Always taking a listen first approach can help instead of trying to preach at students things they have likely heard time and time again.

Many times, we also have no information about the child's background or family trauma history. All we can do is watch for the signs and refrain from assuming anything or labeling the child solely based on their behavior. Getting to know the child and building a trusting relationship has to be the first step.

Often schools are not informed about a child's prior traumatic past. By responding to the need, not reacting to the behavior schools can better support the child. By extending grace we can better meet their needs and avoid further traumatizing or retraumatizing them.

• Some students may be triggered by certain topics, events, or classroom situations.

• Triggers can cause strong emotional reactions, anxiety, or withdrawal.

• Teachers can help by observing reactions, offering a safe space, adjusting instruction, and teaching coping strategies.

This information will help the the teacher navigate a difficult situation with a child. Having a social worker or child psychologist on site is also beneficial. Children going through these tough circumstances need a community of people who are willing to support and take care of them so the trauma they've experienced doesn't get worse.

Over labeling or pathologizing behavior, inconsistent implementation of trauma-informed practices, public responses to behavior, using trauma as an excuse rather than a support, lack of staff support and training.

Strategies to mitigate harm could be:

Maintaining high expectations with high support, responding privately and preserve dignity, use curiosity over assumptions, teach skills explicitly, advocate for staff wellness and consistency and include student voice.

To mitigate this harm, I believe it is important to create predictable, relationship-based environments where students feel seen and valued. Strategies such as using calm and respectful communication, offering choices, building in regulation breaks, and responding to behavior with curiosity rather than punishment can make a significant difference. Strengthening social and emotional learning, maintaining consistency across staff, and prioritizing connection before correction can help ensure that our school environment promotes healing, resilience, and long-term success for all students.

Heavy workloads, constant testing, and high expectations can create stress, anxiety, and burnout, especially when success is narrowly defined by grades.

Balance homework and assessment schedules across classes.

Offer flexible deadlines when students are overwhelmed.

Value growth and effort, not just test scores.

Teach study skills, time management, and how to ask for help

I believe many schools are quick to punish students instead of trying to get to the core - the trauma - of what might be happening in the life of the student. We must create classrooms where students feel safe on all levels ... from psychologically to academically. If a teacher can hold this safe space above all else, students will be more apt to calm down and share the trauma in their lives. Many teachers struggle with creating those relationships, and I believe schools need to do a better job of supporting their staff. Training in trauma informed practices is a must ... for all staff.

We can mitigate this by getting to know our students, have a safe space, a therapist, and learning their triggers so we can address the needs of the students. We also need to be aware of the signs of trauma and observe our students during class time. Also, checking in with them.

To mitigate this, I can help create a more trauma-informed environment by responding to behavior with curiosity rather than punishment, providing predictable routines, and offering students choices when possible. Building strong relationships, using calm and private redirection, and teaching self-regulation skills can also reduce the risk of retraumatization. By focusing on safety, connection, and consistency, schools can better support students’ emotional needs and promote positive outcomes.

While schools generally aim to be safe havens, certain standard practices can unintentionally "re-traumatize" students. This occurs when an environment or interaction mimics the power dynamics, unpredictability, or sensory details of a student's past trauma.

Here is how schools may inadvertently increase trauma for students:

1. Punitive Discipline & Zero-Tolerance Policies

Rigid disciplinary systems often mistake survival behaviors for defiance.

• Automatic Suspensions: For a child whose trauma involves abandonment or unstable housing, being "kicked out" of school can reinforce feelings of worthlessness and insecurity.

• Public Shaming: "Clip-up/clip-down" charts or public reprimands can trigger intense shame, which is a powerful trauma trigger.

• Criminalization of Behavior: Relying on school resource officers (police) for minor behavioral issues can be terrifying for students who have had traumatic interactions with law enforcement at home or in their community.

2. Sensory & Environmental Triggers

Schools are naturally high-sensory environments, which can overwhelm a nervous system stuck in "fight or flight" mode.

• Loud Noises: Unexpected fire drills, slamming lockers, or teachers yelling to get attention can mimic the sounds of domestic violence or community danger.

• Physical Touch: Even well-meaning touch, like a hand on a shoulder to offer comfort or redirect a student, can be perceived as a threat or a violation of bodily autonomy.

