Schools are uniquely positioned to provide students with academic and social-emotional supports that can address many of the potential impacts and symptoms of trauma. Many students spend most of their time at school and school staff consistently and frequently interact with students. These interactions enable school staff to be aware of and sensitive to students’ needs in the context of the surrounding community and their family life. Importantly, safe, engaging, and supportive learning environments, as well as healthy and supportive relationships with caring adults, can serve as potential protective factors that buffer against the negative impacts of trauma and stress.

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Educators can use the key principles of a trauma-informed approach to guide their development of classroom strategies and policies to support students experiencing trauma: 

• Safety, trustworthiness, and transparency: Think about your classroom's layout and ensure that it conveys a sense of physical and psychological safety. Designate at least one or two “anchor” spots that don't change and are always used in the same way, like a reading corner with a cozy bean bag. Enforce consistent classroom rules, using supportive language and positive, nonthreatening messaging around consequences. Anticipate changes in the environment that may make a student feel unsafe, like a fire drill or the presence of a substitute teacher, and brainstorm strategies with students to overcome them. Maintain a calm presence, monitoring your body language and tone of voice.

• Peer support, collaboration, and mutuality: Encourage students to respect, support, and celebrate each other. Model the language of respect that you want them to use. Develop a sense of “our classroom” ownership by working with students to designate a class name, logo, or mural. Let every student be the “helper,” but always ask students for permission before assigning them to this role. Discourage any unnecessary competition between students.

• Empowerment, voice, and choice: Give students choices for engagement by presenting a menu of options for learning activities (e.g., choosing centers, choosing exercise activities, choice of sitting or standing when possible).  Remember that some students are not used to being empowered to make choices, so provide support to teach them how to say, “I don't want that one.”

• Cultural, historical, and classroom considerations: Conduct a cultural/gender inventory of your classroom materials and consider how this relates to your students. Ensure each student can find materials, activities, and representations that speak to their own uniqueness, as well as their inclusion in the classroom. Read accounts of the same historical event from different perspectives and discuss. Think about how you celebrate differences without making children feel “different,” and use activities for the whole group that emphasize many ways of being the same.

• Avoiding re-traumatization: Minimize potential trauma triggers, like loud noises and physical touch, as much as possible. Recognize students' reactions to triggers and respond in trauma-informed ways by communicating that students are safe and that you are there to support them and providing choices to guide them to a safe or quiet area if appropriate. Keep schedules and rules as consistent as possible to avoid surprises. Check in regularly with students one-on-one as much as possible and let them know that they can come to you for support.