ONE THING MORE IMPORTANT THAN WHAT YOU TEACH IS WHO YOU TEACH KNOWING AND UNDERSTANDING YOUR STUDENTS EMOTIONALLY YIELDS TREMENDOUS RELATIONAL DIVIDENDS. THIS SESSION WILL EXPLORE THE CAUSES OF TRAUMA, ITS IMPACT AND HOW TO EFFECTIVELY PROVIDE SOUND INSTRUCTION FOR ALL STUDENTS, PARTICULARLY THOSE IN NEED OF A RESPONSE TO TRAUMA. PARTICIPANTS WILL ALSO EXPLORE STRATEGIES TO MITIGATE THE TRAUMATIC IMPACT OF ADVERSE CHILDHOOD EVENTS FOR STUDENTS OF COLOR. 50% OF ANY INTERACTION WITH A STUDENT IS YOU. THIS MEANS THAT UNLESS WE AS EDUCATORS ARE WILLING TO LOOK AT OURSELVES AND OUR REACTIONS, NO TOOLS OR SKILLS ARE GOING TO WORK IN THE CLASSROOM OR IN ANY OTHER SITUATION WHERE WE ARE HAVING CHALLENGES WITH A CHILD. INSTEAD OF JUDGING KIDS OR PUNISHING KIDS, HOPEFULLY YOU’VE FIGURED OUT THAT KIDS ARE JUST TRYING TO DO THE BEST THEY CAN TO COMMUNICATE WHATEVER PAIN OR DISTRESS LIVES INSIDE OF THEM. SO NOW WHAT DO YOU DO? THE BAD NEWS IS THAT THERE IS NO MANUALIZED PROGRAM, NO ONE-SIZE FITS ALL SOLUTION, NO MAGIC WAND WE CAN WAVE. CHILDHOOD TRAUMA USUALLY COMES AS THE RESULT OF A BREACH IN RELATIONSHIP AND TRUST, AND THE BEST WAY TO HEAL IT IS TO REBUILD THOSE THINGS, SLOWLY, PAINSTAKINGLY AND WITH A LOT OF PATIENCE. CRAIG’S TRADEMARK SLOGAN, GED TO PHD IS A CONCRETE PARADIGM THAT EDUCATORS SHOULD NEVER GIVE UP ON ANY STUDENT.