• Isolation: Placing a dysregulated student in "time-out" or an isolation room can feel like a terrifying reenactment of neglect or confinement.

3. "Standard" Classroom Activities

Seemingly benign assignments can force students to confront personal or family pain in a public setting.

• Family Tree Assignments: These can be deeply distressing for students in foster care, those who have lost parents, or those from "non-traditional" or abusive homes.

• Autobiographical Essays: Prompting students to write about their "hardest challenge" or "early memories" can force them to revisit traumatic events before they are emotionally ready.

• Holiday Events: Events like "Muffins with Mommy" or "Donuts with Dad" can highlight the absence of a caregiver due to death, incarceration, or deportation.

4. Relational Dynamics

The way adults interact with students can accidentally mirror the dynamics of an abuser.

• Power Struggles: Demanding "look at me when I'm talking to you" can be threatening to a child taught that eye contact with an angry adult leads to physical harm.

• Lack of Predictability: Sudden changes in the daily schedule or the unexpected absence of a trusted teacher can trigger "hyper-vigilance" (the need to constantly scan for danger).

• Micromanagement: Restricting basic needs, such as access to water or the bathroom, can trigger a sense of helplessness in students who have experienced physical neglect

To mitigate this harm, I would focus on building strong, trusting relationships and creating a predictable, supportive environment. This includes maintaining consistent routines, giving advance warnings before transitions, using calm and respectful communication, and offering choices whenever possible. I would also use restorative practices instead of punishment, teach coping and self-regulation skills, and collaborate with support staff when needed. By responding with empathy and understanding, schools can reduce harm and help students feel safe, valued, and supported in their learning environment.

misinterpreting behavior

lack of emotional safety

ingnoring student

We can sincerely look into how their feeling about what they have gone threw and not just jump to a disciplinary approach.

In many schools, harm may occur through punitive discipline practices, such as zero-tolerance policies, public reprimands, exclusion from class, or suspension. These approaches can mirror experiences of powerlessness or rejection that traumatized students have already endured. Inconsistent expectations, frequent staff changes, or unpredictable routines can also increase anxiety and trigger stress responses. Additionally, requiring students to repeatedly retell traumatic experiences, denying student voice, or misinterpreting survival behaviors as defiance may further retraumatize youth.

To mitigate this harm, schools can intentionally build trauma-informed practices that emphasize safety, predictability, and relationships. Strategies include using consistent routines, offering choice whenever possible, responding to behavior with curiosity rather than punishment, and incorporating restorative practices instead of exclusionary discipline. Providing staff with training on trauma and de-escalation, creating calm spaces for regulation, and embedding social-emotional learning into daily instruction can further support students. When adults work collaboratively and respond with empathy and consistency, schools become places of healing rather than harm.

When I reflect on my own school environment, I can see ways in which students might be hurt rather than helped. For example, rigid disciplinary practices, zero‑tolerance policies, or public corrections may feel threatening or shaming to students who have experienced trauma. Similarly, a lack of consistency, sudden schedule changes, loud environments, or dismissive responses to emotional distress can reinforce a student’s sense of insecurity. In these moments, students may feel unseen, misunderstood, or unsafe, which can escalate behaviors rather than support learning.

Understanding trauma encourages me to look beyond behavior and consider how school structures and adult responses impact students’ nervous systems. A student who shuts down, refuses to engage, or reacts aggressively may not be defiant but instead responding to perceived danger. If the environment does not allow for regulation, voice, or connection, we risk repeating patterns of harm that students may already know too well.

To mitigate this harm, I believe the most important strategy is intentionally creating emotionally safe and predictable environments. This includes building strong, trusting relationships, maintaining consistent routines, and responding to behavior with curiosity rather than judgment. Using calm language, offering choices, and allowing space for students to regroup can help prevent escalation and support regulation. Additionally, involving students in problem‑solving and giving them a sense of control can help restore dignity and agency.

Another critical strategy is ensuring that adults reflect on their own reactions and assumptions. Trauma‑informed environments require educators to be aware of how tone, body language, and disciplinary practices may impact students differently based on their experiences. Ongoing professional learning and collaboration around trauma‑informed care can help staff move away from practices that unintentionally retraumatize and toward approaches that promote healing and resilience.

