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Yelling at kids, constantly telling them "no", belittling or talking to them like they are stupid are just some ways we can cause damage to students. I think we need to keep each other in check, maybe take a breath ourselves before we deal with a child.

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It sounds like school teachers and foster parents weren't fully informed, or at least are unaware of how to handle traumatized children. Schools should all require a class like this one for their teachers and foster parents should be required to take one, as well. That way they are better informed and thus equipped, to handle situations like Henry's better.

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This sentence summed up this entire class. Respond to need, not to child's behavior.

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Raising awareness all the way around from families, to teachers and caretakers of children, to social services and first responders, we all have a responsibility to learn about trauma and its effects and seeing underneath the surface of what really is happening, so as not to traumatize even further with our "solutions" or reactions.

I want to learn more, become more aware of the behaviors and patterns, seeing what's behind it, and practice what I am learning in building up their abilities to overcome and bring healing and health to them.

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Instead of judging we can learn how to help with the problem so that we are not harming any child rather it's social emotions or trauma.

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I enjoyed learning new ways to help cope with social emotional trumas and triggers.

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Learning about trauma-informed care helped me understand that a child’s behavior may be a response to something they have experienced rather than simply being “bad” behavior. It is important to be patient, understanding, and supportive while making children feel safe and respected. As a caregiver, I can use a calm voice, listen to the child, and provide comfort and consistency. This reflection reminded me that every child has different needs, and creating a safe environment can help children feel secure and build trust.

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Understanding what the child needs instead of making assumtions.

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It is important to know the basic triggers of trauma such as light sensitivity, and loud noises and be conscious of this in the classroom setting.

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We could be unintentionally harming students by viewing them as misbehaviors rather than what is behind the behavior.

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The video reminded me that schools can unintentionally contribute to students' stress when they rely primarily on punishment, make assumptions about behavior, or fail to recognize the impact of trauma. Students who have experienced trauma may interpret strict discipline, public embarrassment, or inconsistent expectations as threats, which can make it even more difficult for them to learn, regulate their emotions, and build trusting relationships with adults. Trauma-informed approaches emphasize creating environments where students feel physically and emotionally safe, supported, and connected.

To help mitigate this harm, I would focus on building positive relationships with my students, maintaining predictable routines, and responding to challenging behaviors with curiosity rather than judgment. Instead of immediately asking, "What's wrong with this student?" I would ask, "What might this student be experiencing?" I would also provide opportunities for students to regulate their emotions, offer choices when appropriate, and collaborate with families and support staff to better understand each student's needs. These strategies can help create a classroom where students feel respected, valued, and ready to learn.

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I believe partnering with parents will help mitigate trauma. Building relationships with family is important for children to see. When they see the teacher can be trusted by the parents I believe that will minimize trauma. Children really do go through separation anxiety which in turn could traumatize the child. Using a using a calm voice, reassuring that they're safe, find activities that would take their mind off of the separation from their parents, reading books or just giving them space to process the separation could minimize the potential trauma.

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Misbehavior, which is extremely bad at our school, can be an issue because we may not see what the issue behind the behavior is.

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Understanding what the child needs and not just looking at the behavior.

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Jumping to conclusions about students' misbahvior may retraumatize them if they are not used to being listened to at home as well, they may feel punishmnet is unfair and shut down

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If a school doesn't take time to learn about the child's past they won't understand how they are feeling or what they are going through. Not all children's behavior is just them being naughty. There could be an underlying issue (trauma) causing them to act out. Not knowing how to express what they are feeling.

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To mitigate this harm, I would use a trauma-informed and relationship-based approach. This includes taking time to understand what may be contributing to a student’s behavior, creating predictable routines, providing students with choices, and teaching calming and coping strategies. I would also focus on restorative practices rather than relying solely on punitive consequences. Building strong relationships with students and maintaining open communication with families can help students feel safe, respected, and supported. Most importantly, I would remind myself to respond to the need behind the behavior, rather than simply reacting to the behavior itself.

