Teachers encounter a range of student behaviors. These behaviors can support teaching and learning or they can make it more challenging. It is common for anyone, teacher or not, to interpret behaviors like: being hostile, angry, acting out, depressed mood, or being withdrawn as personal A teacher with this mindset might blame themself for the behavior, thinking things like: “I’m a bad teacher. This student hates my class.” Or a teacher might blame the student seeing them as a “bad kid” or as a “student who just doesn’t care about learning.”
Trauma-informed teaching will help teachers understand that these types of behaviors are warning signs that a student might have experienced trauma or be experiencing trauma. As teachers learn more about what t might cause these behaviors, their mindsets begin to shift in a way that will help them engage with their students differently.
Across the globe, young people face extremely challenging situations. Some students grow up facing violence, abuse, or neglect at home; others struggle in the wake of natural disasters, war, famine, or poverty. When students experience something so upsetting or terrifying, it has a long term impact on them mentally and emotionally. And, when a student is feeling overwhelmed and unable to cope with those types of situations, we’d say they’re “in distress.” Extremely intense distress is called trauma. Both distress and trauma can affect how a student thinks and acts.
We probably have at least one of these students in our class right now. Their experiences drive the way they act, and making some small adjustments in our classroom can make a big difference for them. Today you’ll learn about how distress and trauma can affect behavior, signs to look out for, and what you can do to make your classroom more trauma-informed. Then you’ll be able to hear these strategies played out in sample conversations..
Shifting to a trauma-informed approach isn’t easy. It requires training to see students differently. Of course not all disruptive behavior in the classroom is due to distress or trauma, but instead of seeing this as something you need to manage and discourage, you’ll learn to see it as a sign a student might need some support.
Consider the story of Casey, a student who sometimes shouts out enough in class to pull everyone off topic. His behavior in class is the tip of his iceberg, without getting to know him better that’s all we would know. But Casey’s story, like so many of our students, is far more complex -- there is a lot under the surface. He acts out in class because things at home are really rough. He never knows if his father is going to be drunk or sober or when he there will be chaos or peace. His anxious and upset feelings come with him to school and contribute to the behavior he exhibits in class.
Casey would really benefit from a trauma-informed approach. Students who do not have the homelife difficulties that Casey has can benefit from this approach as well.
When we do these three things, we teach from a place of compassion rather than frustration, and our students feel safer and more engaged.
When a student exhibits one or more of the following warning signs, there is a chance that their behavior is related to some sort of distress or trauma.
General Warning Signs include things like:
Warning Signs and Student’s Age:
Warning Signs and Student’s Sex:
When you recognize any of these signs, reach out to the students exhibiting them to let them know you care and help them find more constructive ways to cope and succeed in your class.
If you notice that a student regularly seems:
in addition to approaching them with compassion, you should strongly consider referring them to a mental health professional in your school or community.
One (or more) of your current students is probably experiencing some sort of distress due to trauma. These incidents are commonly referred to as adverse childhood experiences or ACEs.
Students of all races and socio-economic statuses are impacted by trauma. However, if you are working in communities with higher rates of poverty, homelessness/housing insecurity or incarceration it’s likely that there are multiple students in your classroom who have experienced or are experiencing trauma.
A person’s brain is in learning mode when they feel safe. They can predict what will happen in their environment, and they have all their basic needs met. All of this really helps them control their emotions and focus on learning.
But when a person, especially a child, has any experience with an unsafe environment or intense danger, their brains are rewired to be on guard for more harm or neglect. The world isn’t a safe or nurturing place anymore; it can be a terrifying place.
When a child feels threatened or overwhelmed, or when something reminds them of a traumatic event, their brains go into reactive mode. Their heart might pound or their palms might get sweaty; they might feel a rush of adrenaline. Their body is getting ready to respond to something bad in one of three ways: fight, flee, or freeze.
Our brains have these instincts for a reason; they’re a good way to respond to real danger. But they aren’t so practical in our classrooms. When a student is fighting, fleeing, or freezing, they might not even realize what’s happening or why they’re acting in this way.
Listen to the following list of student behaviors, and think about each one that you might take personally.