Ultimately, this video reinforced the idea that schools have the potential to be either a source of harm or a place of safety and growth. By approaching students with empathy, consistency, and understanding, and by embedding trauma‑informed practices into daily routines, schools can become environments where students feel supported rather than threatened—and where learning can truly take place.

Regulating emotions after adverse events becomes more difficulty and reacting with sadness, anger, fear.

Helping students feel safe may be difficult if they have learned not to trust. They often think family issues are somehow their fault when it realistically doesn't have anything to do with them, leading to lack of self-esteem.

Children are often misunderstood when there bodies are stuck in fight, flight or freeze responses.

There actions are based on unregulated emotions and confused mental processing leading to unhealthy behavior.

Allowing students time, space, support through positive interaction and trust building techniques help them foster new connections and hopefully help them build self-regulation and awareness to promote healthy relationships.

As a teacher, our main responsibility is to help our students succeed at the level they are capable of succeeding at, as often as possible. However, for teachers that have not had social/emotional training, trauma training, have not experienced trauma themselves, have not done any personal development or emotional health work, sometimes it can be hard to understand why some kids act defiantly or do not do what they are asked. In this video, an extreme case is presented but obviously this child is going to have issues at school. I would hope that the system has improved since this example took place and that the teacher is aware of what happened, that there is a school counselor/social worker involved and that the student gets more support as needed through his later years.

• Supplemental Instruction Programs.

• Academic Coaching.

• Peer Mentoring Programs.

• Learning Assistance Programs.

• Early Alert Systems.

• Student Success Through Targeted Support.

Educators and administrators can help prevent this by undergoing continuous trauma- response training and communicating with students and families what they would like to see in the district to better help those with trauma.

To reduce this harm, I can focus on building strong relationships, using calm and consistent responses, and offering individualized support. Creating predictable routines and safe spaces for regulation helps students feel secure. Shifting from punishment to understanding allows me to respond in ways that promote healing and growth rather then fear.

The biggest thing that a school can do is to share a child's trauma background, triggers, and strategies with all of the safe and trusted adults in the building that the student will be in contact with. The more people who understand the child, the more the triggers and responses can be noticed, escalated, and worked through calmly.

School settings can unintentionally hurt a child by simply reacting to the behavior with discipline before understanding child’s possible motivations and or trauma background.

To mitigate this harm, schools can adopt trauma-informed practices. Teachers can focus on building positive relationships with students, creating predictable routines, and responding to behavior with empathy rather than punishment. It is also important to provide students with opportunities to regulate their emotions through strategies like movement breaks, calm-down spaces, or social-emotional learning activities. Staff training on trauma and adverse childhood experiences can help educators better understand why students may react in certain ways and how to support them effectively.

By creating a trauma-informed environment, schools can help students feel safe, respected, and supported, which ultimately improves both their well-being and their ability to learn.

One strategy to reduce harm is creating a safe and predictable classroom environment. Consistent routines, clear expectations, and calm responses from staff can help students feel secure and reduce stress reactions. Another strategy is building strong relationships with students. Supportive relationships with caring adults can help buffer the negative effects of trauma and improve students’ ability to learn and regulate emotions.

Schools can also mitigate harm by training staff in trauma-informed practices, such as recognizing triggers, using de-escalation strategies, and focusing on restorative practices rather than punishment. Providing access to counseling, social-emotional learning supports, and opportunities for students to express their feelings can also help students feel understood and supported. By shifting from asking “What’s wrong with this student?” to “What might this student have experienced?” educators can respond in ways that promote healing and learning rather than unintentionally retraumatizing students.

One way my school might unintentionally hurt students is through strict disciplinary practices. Zero-tolerance policies, frequent suspensions, or public reprimands can retraumatize students who already feel unsafe or powerless. For example, a student who has experienced violence or instability at home may react strongly to perceived threats or authority figures. If teachers respond only with punishment rather than understanding the underlying cause, the student may feel further rejected and disconnected from school.

Another issue is the lack of emotional support structures. Many schools focus heavily on academics but may overlook students’ emotional and mental health needs. When teachers are not trained to recognize trauma responses—such as withdrawal, aggression, or difficulty concentrating—they may interpret these behaviors as laziness or disrespect rather than signs of distress. This can lead to negative interactions that reinforce students’ feelings of shame or isolation.

