Why this course?

In the last decade there has been a significant shift in children’s behaviors. In the past teachers had 1 or 2 students every few years that had significant behavior concerns. Now teachers are seeing an increase where they may have a handful of students every year that cause significant disruption to the learning environment. This has had a huge impact in the school setting. Teachers are no longer able to just teach as they are spending a large amount of time trying to manage students’ behaviors. This is occurring at the same time where there has been an increase in accountability for students’ academic performance. This increase in responsibility has been a drain on teachers. Teachers have reported that they often feel like they are in a domestic violence situation with their students. Never knowing when their students are going misbehave or explode.

In this book we will address the dynamics of the behavior, the manipulation and unhealthy control the students are trying to obtain. We have faith and belief the child can change. It is important for the educators to feel support and be heard while implementing strategies where there is an opportunity for authentic behavior change.

This book is about hope—hope that we can establish change in situations that appear hopeless. As we begin to understand our own strengths, weaknesses, histories, and the causes of severe behavior we can then learn how to implement strategies to set up a healing environment for these children. The strategies we recommend are ones that the educator can implement, feel good about and have faith in. This will give our students an opportunity to heal, grow and mature. We want to bring hope to children coming from shattered lives and joy back for the educator and in the school settings!

Educational Goals

1. Develop Trauma-Informed Practices
   Cultivate an understanding of how trauma and attachment influence child development and equip educators with strategies to support healing and resilience in students.
2. Enhance Understanding of Developmental Stages  
   Help educators deepen their knowledge and apply developmental theories, like Erik Erikson’s Stages of Psychosocial Development, to guide effective teaching strategies and improve behavior management.
3. Create Supportive Learning Environments
   Foster the ability to design and maintain healing environments tailored to meet the diverse emotional, social, and developmental needs of students.
4. Strengthen Relationships with Stakeholders
   Build skills to engage collaboratively with parents, caregivers, and colleagues to ensure consistent support for students’ growth and success.
5. Promote Educator Well-being
   Empower educators to recognize personal roadblocks to self-care, develop strategies to overcome them, and maintain their emotional resilience in challenging environments.

Learning Objectives

1. Understand Trauma and Attachment
   Identify the different types of trauma and their impacts on attachment, development, and behavior, and apply trauma-informed strategies to classroom practices.
2. Apply Developmental Theories  
   Explore Erik Erikson’s Stages of Development and discuss how understanding these stages can shape effective teaching strategies and enhance student behavior management.
3. Design Healing Environments
   Analyze the characteristics of a healing environment and create actionable plans to address the needs of a specific student identified during the study.
4. Engage Effectively with Parents and Teams  
   Learn strategies for handling difficult parent interactions and navigating challenges with colleagues to help develop collaborative relationships that support student success.
5. Implement Self-Care Practices
   Create a self-care plan that addresses personal roadblocks, incorporates strategies for maintaining resilience, and supports ongoing professional effectiveness.

College Credit Available!