There needs to be action taken by the Department of Education on Teacher Education programs in colleges and universities. Implementing courses around Adverse Childhood Experiences, Trauma, and the specific effects trauma has on children will prepare teachers for their experience.
In these courses would be in depth information on not only how it affects students’ behaviors, but also how it comes to affect students’ academics. The knowledge of potential traumatic events or experiences children should reduce the biases or prejudgement and assumptions teachers place on their students. Furthermore, these courses would provide the teachers with the strategies and tools to effectively attend to their students’ academic, social, and emotional needs.
Ideally these courses would also provide future teachers with mental health and stress management training for themselves in order to address burnout. The Department of Education needs to realize that if the teachers are not satisfied with their work then there will not be a great impact on the students in their classrooms.
Preparing teachers to be a well rounded educator in all aspects that matter in a child’s life will have a greater impact on children’s education than simply preparing teachers to give lessons. With teachers getting these types of courses, it is then up to the schools to uphold the expectations for trauma informed teaching practices and implementing social emotional learning inside of schools and not just classrooms. This would include refresher training through ongoing professional development, and information on new and improved strategies to try on students.
If the Department of Education made this mandatory for public, private, and even charter schools, we would see a major shift in the attitudes of our students. If principals constantly promoted these ideas and made it a part of their school culture, children would grow accustomed to what they are seeing, hearing, and learning. Lastly, if teachers were enthusiastic in learning about their children and genuinely wishing to see them succeed within society they will educate themselves as much as they can on trauma informed teaching and practices. It is up to everyone in the field of education to fight this battle.