It’s normal to naturally take these types of things personally. Imagine you have a student named Casey. Casey often has outbursts and expresses his hatred for your class. His behavior in class is the tip of his iceberg, without getting to know him better that’s all we would know. But Casey’s story, like so many of our students, is far more complex -- there is a lot under the surface. He acts out in class because things at home are really rough. He never knows if his father is going to be drunk or sober or when he there will be chaos or peace. His anxious and upset feelings come with him to school and contribute to the behavior he exhibits in class. So when he says he hates your class, what he’s really trying to say is “I’m in pain. Something is really bothering me.” Or even, “Hey, I don’t feel safe right now!”
The same way the tip of an iceberg suggests there is a lot more underneath the water, disruptive behavior in class can be a sign that the student is dealing with a lot and needs support. Recognizing a cry for help makes it easier not to take a student’s behavior personally. And it signals us to learn more about why this student isn’t in learning mode and to talk to the student and make them feel supported…
Be sure to follow your school’s protocol for mandatory reporting. Sometimes, a student will reveal an intention to harm themselves or the people around them, or that they’re living in an unhealthy or unsafe environment. We encourage you to follow your school’s protocol for mandatory reporting. You can and should also, talk to your school or community mental health support in more detail about the students you’re most concerned about. If you’re unaware of what to do, it’s helpful to familiarize yourself with your area’s policy of mandatory reporting.
When a student suffers a loss, or even a whole community experiences a critical incident, we know that many students might be in distress. But what if some of them are not showing any warning signs?
Consider a student like Ray. Ray lost her dad during a hurricane. Overall, Ray seemed fine and her grades stayed high. So no warning signs, but her teacher expressed her condolences and checked-in a few times during the term anyway. Later, Ray said that this approach had helped keep her afloat. Reaching out to students, like Ray, puts you on their resilience-building team. This is important because these students can be at-risk for anxiety and depression and for a variety of risky behaviors.
Doing a whole class activity like a breathing exercise can help all of your students learn some ways that they can notice and better manage their feelings. Here is an example:
Teachers that use exercises like this one regularly see improvements in their students’ self-esteem, confidence, resilience and achievement.
Checking-in with a student, building trust, encouraging them to share, problem solving an instructional modification and making a referral, if needed, is a lot to ask on top of everything you are already doing. But making these efforts will mean a lot for all of your students and they will hopefully increase the chances that you can keep everyone, even yourself, in learning mode.
Ms. Namond teaches third grade. The school year started a few weeks ago, and there’s a student in her class named Lucas who she is concerned about. She has checked in with Lucas a few times to ask how he’s doing, but he usually just shrugs and says he’s tired. She knows kids are kids, and they all get tired and irritable now and again, but… she’s worried about Lucas. Ms. Namond is going to see if she can find a few minutes to have a quiet conversation with him today. The goals in the conversation are to build Lucas’s trust and let him know someone is there for him, bring up what noticeable behavior and find out more about what’s going on, and brainstorm ways to improve Lucas’s experience at school.
Ms. Namond: Hey, thanks for taking a little time to chat with me today.
Lucas: Am I in trouble or something?
Ms. Namond: No, I just thought I’d like to talk with you. We don’t get to talk much during class, and I have a few things I’d like to ask you about, to get your opinion.
Lucas: Oh. Okay… I didn’t want to go to recess anyway.
Ms. Namond: We missed you last week when you were out.
Lucas: (no response)
Ms. Namond: The note from your mom said you were sick. What happened?
Lucas: Sometimes I feel tired and my stomach doesn’t feel good. It’s better if I stay home, you know? I don’t have to ride the bus…it’s just easier.
Ms. Namond: What do you mean when you say it’s “better” if you stay home?
Lucas: Like, the mornings are really crazy, and we’re all really sleepy and everyone’s grumpy. If I don’t have to ride the bus, I could sleep a little longer. It’s quiet at my grandma’s during the day, and that helps my stomach stop hurting.
Lucas Thought: You must like me a lot. I didn’t know you cared about all this stuff.
Ms. Namond: Maybe the mornings would be a little easier if you went to bed earlier.
