Teachers need the right tools to deal with student trauma

Too often and usually too late, new teachers realize how woefully underprepared they are to handle the social and emotional facets of being a K-12 teacher. When I was a new teacher, fifteen-year-old Alyssa was the bright spot in my day, my “go-to” student when I felt like I was drowning in a sea of silence and eyerolls. Then one week, Alyssa’s smile disappeared. When I asked if she was okay, Alyssa said, “Sorry, Miss. When I went home on Monday, my older brother, Eli… he hung himself from the livin’ room, and there wasn’t no one left to take care of me and Mikey. I been tryin’ though.”

The only thing that I could think of to do at the time was to scribble a hall pass for Alyssa to go to the guidance counselor’s office. Ill-prepared, I had missed significant warning signs and had naively made assumptions about Alyssa’s home and her life outside the classroom. In the same way, new teachers scramble to try and patchwork their learning on their own with online resources and advice from colleagues, or else focus only on teaching only content. Worse, new teachers quickly burn out and transfer or else leave the profession all together. This trend is especially prevalent in high-need districts where effective teachers are needed most of all.

The need for trauma-informed instruction is only more critical in light of the current COVID-19 pandemic. Such practice emphasizes the idea that trauma is individualized, and while one person’s trauma may be different from another’s, it is no less significant.

The Pennsylvania Department of Education should require all undergraduate education majors to complete trauma-informed practice and SEL coursework. School districts should have designated funding from the state for ongoing staff professional development on SEL and trauma-informed strategies. If we are committed to our students and all of the potential they hold, then we need to commit to preparing the workforce that educates them. Equitable state funding for this professional development sends the message that we prioritize and support the people that invest in our children.

JESS KEYS English teacher West Allegheny High School Imperial