Artifact-
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1z9rZv4FUWW8B-P6MewPDhkVpAitxC78iqInKnzmhTwM/edit?usp=sharing
Standard 1-
The teacher understands how students learn and develop, recognizing that patterns of learning and development vary individually within and across the cognitive, linguistic, social, emotional, and physical areas, and designs and implements developmentally appropriate and challenging learning experiences.
Description-
The brain is a very delicate organ. Throughout years from birth everything you learn until your prefrontal cortex is fully developed at the ages of 20-21 is crucial to overall development. Everything has an impact on who you are and who you become, as well as your morals and many other aspects. Trama in particular is something that gets embedded into your brain and rarely is forgotten. There are ways of coping with trauma but not truly moving on. Throughout these ages until turning 21, people in these developmental years are typically in school. In addition to this, agreeing with standard one, people with trauma going through their schooling years will have a more difficult time staying focused, determined, and setting goals for their success. So, knowing this, there are ways to help students in these situations. Some ways to help children in these circumstances is supporting them, reassuring them and congratulating them on their successes, and helping them set goals for themselves. Obviously it is difficult to know which students suffer from forms of trauma so that is why I am going to be there to support each and every one of my students needs so they feel calm and comfortable in my classroom. This will support standard one because it allows for students to develop patterns of learning. When the brain is in survival mode due to trauma it is stressed, hyper focused and always alert of threats, and filled with doubt, overall trying to stay alive. Students will not be academically successful in survival mode due to the fact that they will not be able to gain and develop new knowledge if they feel that they are in danger and constantly on alert. As a future educator I would like to bring all my students into an environment where they can activate a learning brain where they can be in a classroom community where they are calm, connected, and overall can achieve academic growth due to new brain cells connecting and growth factors enhanced as well as be developmentally appropriate and challenged with learning experiences. I would like to create a bond with my students so they know and feel that I am there for them as a supportive teacher. Students have a different mindset when trauma takes activity in their brian, rather than misdiagnose them it’s important to provide the support needed to help them. I believe standard one reflects on being a trauma supportive teacher because as teachers we have to understand how students learn and develop. Understanding foundational skills and advanced skills will allow me as a future educator to comprehend the students patterns of learning and development. When trauma impacts the developing brain the temporal lobes have less activity leading to brain structure, learning , ability to form connections , social emotional development, behavior , and decreases the size of some parts of the brain. This reflects on standard one because as a teacher we should look for growth and development within students however trauma can affect their development within learning, and social and emotional growth. Standard one focuses on allowing students to learn and develop without being a trauma informed teacher. We may think the student may have ADHD and misdiagnose them, not provide the support needed and allow the student to feel that they do not have a support system.
Reflection-
This artifact contributes to explaining my knowledge and being a better teacher because understanding students’ trauma will allow me to become a better teacher and provide support. I want my students to know that they are amazing students and they deserve to do well and develop in social emotional growth as well academically. By creating a welcoming classroom community students will feel open to create bonds and tell me how they feel. Understanding trauma will allow me as a educator to meet the students requirements such as understanding behavior, or academic incompletion. This artifact and classroom knowledge will help me improve my practice as a future educator because I’m learning and expanding my knowledge to build my teacher tool kit. Some ways to help create a welcoming and accepting classroom environment will include creating a vision board with my students. This allows for the students and teacher to create and put in input to what we expect in a classroom environment. Each student has the opportunity for their voice to be heard, express what they want and be a part of creating an accepting and safe environment for them so they feel comfortable and can be themselves. Something else I will use in my future classroom is a peace place where students can regulate their emotions. As well as a “I need box”, if students need help in any way and do not want to participate in who it is from in the classroom. Such as a note can include I do not feel included during the reading block, or I need pencils. This way I as the teacher can address the issue without the students feeling like they need to approach me or ask in front of other students. Students who face trauma may be scared to ask for help and the “I need box” will be able to destroy those bounders. Overall goals in my classroom for my students should be building connections and relationships, building social, emotional and resilience skills, practicing “I can” statements, and fostering post traumatic growth. Having these goals will allow me to become a trauma informed teacher. Overall understanding trauma in students will allow me as a teacher to provide effective support. I want to create this safe space where students can share things in their life but still maintain it professionally by providing the care they need and bring in effective ways to help students in my classroom while taking care of myself.