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Schools can unintentionally hurt students when discipline, expectations, or interactions do not consider their individual needs and experiences. To reduce this harm, I would use trauma-informed and culturally responsive practices, build positive relationships, provide consistent expectations, and focus on restorative rather than purely punitive responses. I would also give students opportunities to express their concerns and work with families and staff to provide appropriate supports.

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take the time to form a bond with students and learn their background and story so that you can act accordingly. some students need to be handled differently than others based on the kind of background and trauma they have possibly experienced.

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I think it is important to come from a point of view with empathy before judgement. Trauma can have many layers that don't always present themselves at the first sign. Using techniques to gain knowledge and support the student is crucial.

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You can unintentionally hurt a student by raising you voice.

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Strategies to Mitigate Retraumatizing Students

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Strategies to Mitigate Retraumatizing Students

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Strategies to mitigate retraumatizing students

*Welcome new students

*Don’t raise your voice

*Be sure to discuss options/choice for work

*Allow time for students to get to know one another

*Teach and reteach expectations, all year long

*Allow time for brain breaks and fun

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A school may unintentionally harm a student if they ignore the signs of trauma in a child because staff is untrained to see it. A student may be seen as a bad listener or disruptive, when they are searching for a remedy to the internal emotional struggle they are having. Schools can support students by training their staff in trauma informed teaching. They can provide a safe place for all students to express their emotions and have resources available, like a school psychologist, for teachers and students alike.

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I think that the most important thing schools can do to avoid hurting students with trauma (and all students!) is to have paras, teachers, and support staff that are properly trained and informed to deal with trauma response behaviors. I have seen a lot of students who completely shut down in the presence of certain adults, which is not helpful when trying to create a safe learning environment. A lot of times I have heard yelling (by adults) for things that did not need to be expressed in such a triggering way. Keeping a calm demeanor even in the face of disruptive behaviors is the way I have found to be most effective in maintaining the relationship with the student and not causing escalation.

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Unintentional harm could be caused by not effectively helping a child through their trauma. A child could not get the effective help needed if it's not recognized.

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Ways to mitigate harm:

*Make new students have the opportunity to become a welcomed addition to the community

*Provide fun ways for students and staff to get to know each other better

*Allow opportunities for brain breaks and movement

*Create joyful learning opportunities

*Make sure students have multiple opportunities to learn school rules

*Practice routines and procedures

*Foster a growth mindset and help students to learn from mistakes

*Use the teachable moments

*Use a kind and respectful tone

*Do not raise your voice to be heard

*Have meaningful conversations when a student has made a bad choice and discuss what can be done differently the next time

*Get to know your students as individuals and foster a positive relationship with each one

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Unintentionally Hurting Students Instead of Helping Them

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Unintentionally Hurting Students Instead of Helping Them

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Ways we unintentionally hurt students:

*Not properly welcoming new students

*Not providing opportunities for students and staff to get to know each other better

*Not allowing time for breaks and fun

*Raising our voices to be heard

*Not properly teaching rules, expectations, and procedures

*Missing the opportunity to discuss a student’s actions and choices and how they affect others

*Not seizing the opportunity of the teachable moments

*Not realizing the function of the child’s behavior

*Not considering a child’s trauma that they carry with them

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I think understanding triggers of kids are super important but also giving them a space to work thru those emotions. Then us as educators need to help navigate those emotions.

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Suggest maybe going for a walk, belly breathing or a trip to the calming corner/safe area in the room

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I would suggest calming areas or rooms where a student could go to regain their equilibrium.

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From personal experience these children benefit from consistency. A constant person that deals with situation/situations the exact same way every time. Also using the option of giving them choices. The whole thing is to make sure the situation doesn't escalate to the desired extreme behavior associated with violence behavior.

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I think we see this more and more each year, with teachers not being trained or having the wrong types of people working in our classrooms. I can understand being burned out, but we also need to understand we chose these professions to work with tiny humans, and it's important to remember your why. We need to be more open, understanding, and be able to put into the work to help each individual.

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The school could unintentionally hurt them by focusing on the behavior and how repetitious it is as opposed to focusing on the need and/or the trigger. As a teacher, I can use strategies in my tier one behavior intervention to unpack that before escalating the consequence.