Lucas: (shrugs)
Lucas Thought: That’s not gonna work. Duh…
Ms. Namond: You’ve missed a few days this year already, so this happens pretty often.
Lucas: Yeah. Sometimes my stomach hurts or I just feel tired. Usually I come to school anyway. But sometimes my mom lets me stay home. I feel a little better later, but by then it’s too late to go to school.
Ms. Namond: What did your doctor say?
Lucas: He said it wasn’t anything bad. My grandma says it isn’t that kind of sickness.
Ms. Namond: Oh? What does she think it is?
Lucas: She says I have “the nerves” like my grandpa did. That I worry too much about things.
Ms. Namond: What do you think?
Lucas: I don’t know. I don’t know how much other people worry.
Lucas Thought: If I was a superhero like this guy in the drawing… I wouldn’t worry at all.
Ms. Namond: I doubt you worry more than other people.
Lucas: But how do you really know?
Ms. Namond: You’re right, I don’t really know.
Feeback: Providing her opinion only interrupted the flow of the conversation, and at this point, Ms. Namond doesn’t know enough to gauge how much Lucas “should” be worrying. Instead, she can try asking a question or reflecting to better understand Lucas’s perspective.
What Ms. Namond could say instead is: What kinds of things do you worry about?
Where Lucas can respond: I don’t know. Like, sometimes I worry we’ll never get our house fixed. That we’ll be living at grandma’s house forever.
Ms. Namond: When is your house supposed to be fixed?
Lucas: They said it’d be ready last month. Now they say it won’t be until next month. But I won’t believe it until I see it. They say the smoke from the fire got over everything.
Ms. Namond: Tell me about the fire. What exactly happened?
Lucas: My stomach hurts. Can I lie down?
Ms. Namond: Would you prefer if we didn’t talk about the fire?
Lucas: (no response)
Ms. Namond: Lucas, I understand you don’t want to talk about the fire right now. Do you mind if we talk a little about other things, like how you’re doing right now?
Lucas: I guess so.
Feeback: When broaching potentially sensitive topics, it’s good to ask permission first (“Would it be okay if we talked about the fire?”). This makes the other person feel more comfortable and more in control.
Lucas Thought: Draw… Just draw. Maybe he needs a horse. Then he can run away.
Feeback: You and Lucas haven’t talked very much yet, and he still doesn’t feel entirely comfortable opening up to you. You can try to move the conversation forward and connect him to support, but he might be more receptive if you spend more time beforehand continuing to discuss his classroom experience.
Ms. Namond: How is it, living with your grandmother?
Lucas: Ugh, awful. Everyone is stressed. No one has enough room! It just makes me tired.
Ms. Namond: What’s it like when you talk to your family about how tough this is for you?
Lucas: I dunno. They’re busy. And really upset. Maybe more upset than I am.
Ms. Namond: Yeah, I’m sure this is stressful for everybody.
Lucas: (big sigh) Yeah.
Ms. Namond: You know Ms. Jones, the guidance counselor?
Lucas: Yeah.
Ms. Namond: She’s a really good person to talk to sometimes. She’s a great listener.
Lucas: (no response).
Ms. Namond: What would you think if we set up a special time for you and Ms. Jones to hang out?
Lucas: Sure.
Ms. Namond: Okay, I’ll let you know if I can set something like that up.
Ms. Namond: Well, thanks for talking with me. I really enjoyed it, Lucas.
Lucas: You’re welcome.
Ms. Namond: Recess is almost over. You want to keep drawing until then?
Lucas: Yep. I’m almost finished.
Ms. Namond: Good.
Jackie: Let’s hear what Lucas thought of this conversation.
Overall, Ms. Namond did a poor job managing this conversation. As a result, Lucas did not feel comfortable enough discussing his behavior in class.
Ms. Namond struggled to build trust with Lucas. Doing things like providing unsolicited advice, asking closed questions, and disagreeing with Lucas’s experience can decrease his trust level. Ms. Namond should try asking more open-ended questions and using reflections. Ms. Namond did a great job at bringing up what she noticed. Lucas felt safe and heard, which allowed him to open up. She did a fair job encouraging Lucas to share but sometimes used judgemental language which made him uncomfortable.