To mitigate this harm, several strategies could be implemented. First, schools can provide trauma-informed training for teachers and staff so they understand how trauma impacts brain development, behavior, and learning. This training can help educators shift from asking “What’s wrong with this student?” to “What might this student have experienced?”

Second, schools can adopt restorative and supportive discipline practices instead of purely punitive approaches. Restorative circles, conflict mediation, and reflective conversations can help students process emotions, repair relationships, and stay engaged in the school community.

Third, creating safe and predictable environments is essential. Consistent routines, clear expectations, and calm classroom management strategies help students feel secure. Teachers can also incorporate social-emotional learning activities that teach coping skills, emotional regulation, and resilience.

Finally, schools should strengthen access to counseling and support services. School counselors, psychologists, and partnerships with community mental health providers can ensure that students who need additional help receive it.

Overall, trauma-informed practices shift the school culture from punishment and misunderstanding toward empathy, safety, and support. By recognizing how trauma shapes student behavior and learning, schools can become environments that promote healing and resilience rather than unintentionally causing further harm.

By putting them into a box with their behavior and not getting them the actual help they need. By also not pairing them with a one on one that they mesh with.

Recognizing these triggers helps educators respond with empathy and support. By creating predictable routines, using calm and respectful communication, and providing opportunities for students to regulate their emotions, teachers can reduce triggers and help students feel safe and supported in the classroom.

Understanding trauma shifts my mindset from “what is wrong with this student” to “what happened to this student.” That changes how I respond. Instead of reacting with punishment, I focus on de escalation, relationship building, and giving students space to regulate.

To mitigate harm, I would use consistent routines, calm redirection, and private conversations instead of calling students out publicly. I would also build in opportunities for students to reset, like a cool down space or short breaks. In addition, schools need to provide ongoing training for teachers on co regulation and trauma informed practices so we are better equipped to support students without escalating situations.

To reduce this, I can create a calm, predictable classroom, respond privately and respectfully, and build strong relationships with students. Offering choices, allowing short breaks, and staying aware of how I respond can help create a safer, more supportive environment.

• Strict or punitive discipline that does not consider underlying needs

• Overstimulating environments (noise, lights, crowded spaces)

• Lack of consistency or predictable routines

• Limited understanding of trauma or cultural differences

• Misinterpreting behavior as defiance instead of a stress response

Strategies to mitigate harm:

• Use trauma-informed and relationship-based approaches

• Create calm, structured, and predictable environments

• Build strong, trusting relationships with students

• Provide sensory supports and quiet spaces

• Teach and model social-emotional skills

• Respond to behavior with empathy rather than punishment

We could mitigate that harm by differentiating our approach to behaviors and how we address them.

First, identify potential ways schools can unintentionally harm students, and then propose concrete strategies to address these issues.

To ensure that students do not experience this, I would try to help create a trauma-informed environment. This can be done by building strong, trusting relationships and maintaining a calm, predictable classroom. Support students through their challenges using emotional regulation/coping strategies and providing safe spaces can help all students feel more secure and better able to learn.

Schools are designed to support students, but they can sometimes unintentionally cause harm through rigid policies, unequal access to resources, or a lack of understanding of diverse student needs. For example, strict discipline systems may disproportionately affect certain groups of students, while heavy academic pressure can contribute to stress, burnout, or mental health challenges. Additionally, curricula that don’t reflect diverse perspectives can make some students feel excluded or undervalued.

To mitigate these harms, I would focus on a few key strategies. First, I would prioritize listening to students by creating regular opportunities for feedback, such as surveys or open discussions, so their concerns are heard and addressed. Second, I would advocate for more inclusive teaching practices and materials that reflect a wide range of backgrounds and experiences. Third, I would support policies that emphasize flexibility and understanding—such as restorative justice approaches to discipline instead of punitive ones. Finally, increasing access to mental health resources and promoting a culture where seeking help is normalized can make a big difference in student well-being.

By being aware of these unintended harms and actively working to address them, schools can become more supportive, equitable environments for all students.

It is important to recognize that schools, even with good intentions, can sometimes unintentionally harm students. Strict discipline policies, lack of emotional support, or misunderstanding behaviors may lead to students feeling unsafe, unheard, or labeled instead of supported. For students who have experienced trauma, such responses can reinforce fear, anxiety, or withdrawal rather than promote learning and growth.