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Instead of assuming students are just bad, we have to understand there are generally underlying reasons for certain behaviors. The fact that people in the system aren't trauma informed when they have to deal with children is unacceptable. It is unfortunate that more resources and funds aren't available to increase the number of trained personnel to help the innocents. While my school isn't perfect, we do strive to love the children by incorporating SEL throughout the school. For example, we have recently worked to get bussing to mitigate absenteeism. This is in large part because many of our staff are from the community and not only care about our kiddos, but understand the challenges they face.

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If we as educators do not keep trauma in mind, we may be aproaching behaviors in a harmful way. In a previous video, it was mentioned that often, the response is to discipline the behaviors, instead of trying to figure out the root cause.

To mitigate this harm, we need to be compassionate, empathetic, and involved.

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A school may not be able to help a child if they are unaware of the effects trauma can have on a child. a lot of times these behaviors show up as the child being defiant or having behavioral issues

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I think see the child through the development lens and understanding their trauma and what their triggers could help teachers navigate the behavior and support the child.

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Our responses to a child's behavior can unintentionally be a trigger for their traumatic experience. We need to fully understand the child as a whole to be able to best respond to their behaviors and needs at school. When we react and become upset about a behavior it can add to the negative feelings the child is already associating with the trauma.

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Being mindful of the fact that trauma responses show up in different ways in everybody - there is no 'one size fits all' when it comes to supporting someone who has been through a traumatic experience. It's also important to note that trauma looks different for everyone - something that is triggering for one person could be comforting for another. Making sure that both educators/caregivers and students are aware of trauma and how it looks/shows up in people's lives will help mitigate harm.

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Properly training other caregivers and teachers would be the best way to mitigate harm. Personally I try to maintain a friendly demeanor with all kids especially when greeting them in the morning so they have the consistency of someone thats happy to see them.

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Schools could be negatively helping by not being trained

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Children going through difficulties and trauma could unintentionally harm a student by not understanding their triggers, not realizing reasons for the behaviors.

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Schools could unintentionally hurt students that have experienced trauma by misdiagnosing them, labeling them as lazy, expecting consistent performance, and/or overlooking quiet withdrawal.

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Teaching kids it's ok to me mad, frustrated, and in a bad mood. It's their reaction and how they treat others that needs attention. Telling a child to calm down isn't helpful. Helping them to calm down is.

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they might unintentionally hurt a child by not digging into the reason for the behavior

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they might unintentionally hurt a child by not digging into the reason for the behavior

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A school could unintentionally retraumatize students through harsh discipline, inconsistent expectations, public correction, or failing to recognize the reasons behind challenging behaviors. To reduce this harm, I would use predictable routines, positive and private behavior correction, strong relationships, student choice, and trauma-informed strategies that help students feel safe, respected, and supported.

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When a new kids comes to a school who has hidden trauma many kids his age are not going to catch it and be vulnerable to acknowledge it out of fear or uncertainty. Many kids these days have clicks and that could make the new kid feel neglected even more without the other realizing causing more hurt to surface.

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we need to teach child that their triggers can be okay, what i mean is: in a classroom setting, not every child has triggers, so excluding an activity or anything else like that because of one child is not okay. this is when we need to step in and help the child work with their trama

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Children are very complex. Adults need to take the time to understand the emotional trauma and stress that is affecting the responses a child will exhibit.

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How to avoid unintentional harm at school. Build rapport with children understanding their triggers and find alternative ways to address them as to avoid triggers or learn to cope with triggers.

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Not talking the time out to understand whats bothering the child can harm them. Its important to know what is bothering the child and to have good communication skills.

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Trauma comes in all shapes and sizes, big feelings, small feelings and everything in between. Making students feel like they have a safe environment to talk about it, or even holding space for them to work through their feelings is so important.

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The strategy that I would consider to mitigate the harm is sharing information with the school about trauma. I would encourage this course and share how the information helped me.

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Respond to a student's need, not behavior.

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I think its important to know your students by building the relationship. Schools can cause unintentional trauma.

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Not taking the time to understand can make it worse.

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Not taking the time to understand can make it worse.

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Sometimes teachers can be quick to react (it's not their fault) but I think slowing down and taking a moment to think before we react to behavior is helpful.