Ms. Namond asked some open-ended questions, which cannot be answered with just one or two words. She could have used more since they’re a great way to invite people to share their thoughts. While Lucas felt like Ms. Namond cared about what he was going through, she could have used more comforting and praising language to strengthen their trust and partnership.
Next time, Ms. Namond should use collaborative problem solving to learn what solutions will work best for Lucas rather than offering advice. An example of this, “What are some things you can do to make the bus ride better in the mornings?”
Ms. Namond: Hey, thanks for taking a little time to chat with me today.
Lucas: Am I in trouble or something?
Ms. Namond: No, I just thought I’d like to talk with you. We don’t get to talk much during class, and I have a few things I’d like to ask you about, to get your opinion.
Lucas: Oh. Okay… I didn’t want to go to recess anyway.
Ms. Namond: We missed you last week. Were you not feeling well?
Lucas: Yeah.
Feeback: Non-talkative students will often just say “yes” or “no” to a question like this (“Were you not well?”). Lucas may respond better to open-ended questions.
Ms. Namond: I noticed you seemed a little frustrated in class today. You had your head down for most of the language arts lesson, and you were sighing and shaking your head.
Lucas: Yeah.
Ms. Namond: What’s going on?
Lucas: Nate was being really loud. I don’t like it when he gets like that. It makes my head hurt.
Ms. Namond: Sometimes when it’s loud in class it makes your head hurt.
Lucas: Like, sometimes, if I haven’t gotten much sleep and I’m really tired, then sometimes I get a headache. I just want everyone to calm down, relax, not be so loud.
Feeback: Good job reflecting what you think this student is saying. Notice how that encouraged him to keep talking.
Ms. Namond: You get the headaches because you’re tired.
Lucas: Yeah… My mom and dad were up talking. Again. I tell them “C’mon, don’t you see I’m trying to sleep here?” But they just tell me to relax and count sheep or something. Why do people always say that?
Ms. Namond: Say what?
Lucas: About counting sheep? It never works.
Feeback: Ms. Namond did a good job reflecting what she thought the student was saying (“You get headaches because you’re tired”). Notice that this advanced the conversation.
Ms. Namond: How often do you have trouble sleeping?
Lucas: (big sigh) A lot.
Ms. Namond: Yeah?
Lucas: Yeah. Now that we live at Grandma’s. Why are grown ups always so loud?
Ms. Namond: (laughs) I don’t know.
Lucas: And they’re always talking about stuff I don’t want to hear, you know?
Lucas Thought: (sad) I don’t think we’re ever going to get back into our old house. Everything is going to be awful forever.
Ms. Namond: What kind of stuff are your parents talking about?
Lucas: Just about… insurance and stuff.
Ms. Namond: Insurance?
Lucas: Yeah, like the fire, and money… and fixing the house… I don’t know why they have to talk about it, it’s not making the house get fixed any faster.
Feeback: Now Lucas is really opening up, and we may be close to understanding his behavior.
Ms. Namond: You and I never really talked about the fire. I know that’s a very tough thing for you and your family to go through.
Lucas: Yeah. A really tough thing.
Lucas Thought: I guess it is a big deal. Most people probably never have a fire in their house.
Ms. Namond: Would it be okay if we talked a little about the fire?
Lucas: (no response)
Ms. Namond: Lucas, I understand you don’t want to talk about the fire right now. Do you mind if we talk a little about other things, like how you’re doing right now?
Lucas: Yeah, we could do that.
Feeback: Ms. Namond is doing a good job. When broaching a potentially sensitive topic, you can make the other person feel more comfortable and in control if you ask permission first. She and Lucas haven’t talked very much yet, and he still doesn’t feel entirely comfortable opening up to her. She can try to move the conversation forward and connect him to support, but he might be more receptive if you spend more time beforehand continuing to discuss his classroom experience.
Ms. Namond: Sounds really tough, having to move to a new place when you don’t want to… and a space that’s not yours and not set up the way you want, a place that doesn’t have all your things.
