Empowering Literacy Educators Through Trauma-Informed Practices

Introduction

There is no denying that our current landscape of education is changing and changing rapidly due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Teachers were expected to pivot face-to-face instruction to virtual platforms overnight. Not only did this change the way educators needed to instruct but it also changed the way students would receive and interact with the curriculum. While making this shift, teachers and students alike were dealing with traumatic events and a blanket of uncertainty. The fear of getting sick or dealing with a loved one who was sick or passed away became a real part of the daily discourse. To add to this unpredictability, typical life routines and practices shutdown. Things that were often taken for granted such as playing with friends, attending dance class, or sporting events, going to work, even taking a trip to the store were all put to a halt. The uncertainty of when this would end was a constant concern. Even today while writing this chapter, two years after the introduction of COVID 19, there is still a level of precariousness as new strains are introduced.

Yet, despite this uncertainty, life must go on and it is critical for educators to adapt to the “new” normal, which is also changing frequently. This chapter discusses the need for a trauma-informed approach to teaching to help teachers and students better engage with curriculum and grapple with current life situations. Literacy educators need a practical understanding of trauma that will inform their instructional practices in a way that is mindful of their student’s experiences. The term trauma is widely used and often seen as a larger construct. The authors will focus on defining trauma-informed pedagogy. Furthermore, tradition often isolates practices (Trauma-informed, equity-oriented, restorative practices, social emotional learning, differentiation, motivation to write) as separate pieces. The chapter defines these terms and explicitly shows their relatedness by addressing them collectively.

To make an explicit connection to theory and practice, the authors will show how real-life educators’ voices were heard as they expressed their concerns about their own trauma, and the trauma their students were experiencing. They learned to use trauma-informed instruction to develop a more inclusive environment through literacy instruction that enabled students to deal with their emotional needs, creating a space for their voices to be celebrated while meeting the curricular demands of the state and school district through a professional development model designed by the authors.

The objectives of the chapter are:

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  Define Trauma-Informed pedagogy

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  Demonstrate the connection between trauma-informed pedagogy and other trending terms in the field such as equity oriented, restorative practices, social emotional learning, differentiation, and motivation to write.

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  Explicitly describe current best practices in literacy instruction and trauma-informed pedagogy and how they are interrelated.

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  Provide concrete examples of trauma-informed literacy instruction including a template for educators to reflect on their current practices and curriculum and look for ways to infuse trauma-informed practices into their lessons.