13 Trauma-Informed Teaching Strategies for Educators Today

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disturbing youth mental health trends dovetail with stressors and potentially traumatizing events ranging from bullying to gun violence.Educators are in a unique position to support vulnerable students, especially those with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and other learning differences.

Trauma-informed teaching strategies consider how prolonged exposure to stress and traumatic events affect the developing brain, and how that exposure manifests as unique challenges with school behavior and performance.Here are a few simple yet effective trauma-informed teaching approaches that promote learning, reduce stress, and help all students.Stress undermines working memory.1 The effects of stress on working memory might be greater on students with ADHD and/or learning differences, which are also associated with working memory deficits.Use the following working memory scaffolding strategies to support students:[Get This Free Download: 5 Academic Challenges Rooted in ADHD Executive Dysfunction]Mindfulness aims to shrink down the world to the here and now in order to calm the mind and body.

Use it to end a state of heightened arousal (such as fear and anxiety) by doing the following:[Read: 10 Mindfulness Exercises for Stronger School Focus]When teaching a collectively stressed classroom or a single student who has experienced acute stress, alter your expectations accordingly.The content for this article was derived, in part, from the ADDitude Mental Health Out Loud episode titled, “How Stress and Trauma Affect Brain Development” [Video Replay and Podcast #407] with Cheryl Chase, Ph.D., which was broadcast live on June 23, 2022.SUPPORT ADDITUDE Thank you for reading ADDitude.