Lucas: I know! I used to have my own room, and my bed was really comfy, and I had a Playstation. Now all our stuff is in storage, and we live so far away and now my friends don’t come over. Everything is so messed up!
Ms. Namond: This is such a tough thing to go through. I really appreciate you trusting me enough to tell me how you’re feeling.
Lucas: Well you’ve been my teacher for a while.
Ms. Namond: You have so much going on and, in spite of all that, here you are at school, trying to study and learn and do well. I really admire that.
Lucas: (nods) Coming to school is like my job, right? I have to do it.
Ms. Namond: I guess so. But I know you study for our tests, and you’re so good about turning in your homework. Those things matter.
Ms. Namond: Lucas, I just wish I had a magic wand and I would wave it and none of this would have happened to you.
Lucas: I know, me too.
Lucas Thought: You’re the nicest teacher I’ve ever had. If I had a magic wand, I would make this recess go on forever.
Ms. Namond: Who do you have to talk to about all this?
Lucas: You?
Ms. Namond: I’m really glad you feel like you can talk to me, and I’m happy to talk when we can. Do you have anyone else you can talk to?
Lucas: Not really.
Ms. Namond: What’s it like when you talk to your family about how tough this is for you?
Lucas: I dunno. They’re busy. And really upset. Maybe more upset than I am.
Ms. Namond: Yeah, I’m sure this is stressful for everybody.
Lucas: (big sigh) Yeah.
Ms. Namond: Would you like to maybe make this a weekly thing? We could eat lunch together or sit together during recess?
Lucas: Could we have snacks?
Ms. Namond: (laughs; then faux seriously) I think we can do that.
Lucas: Popcorn?
Ms. Namond: It’s a deal!
Lucas Thought: I think I’ll make a new drawing - Ms. Namond and me, eating popcorn and playing video games. I think she’ll like that.
Ms. Namond: You know Ms. Jones, the guidance counselor?
Lucas: Yeah.
Ms. Namond: She’s a really good person to talk to sometimes. She’s a great listener. What would you think if we set up a special time for you and Ms. Jones to hang out?
Lucas: Sure.
Ms. Namond: Okay, I’ll let you know if I can set something like that up.
Ms. Namond: Well, thanks for talking with me. I really enjoyed it, Lucas.
Lucas: You’re welcome.
Ms. Namond: Recess is almost over. You want to keep drawing until then?
Lucas: Yep. I’m almost finished.
Ms. Namond: Good.
Overall, Ms. Namond did a great job managing this conversation. As a result, Lucas felt very comfortable discussing his behavior in class.
Ms. Namond asked some open-ended questions, which can’t be answered with just one or two words. They’re a great way to invite people to share their thoughts. Ms. Namond also had moments when she used praise and comforting language, which increased Lucas’s trust in her. Here is an example of something she said: “I admire how you can still focus on school with so much going on at home.”
Sometimes, a student like Lucas will reveal an intention to harm themselves or the people around them, or that they’re living in an unhealthy or unsafe environment. We encourage you to talk to your school or community mental health support in more detail about the students you’re most concerned about, and to familiarize yourself with your area’s policy of mandatory reporting.
Doing a whole class activity helps students learn some ways that they can notice and better manage their feelings. A lot of teachers who do this activity at the beginning of each class. Schools that use exercises like this one see improvements in self-esteem, confidence, resilience and achievement. Sharing trauma-informed exercises with the whole class helps us ensure that harder to spot students also receive some support. Anything you can do to make their school environment more predictable or foster their sense of self-worth really helps. In some cases whole school communities move together towards a trauma-informed approach. You can explore more about whole school approaches and activities like these in your Resources section.
We’re not gurus, therapists, or superheroes… we’re teachers. It’s pretty amazing when we can recognize warning signs and connect with a struggling student. It’s a big deal when a student who has always seen themselves as a “problem kid” starts to talk about what’s hard for them. Or for a withdrawn student to feel more connected to their class and their teacher. Finding just the right solution to help a student feel safer in class can be a trial-and-error process -- it’s a journey.
This concludes the simulation. Please click the link below to request a certificate of completion.