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The lady in the video said, "respond to the need, not the behavior. this reminded me of a Trauma Smart training I took 2 years ago. We learned instead of asking what's wrong with the child. Ask what happen to the the child learning to see a child's behavior through a different lens.

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A student with connection and relationship issues could be kicked off the bus for not listening or respecting the bus driver, when the bus driver isn't aware of the impact his words, tone, etc are having. Any authority figure laying down a boundary with cause the child to repel, be disrespectful and fight to protect himself.

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I love when she says "respond to the need, not react to the behavior." I feel that is so important to use that response no matter if there is trauma or not. We have no idea what children's or adults witness throughout their lifetime.

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I think the importance in knowing the difference of how to approach a student based on what they may need rather than what their behavior is, is super impactful to how the child would respond

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One of the best ways to mitigate unintentional harm is to build rapport with each of your students and get to the root cause of behaviors rather than just addressing the behavior itself. Building positive relationships with your students can help best support your students needs.

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Taking time to figure out why students react in a particular way can be helpful in that it allows for more understanding about the why of a behavior.

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She said one strategy in the video: "Respond to the need, not react to the behavior." That requires the SEL competency of self-management on our part.

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They could unintentionally hurt a student by getting upset at every little mess up or by not knowing a students triggers causing the child to react to a negative situation.

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not giving them discipline or giving them the firm and strict teachers that need sometimes so they know that they can't walk all over the teachers and that the teachers are the ones in charge.

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I think my school does a good job of investigating what causes a student behavior and we do restorative conversations to work out the issues before going right to disciplinary action.

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I can be too easy to unintentionally hurt a student that is dealing with trauma. The best proactive step that can be taken is to build a strong relationship with the students and then when behavioral issues arise, communicate with as many people as possible who know that student to find out if there is more to their story than what is on the surface.

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School policies often do not take into account what traumas a student has previously experienced or what they are currently experiencing. We can encourage administration to make space for these nuances in their policies.

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Our school doesn't discipline in any way. Our principal hands out candy and a hug. I don't want to see children harmed, but I do want to see them moving forward and getting help. Too often we have repeat offenders who are escalating their behaviors because they are not getting the response they crave. The parents in our district can often be non-English speakers who come from very conservative areas of the world. They do not believe in SEL or trauma support. Either they will not discipline at all, or they will be too harsh, so contacting home is usually the wrong move too.

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instead of getting frustrated and angry when a child messes up, take the time to sit and talk with them to figure out what is going on.

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We as people can go straight to disciplining character actions instead of understanding and being proactive with trauma based responses.

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Traditional classroom systems often use highly visible tracking methods, such as clip charts, public color changes, or reading aloud a list of missing assignments in front of peers.

The Inadvertent Hurt: For a child carrying a trauma history, public exposure acts as an acute threat to their psychological safety. It triggers intense emotional shame and a fear of abandonment, causing an immediate fight, flight, or freeze response rather than reflection.

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The ability to grow new neurons helps to increase connectivity and aids in building resilience

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I think schools can accidentally hurt students when the adults in charge are not attune enough to their needs and let their own bias cloud their judgement.

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My school, like a lot of high-achieving international schools, can unintentionally hurt students through the sheer weight of academic pressure and competition, where constant testing and college prep messaging can make struggle feel like failure rather than a normal part of learning. There's also a risk in how quickly behavior gets labeled as a discipline issue without asking what might be underneath it, especially for students navigating cultural transitions or language barriers who may already feel out of place.

To help mitigate that, I can be intentional in my own classroom about separating a student's worth from their grades, building in language that normalizes mistakes as part of the learning process rather than something to be embarrassed about. I can also advocate, where I have a voice, for policies that consider workload and pacing realistically rather than just aspirationally, and push back gently when I see practices that seem to prioritize rigor over student wellbeing. Even small things, like how I frame feedback or respond to a student who's struggling, can help counter some of that unintentional harm.

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Schools can unintentionally hurt students by using harsh discipline, making assumptions about behavior, or not recognizing when a student has experienced trauma. Instead of immediately punishing students, I think it's important to first understand what might be causing their behavior. I would help reduce this harm by building positive relationships, creating a safe and welcoming classroom, and responding with patience and empathy. Taking a trauma-informed approach can help students feel supported and more successful at school.

