Regulation – Ms Jen Alexander

Black and white illustration of a person running on a hamster wheel

“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…

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…

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…

Art by Sandra Haase that includes wild geese and colorful illustrations from nature that are signs of hope

Hope is a word I struggled with for a number of years because it was too often used superficially. I’ve since studied the topic and have a deeper understanding of what hope really is. Keep reading to learn why I assert that trauma-sensitive educators are a sign of hope. Plus, gain ideas for your classroom.…

Art by Juliia Tochilina of faces in parts coming at each other

Especially after a short presentation, educators will sometimes say to me, “We’re going to take this slow and start small.” While I understand the sentiment, these words concern me because systems and schools do things every day that make things worse for youth, educators, school leaders, and families. We have to quit making it worse.…

Yellow background with a rock, paper, and scissors

Big stress is impacting educators—it’s influenced by a lack of substitute teachers, student behavior concerns, heated conflicts (e.g., over mask mandates, how history should be taught, or affirming gender identities), and more. Together, it creates distress that can increase school personnel’s vulnerability for burnout. That’s because ruptures in relationships take a toll. Many educators feel…

Once a therapist said to me, “Self-love may be too hard; aim for self-compassion.” Self-compassion, though, can be difficult too. What gets in the way? Would clearly defining compassion and self-compassion help? And, how can educators deepen their compassionate practices by listening to their bodies, particularly when nearing the end of an incredibly stressful school…

Pastel drawing of a house trees, and nature by Iveta Vaicule

Play therapy is a powerful approach to working with children, including those who have experienced trauma. As a school-based registered play therapist, I’ve used play therapy in my work with both children and adolescents. What is play therapy, and how does it benefit youth? Also, what is trauma-informed play therapy? And, how might licensed professionals…

Black and white plants on blue background by Iveta Vaicule

Layers of stress, trauma, and grief continue to impact people individually and collectively as the COVID-19 pandemic continues. As a leader you may be wondering how to tend to your people as well as students in meaningful ways. In this blog post, Ms. Jen explains one idea for using images of plants to encourage taking…