We had our first meeting for Trauma-Informed Schools last week. Here is a link to the article published in the Alpena News by Jordan Travis http://www.thealpenanews.com/p...havior.html?nav=5004. The turnout and engagement was excellent. This was a great part of our community effort and three other schools (I believe - I will have more information after our next June 4th meeting) are interested in our presenting. Everyone was very enthusiastic and everyone I talked to, has let me know they felt it was an excellent presentation that provided a lot of information. So on the way out... attendees put on post its their "gots" and "wants". We typed them up and here is the list below:
Here is the list of “gots and wants” from 5/20/15:
Gots
Understanding of issues
Importance of looking at the ‘whole child’
Reminders and visuals of brain function
How trauma affects learning, teachers not being aware
Recognizing signs of adverse child experiences
Introduction into how this can impact learning
Inside view of what child is going through – great
Understanding of brain development
Reminder that behaviors are just the tip of the iceberg
Need new delivery- must be ENTIRE COMMUNITY
Very interesting, simple to understand – hard to cure
A question to ask, “what happened to you?”
Better understanding of trauma in kids and how it effects the brain
The importance of finding out what happened to these kids
Don’t overlook the quiet ones
Some understanding of why kids act out
Some great info and help in understanding the next layer ‘beyond the iceberg’ in our kids
Some understanding, some experience a job that can help
Good info
Wants
More parent involvement! More school social workers
A strategy to help the students
Copy of purple book,
How to mandate parenting,
parent leaders?
School success hosts parenting ‘stuff’ as required??
Keep info coming
How do we move forward, what are the next steps?
How do schools counteract what goes on outside?
Ways to work with students who have dealt with trauma
How to provide info to staff?
More specific info to Alpena
Strategies for dealing with kids rating high
Practical ways to get families on board with rectifying tough situations
To know how to share some of this with my staff and adult volunteers
Training to help them help children
Continued training in what to be active in developing ways to break trauma to children
More materials on trauma in schools
How do we start building relationships and mending/building kids’ brains
More practical info about what to do with behavior issues in the classroom
Resources/ideas for elementary teacher/staff understanding/parent support/training
More awareness/ time
Realistic expectations for children who have are/have been traumatized – brain developmentally appropriate
More help for trauma students
More informational sessions
To know more and want to be part of a group
The staff to hear about this in professional development
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