Layered EducationWhat it looks like
- Jumpy, on guard, or quick to anger
- Withdrawn, tired, or zoned out
- Strong reaction to a small correction or surprise
Emotional Regulation and Wellbeing
Trauma-Informed Practice
Safety, predictability, relationships, and choice for every student.
Why it happens
Stress from hard experiences can keep the body on alert. Students may react to protect themselves before they can think. You do not need to know a student's story to teach in a way that feels safe.
Try this tomorrow
- Keep routines steady and warn students before changes.
- Greet each student by name and notice small wins.
- Offer two real choices in how to work or where to sit.
- Correct privately, in a calm voice, with a way back in.
- Avoid public call-outs, sarcasm, and surprise touch
If two of you are in the room
Co-teaching pairs can split this between them, and swap who takes which part so both teachers work with every student.
One teacher
Leads the routine and keeps the tone calm and steady.
The other teacher
Watches for early signs of stress and offers a quiet check-in or choice.
What the research can and cannot tell us
Trauma-informed teaching is widely recommended, but studies of its effect on student outcomes are still limited. The Center on PBIS notes that evaluation evidence is lacking.
Keep in mind
Teachers are not clinicians and should not ask students to retell hard experiences. Bring concerns to the school counselor, school psychologist, or student support team. If you are worried about a student's safety, follow your school's protocol and tell the designated staff member right away. Follow your school's mandated reporting procedure.
Resources
9 resources for this topic, drawn from 7 organizations. Everything opens free, and the ones from other organizations open on their own sites.
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Child Trauma Toolkit for Educators
Read trauma facts and a list of suggestions for educators. Includes a self-care section for staff.
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Impact of Trauma on High School Students
Use this fact sheet to recognize how traumatic stress can show up in teens at school.
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Addressing Race and Trauma in the Classroom
Review recommendations for responding to the link between race and trauma with your students.
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Trauma Sensitive Schools Online Modules
Choose from free, on-demand modules such as building relationships, with readings and tools.
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Understanding Trauma and Its Impact
Open the federal training package on how common trauma is and what it means for schools. Includes an activity packet.
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Integrating a Trauma-Informed Approach Within PBIS
See how to fold trauma-informed practice into routines your school already uses, and how to check if it helps.
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Supporting Resilience in Schools
Find California's collection of trauma training, staff self-care tools, and crisis lines to share with your team.
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Getting Started With Trauma-Informed Practices
Educators explain why strategies built for students who have experienced trauma help every student. All grade levels. Transcript included.
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Unpacking Trauma-Informed Teaching
Alex Shevrin Venet names four daily priorities: predictability, flexibility, empowerment, and connection. Universal and asset-based, not label-based. Transcript included.
These resources are shared for professional learning and planning. They are meant to inform your professional judgment, not replace it. Each student's IEP and your district, state and federal requirements always come first. Listing a resource here is not an endorsement by Layered Education. This is educational information only, not legal advice.
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Want help putting this to work?
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