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I think schools can sometimes unintentionally cause harm by expecting every student to respond the same way to rules, stress, or change. Some students may need extra time, support, or a different approach. One thing I can do is be flexible when appropriate, check in with students before jumping to conclusions, and make sure my classroom is a place where students know mistakes are part of learning and they have someone they can trust.

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Schools might unintentionally hurt traumatized children when the staff is not trained to recognize and respond to the symptoms of trauma and instead are quick to react to the behavior.

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Unfortunately, many teachers and other staff have a tendency to yell to get students' attention or do so out of frustration and anger. So, first of all, it's important to consider what children experience outside of school before we raise our voices. Staying calm and steady would avoid retraumatizing or triggering students in crisis. Second, adults sometimes make decisions or go about the day without letting children know what to expect. For someone like the boy in the video, there's a need for them to be communicated with and to know what to expect throughout the day.

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I learned that schools, even with good intentions, can sometimes create additional stress for students when responses focus only on punishment instead of understanding the reasons behind their behaviors. This helped me recognize the importance of looking beyond the behavior and considering what a student may be experiencing internally. As an educator, I need to create a classroom environment where students feel safe, respected, and valued by building trusting relationships, providing consistent routines, and responding with empathy. This reflection reminds me that my role is not only to teach academic content but also to support students' social and emotional development by helping them feel a sense of belonging, safety, and hope.

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be aware of the triggers and react appropriately

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i thingk that sometimes school hocus so much on the rules and immediately

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if the school or stff isnt educated or know the triggers

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very helpul

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students express needs through their behavior

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Education and staff and other members within the classroom that are trained to recognize trauma on how to deal with our key and helping out those children

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If the school or staff isn't educated or know the triggers. It is important that we attend training and educate ourselves so we do not add stress or unintentionally hurt students.

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By not having an understanding of what traumas and triggers are, you have a higher chance of hurting a child than helping them. You could easily trigger someone who was traumatized by verbal abuse by yelling at them, or even talking with a raised voice. By learning what traumas and triggers are, you lessen that risk by a substantial amount

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Students express needs through their behavior. Students with trauma can have difficulty expressing their needs and therefore have behavior issues

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Schools may unintentionally hurt students instead of helping them by not fully understanding the traumas that a student has experienced, how that student perceives said trauma, and what potential triggers the student encounters at school. Additionally, discipline based solely on challenging behavior instead of the underlying causes of the behavior can cause further harm.

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Many times schools lose focus on why a child may be acting out. Especially if they're acting out repeatedly. If a teacher or staff member does not know exactly how to deal with a child's behavior, instead of taking the time to stop and say WHY they enforce the rules instead.

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by disciplining children in ways such as taking electronics and limited their abilities to communicate to their family or other help if they need to

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Policies for discipline and intervention in place to protect the child, staff and their fellow students.

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After watching the video schools might unintentionally hurt students by assuming a student is being defiant and focusing on punishment and rule following vs why a student may be acting out.

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By making connections and building a relationship with a student who has experienced trauma is a great way to build trust.

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Strict disciplinary policies, inconsistent expectations, public correction, or a lack of understanding about the effects of trauma can sometimes cause students to feel unsafe, misunderstood, or disconnected from school. Students who have experienced trauma may interpret these situations as threats, making it even more difficult for them to regulate their emotions, build relationships, and engage in learning.

To help mitigate this harm, I would focus on creating a classroom environment that emphasizes safety, consistency, and belonging. This includes establishing predictable routines, communicating clear expectations, building trusting relationships, and responding to challenging behaviors with empathy and curiosity rather than punishment. I would also provide opportunities for students to practice social-emotional skills, such as emotional regulation, problem-solving, and effective communication. Offering students choices when appropriate, using restorative practices, and collaborating with families and support staff can further strengthen a student's sense of connection and support.

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By taking the time to build relationships and get to know a students history, we can know what is happening. Then we can respond to the need a child has rather than just reacting to a behavior.