Resources
So Much Anxiety at School–Help!
“There’s so much anxiety at school—help!” Our crew hears this consistently. We’re guessing you’ve also noticed it. If so, check out the Q&A with Ms. Jen below to get answers to some of your pressing questions about what you can do to help learners who may be experiencing anxiousness—and yourself too! Question 1: Is Anxiety…
Read MoreAfter a Student Flips Their Lid: Trauma-Sensitive Steps for Groups
Trauma-sensitive practices improve regulation for classrooms and schools. Still, youth will escalate sometimes. In this post, Ms. Jen shares a classroom sequence that can help everyone get regulated and ready to learn after a student flips their lid. Even if you’ve taught your students about brain states, you’re using hand signals to communicate about these…
Read MoreIf Not a Sticker Chart, Then What? Trauma-Sensitivity is Science
An earlier version of this article about addressing big behaviors at school was published in the Attachment & Trauma Network’s December (2015) Therapeutic Parenting Journal. Here’s an updated version. Big behaviors at school—every school’s got ’em. Maybe you’ve learned about adverse childhood experiences or been told that healthy relationships matter. While this advice is a…
Read MoreSupporting Students and Staff After COVID-19
Supporting Students and Staff After COVID-19: Your Trauma-Sensitive Back-to-School Transition Plan releases this month. I wrote it for every educator who is wondering how to support students in the wake of the pandemic. COVID-19 is a collective trauma that is affecting everyone, although not in the same ways. Importantly, these stressors are impacting you, as an…
Read MoreTrauma-Sensitive Student Support
After watching my webinar with Brookes Publishing that shares this title, read this post to explore eleven activities designed for youth and their caregivers. Use them to provide trauma-sensitive student support during school closures associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic is causing worry and fear for youth, families, and educators. Each person’s reactions…
Read More“Is It Ever Okay to Flip Your Lid?” Using Brain Books to Teach for Regulation
During a second grade counselor visit as students worked on their non-fiction brain books, one learner raised their hand and asked, “Ms. Jen, is it ever okay to flip your lid?” I stopped the group, posed the question to everyone, and students voted to show how they would answer. The majority of students raised their…
Read MoreSelf-Care Stickies for Educators
Learn how to improve your self-care practices using self-care stickies. Keep reading for step-by-step instructions. Happy New Year (if you celebrate that at this time of year)! It can be a great time to set personal goals. I will lose 50 pounds. I will start exercising every day. I will cut out all processed foods…
Read MoreThe Iceberg of Trauma Includes Oppression
I wrote an earlier version of this post about oppression as trauma in 2019 and revised it in 2020. That’s when I added the resources for learning more at the bottom. It’s important to keep learning as well as acting for growth and change. Often, trauma is described as an iceberg, meaning the signs we…
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