School Leadership Academy
Are you an education leader in MA or MI interested in supporting educational leadership, adopting culturally competent and evidence-based strategies, and supporting compassionate and trauma-conscious schools? If so, consider participating in our Feasibility Study. To be considered, take our survey. The results of this Feasibility Study will help us to develop a CSLA clinical trial to understand better how educational leaders can transform a school into equitable, compassionate, and trauma-conscious communities.
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Explore Ways to Address Anxiety and Dysregulation in School
Check out this guide for ways educators, parents, counselors, and others can support children and youth who may be feeling anxious or dysregulated.
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Our new book is coming soon! Leading with Vitality and Hope: Embracing Equity, Alleviating Trauma, and Healing School Communities
Leading with Vitality and Hope provides a practical resource for educators who want to move beyond the challenges schools are facing today. It both provides inspirational ideas from an impressive group of educational leaders and also practical ideas that you can take back to your local schools and communities for implementation. Learn what educational leader Michael Fullan says in his endorsement and get the promo code for a 20% discount here.
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You are also invited to join the HeartMind Community to receive discounts on publications and workshops, networking opportunities, and special offers for virtual consultations and additional resources from the Center for Educational Improvement.
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Editor: Lauren Kiesel. Co-Editor: Meghan Wenzel |
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CENTER FOR EDUCATIONAL IMPROVEMENT
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