To mitigate this harm, I would focus on creating a safe, predictable, and empathetic classroom environment. Building strong, trusting relationships with students is essential, along with practicing active listening and validating their feelings. I would adopt flexible approaches to behavior, viewing it as communication rather than defiance, and respond with patience rather than punishment. Incorporating social-emotional learning, maintaining consistent routines, and collaborating with counselors and families can further support student well-being.

Ultimately, being trauma-informed means shifting from asking “What’s wrong with the student?” to “What might the student be going through?”—and responding with understanding, care, and support.

Thus, schools may unintentionally hurt students instead of help them. Some strategies to mitigate that harm may include the following:

1. Creating consistency and predictability in the school environment. When students know what to expect in routines, expectations, and adult responses, it can reduce anxiety and help them feel safer and more grounded throughout the school day.

2. Moving away from purely punitive responses and toward restorative and supportive approaches.A more trauma-informed approach focuses on understanding behavior, repairing harm, and maintaining relationships.

3. Viewing behavior through a trauma-informed lens. What may appear as defiance or disengagement can sometimes be a stress response.

4. Providing spaces and opportunities for students to regulate their emotions can help prevent escalation. Calm-down corners, supportive adults, and brief breaks can allow students to regain control without feeling punished or isolated.

There are many strategies schools can employ to avoid unintentionally harming students who are dealing with traumas.

To mitigate this, I would focus on creating a more predictable and safe environment with consistent routines and clear expectations. I would prioritize private, respectful redirection instead of public correction, and use restorative practices rather than punitive discipline. Building strong relationships, offering choices, and incorporating social-emotional learning can also help students feel a sense of control and belonging. Additionally, being mindful of sensory factors (noise, transitions, tone of voice) and collaborating with colleagues to adopt trauma-informed practices schoolwide can reduce the likelihood of unintentionally harming students.

To reduce that harm, I can respond with calm and consistent expectations, correct students privately when possible, and try to understand what the student needs before reacting. I can also build relationships, give students choices when appropriate, use predictable routines, and help students regulate before expecting them to problem-solve. A trauma-informed approach does not remove accountability, but it helps make sure that accountability is paired with empathy, safety, and support.

There are so many things that could trigger students that are victim of trauma that taking a slow pace to ease the students into the classroom or daycare. Watching for the signs of fight, flight, and freeze and being able to adjust to comfort and assure the student.

She had been showing signs of Flight Response and once her wise old owl came back to her we were able to go for a walk and she opened up about what's been going on. On top of this, the season of allergies is upon us and she has asthma and our pharmacy totally dropped the ball on having her inhaler ready for us when we needed it. She missed a few days of school because of it and needing her breathing treatments. She was overwhelmed by the difficulties breathing and the emotions she was experiencing because of what has been happening with a family member. She returned to school on Monday, got her home work and everything seemed alright. She did what she could but did not complete the 4 days worth of homework in one night. Apparently, the teacher got very upset with her and made her miss out on all the fun activities for the day. Unfortunately, that gives a child a lot of time to think about the bad feelings, trauma, and thinking they aren't good enough, didn't do enough, and that this is all their fault.

To reduce this, I would focus on creating a trauma-informed environment by building strong relationships, using calm and consistent responses, offering private redirection, and providing students with predictable routines and self-regulation strategies.

I can help reduce this harm by creating a safe and consistent environment.

To mitigate this harm, I will focus entirely on responding to the underlying safety need instead of reacting to the behavior. During my intervention time, I will replace lectures with co-regulation, using a calm voice and physical breathing exercises to quiet their nervous system. I will also eliminate the fear of the unknown by using predictable visual schedules and previewing any daily changes ahead of time. Finally, I will advocate for this trauma-informed lens with homeroom teachers, helping our staff view inattention or defensiveness as survival coping skills rather than defiance so we can stop punishing the symptoms of trauma.

I think about the students who just seem to show up and get put into a classroom. The teacher and support staff are not allowed to know what any of the history. If you are unaware, not given crucial information concerning the students history, it is extremely difficult to know where certain behaviors stem from.

We could make sure we understand the full history of the students lives or just be on the look out for anything that might be triggering for song.

Schools may also unintentionally cause harm when students do not feel emotionally safe, heard, or supported. For example, demanding immediate compliance without understanding a student’s circumstances, using punitive consequences, or failing to recognize trauma responses may negatively impact students who are already struggling.

