STIP 605 Trauma-Informed Classroom Practices for Teachers

3 credits 45 hours
600 level graduate course

Approximately two-thirds of K-12 students will experience an adverse childhood event prior to the age of 18 and the majority of K-12 educators will work with students who have a history of personal or community trauma. Knowing that trauma histories can manifest in academic and social behaviors, it is essential that teachers are equipped with trauma-informed skills and strategies to help support all of the students in their care. This course will review the impacts of trauma on brain development, stress tolerance, social/emotional skills, and academic and life outcomes. It will also focus on further exploring what it means to be trauma-informed with a particular focus on strategies that can be implemented within schools and classrooms to increase opportunities for student regulation and feelings of emotional safety. Lastly, the course will review how trauma-informed teaching is an extension of the equity work already occurring in many school systems.

This course may be repeated for credit.