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Crisis! A growing number students have faced trauma and violence and deal with chronic stress on a daily basis. Their lives have been shattered and their futures placed in jeopardy. Their challenges cause them to struggle in school academically, socially and behaviorally. They need educators who understand and who have the tools to reach them and help them succeed.
In our schools, great attention is placed on what children cannot do, what their deficits are and what their struggles are. Too often students are referred to as “leaning disabled,” “slow learners,” or “behavior problems.” It’s time to start seeing our students in light of their strengths and referring to them as “creative,” “persistent,” and “kind,” instead.
In Examining: Students In Crisis: Sustaining, Supporting & Strengthening, participants will learn about the debilitating effects of trauma and how and why a research-based, strengths approach to teaching is effective with traumatized students.
Building a strengths-based school is vital to providing students in crisis with the support they need to survive and thrive. The how-tos of developing a school support system at every level that encourages self-esteem, resiliency and independence is laid out. It also examines the roles and responsibilities of each staff member, building relationships within the classroom community, and explores how family engagement can be fostered and how community resources may be utilized.
This class will provide teachers with examples of what “real” students experience every day as they face lives filled with violence and trauma. It will offer doable and usable strategies and solutions to help work with those students. Participants will acquire new ideas on how to deal with the diverse leaners, how to promote student-student relationships, foster parental/caregiver involvement and build community partnerships. Participants will also learn how to communicate and articulate the immense need for a strengths based approach to building staff and colleagues and will be able to present the information provided in the class as very workable and sustainable. Advocates for children will find this class full of good, effective and practical strategies that can be translated to the classroom and school setting.
In our schools, great attention is placed on what children cannot do, what their deficits are and what their struggles are. Too often students are referred to as “leaning disabled,” “slow learners,” or “behavior problems.” It’s time to start seeing our students in light of their strengths and referring to them as “creative,” “persistent,” and “kind,” instead.
In Examining: Students In Crisis: Sustaining, Supporting & Strengthening, participants will learn about the debilitating effects of trauma and how and why a research-based, strengths approach to teaching is effective with traumatized students.
Building a strengths-based school is vital to providing students in crisis with the support they need to survive and thrive. The how-tos of developing a school support system at every level that encourages self-esteem, resiliency and independence is laid out. It also examines the roles and responsibilities of each staff member, building relationships within the classroom community, and explores how family engagement can be fostered and how community resources may be utilized.
This class will provide teachers with examples of what “real” students experience every day as they face lives filled with violence and trauma. It will offer doable and usable strategies and solutions to help work with those students. Participants will acquire new ideas on how to deal with the diverse leaners, how to promote student-student relationships, foster parental/caregiver involvement and build community partnerships. Participants will also learn how to communicate and articulate the immense need for a strengths based approach to building staff and colleagues and will be able to present the information provided in the class as very workable and sustainable. Advocates for children will find this class full of good, effective and practical strategies that can be translated to the classroom and school setting.
Organization
This course is presented in a modified, self-paced format. Participants are expected to access the course regularly and make reasonable progress, but there are no due dates attached to individual assignments. Instead there are 2 absolute due dates (mid-term and the last day of class) to provide flexibility and to better accommodate participants' busy schedules. In addition to the text, course objectives will be met using a combination of readings, videos, external resources, examples, discussion forums, activities, assignments, and reflections. The instructor will offer feedback and coaching in forums and on activities and assignments.
Course Objectives
By the end of the course, participants will...
1. Understand and be able to develop a classroom environment that supports students living with trauma, violence and chronic stress
2. Participant will understand how to develop a school environment that supports students living with trauma, violence and chronic stress
3. Participant will understand and be able to develop an environment that nurtures and supports the caregivers of students living with trauma, violence and chronic stress
4. Participants will understand how to develop and access community resources that support students living with trauma, violence and chronic stress
Course Topics
1. Types of Trauma
2. Determining Strengths
3. Teacher Assets & Challenges
4. Informing Instruction
5. Currency & Collaboration
6. Cycles of Engagement
7. Safeguarding Confidence
8. Tolerance & Bias
9. The Opportunity Gap
10. Differentiating Instruction
11. The Price of Summer Vacation
12. Creating Trauma Sensitive Schools
And More...
Grading
Grading is the same whether the course is taken for graduate credit or for license renewal. Students are required to participate in all discussion forums and to complete all assignments and/or activities. A=90%-100%; B=80%-89%-Because this is a graduate level course, scores must be 80% or better to receive credit.
Required Text:
Teaching to Strengths: Supporting Students Living with Trauma, Violence and Chronic Stress (2017) by Debbie Zacarian, Lordes Alvarez-Ortiz, & Judie Haynes. It can be ordered through local bookstores or purchased online.
This course is presented in a modified, self-paced format. Participants are expected to access the course regularly and make reasonable progress, but there are no due dates attached to individual assignments. Instead there are 2 absolute due dates (mid-term and the last day of class) to provide flexibility and to better accommodate participants' busy schedules. In addition to the text, course objectives will be met using a combination of readings, videos, external resources, examples, discussion forums, activities, assignments, and reflections. The instructor will offer feedback and coaching in forums and on activities and assignments.
Course Objectives
By the end of the course, participants will...
1. Understand and be able to develop a classroom environment that supports students living with trauma, violence and chronic stress
2. Participant will understand how to develop a school environment that supports students living with trauma, violence and chronic stress
3. Participant will understand and be able to develop an environment that nurtures and supports the caregivers of students living with trauma, violence and chronic stress
4. Participants will understand how to develop and access community resources that support students living with trauma, violence and chronic stress
Course Topics
1. Types of Trauma
2. Determining Strengths
3. Teacher Assets & Challenges
4. Informing Instruction
5. Currency & Collaboration
6. Cycles of Engagement
7. Safeguarding Confidence
8. Tolerance & Bias
9. The Opportunity Gap
10. Differentiating Instruction
11. The Price of Summer Vacation
12. Creating Trauma Sensitive Schools
And More...
Grading
Grading is the same whether the course is taken for graduate credit or for license renewal. Students are required to participate in all discussion forums and to complete all assignments and/or activities. A=90%-100%; B=80%-89%-Because this is a graduate level course, scores must be 80% or better to receive credit.
Required Text:
Teaching to Strengths: Supporting Students Living with Trauma, Violence and Chronic Stress (2017) by Debbie Zacarian, Lordes Alvarez-Ortiz, & Judie Haynes. It can be ordered through local bookstores or purchased online.
Registration Note: AEALearning Online now requires you to log in to your account or create a new account before registering. When you click the link below you will be taken to the login page. Once you log in, you will be taken to the registration page.