To mitigate this harm, I believe schools should create trauma informed environments that emphasize safety, relationships, and support. One strategy would be implementing restorative practices that focus on repairing harm and building relationships rather than punishment. Schools can also provide professional development so educators understand trauma, brain development, and student behavior.

Within my own practice, I would work to create predictable routines, maintain calm responses, build trusting relationships, and provide opportunities for students to express emotions safely. I would also incorporate social emotional learning activities, regular check ins, and flexible supports for students experiencing challenges.

Additionally, giving students voice and choice in learning can help restore a sense of control and belonging. By shifting from asking “What is wrong with this student?” to “What happened to this student?” schools can become environments that promote healing, resilience, and positive growth rather than unintentionally contributing to trauma.

After viewing the video, I can see how schools may unitentionally retraumatize a student. Rigid discipline polices and focusing on the student behavior and not the underlying cause of the behavior, may cause increased stressors in these students. The schools system that I am employed with uses restorative practices to help build positive relationships.

To help reduce that harm, I would focus on building positive relationships, creating a safe and inclusive environment, and using restorative conversations instead of only punishment. I think taking time to understand students’ experiences can make a big difference in helping them feel valued and supported.

To reduce harm, I would focus on building relationships, staying calm, using a quiet voice, and correcting students privately when possible. I would also try to help students regulate before expecting them to explain their behavior or fix the problem. A trauma-informed approach helps me remember that some students need safety, connection, and support before they are ready to learn from a consequence.

To mitigate this harm, one strategy is to consistently use a trauma-informed and equity-centered lens when responding to student behavior. This means pausing to consider the “why” behind behaviors and focusing on skill-building rather than punishment. Strengthening relationships is also essential, as students are more likely to engage positively when they feel seen and valued by adults in the building.

Another strategy is to review school-wide discipline data to identify patterns and disparities, then collaboratively adjust practices to address inequities. Increasing the use of restorative practices can also help repair harm while keeping students connected to the school community. Additionally, embedding social-emotional learning into daily instruction gives students tools to better understand and regulate their emotions. Together, these strategies can help shift schools from systems that unintentionally exclude to environments that actively support healing, belonging, and growth.

To reduce this harm, I can focus on building positive relationships, maintaining consistent routines, and responding to behavior with patience and curiosity rather than assumptions. As a PE teacher, I can create a supportive environment where students feel safe, respected, and able to learn from mistakes while developing social and emotional skills.

The video highlights the importance of creating trauma-informed environments where students feel safe, supported, and understood. Schools may unintentionally retraumatize students when responses focus only on compliance, punishment, or the behavior itself without considering the experiences and needs behind the behavior.

Our school may unintentionally hurt students by using practices that feel unsafe or overwhelming to students who have experienced trauma. Examples may include removing students from the classroom without first understanding the reason behind the behavior, using public corrections that may cause embarrassment, having inconsistent routines, or expecting students to manage emotions without being taught the necessary skills. Even well-intended actions can create stress if students feel they are not being heard, valued, or supported.

To reduce the possibility of retraumatizing students, we can use trauma-informed strategies such as building trusting relationships, creating predictable routines, providing clear expectations, and giving students appropriate choices. Staff can focus on understanding the purpose behind behaviors and responding with curiosity rather than judgment. Using restorative conversations, calming strategies, and positive behavior supports can help students feel safe while still maintaining accountability.

We can also support students by teaching social and emotional skills, including emotional awareness, self-regulation, coping strategies, communication, and problem-solving. Ongoing professional development for staff on trauma, cultural responsiveness, and mental health supports can help ensure that all adults in the school respond in ways that promote healing and connection.

A trauma-informed approach reminds us that students’ behaviors are often communication. By creating a compassionate environment, we can help students build resilience and feel more successful both socially and academically.

Now that I am teaching virtually, I like to give students choices whenever possible, offer patience and flexibility, and check in privately with students if they are acting out. I am always looking for more SEL resources to help students to build their coping skills and self-regulate and problem-solve.

Taking the time to listen and think before reacting with emotion would be key as well. Understanding the feelings and behaviors of students first would be helpful instead of assuming and punishing.

Having available personnel to assist would also be proactive (social worker, counselor, psychologist, nurse).