Creating calmer schools with trauma-informed practice

Jess Moss

Good afternoon, everyone, and welcome to today's webinar, Creating Calmer Classrooms with Trauma Informed Practice. My name's Jess Moss, I'm a Be You Consultant from the New South Wales and ACT team.

 

My background is in education, so I've worked as a teacher within a primary school context for the last 12 years, and I really do understand firsthand both the rewards and the challenges that you're facing, and I am coming to you with a deep appreciation for the complexity of teaching.

 

And I really hope that this session offers you some practical strategies that can validate or build on what you're already doing, to help you create that calmer classroom that's grounded in trauma-informed practice.

 

And I'm delighted to be co-hosting this webinar today, along with my colleague, Lauren Pello, who is also a Be You Consultant, so I'll hand over to Lauren to introduce herself.

 

Lauren Pellow

Thanks, Jess. I'd just like to echo what you've said there and thank you all for taking the time out of your first week back in Term 4 to attend. Yeah, I'm Lauren, and I have a clinical background in mental health.

 

I was a mental health practitioner in schools in the UK, so I delivered clinical interventions to children and young people. I also worked more widely with schools to implement universal strategies to mental health and wellbeing within the whole school context.

 

So, it's a pleasure to be here today to talk with everyone about, how best practice can be applied in the real world.

 

Jess Moss

So, before we begin, we'd like to acknowledge the traditional owners of the lands on which you're joining us from today. I would like to acknowledge that we're on Cammeraygal l land, and we pay our respects to elders past and present. We value their cultures and identities, and continuing connection to country, waters, kin, and community.

 

And at Be You, we're committed to making a positive contribution to the wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people by providing services that are welcoming, safe, and culturally appropriate and inclusive.

 

I also want to acknowledge as well, that as we talk about the topic of trauma and adversity today, we don't know the personal and professional experiences that each person here brings to conversations about mental health.

 

So, we want to ensure that we hold this space with care and respect and inclusivity. So, I just invite you to take a moment before we begin, just to consider how you can take care of yourself during and after today's session.

 

And what strategies you might put in place if we talk about something that is upsetting or triggering for you. We will share some support services with you at the end of the presentation as well, please remember your school's employee assistance program is also available to you.

 

And we would also love to hear from you throughout the session, so please feel free to ask any questions, along the way through the Q&A function, and there will hopefully be some time at the end of the presentation where we can answer some of your questions as well.

 

So, in case you're unaware, Be You is a federally funded national mental health in education initiative, and it's available at no cost to every educator, early learning service, primary and secondary school in Australia.

 

So, Be You is delivered by Beyond Blue in collaboration with Early Childhood Australia and headspace, and it provides learning communities with a national network of Be You consultants that supports its implementation.

 

Be You is designed to be flexible, so schools can adopt it in ways that best suit their unique context. So, really, there is no single starting point, and that's completely intentional.

 

We have a whole suite of tools and resources, including accredited professional learning modules, that educators can tap into anywhere, at any time, and really for just about any mental health or wellbeing need within a school.

 

If your school is a Be You learning community, you also do have access to that Be You consultant who can support you with the implementation of mental health and wellbeing tools, and frameworks that is individualised and suits your school's unique contexts.

 

Before we begin, I just really want to acknowledge the wealth of experience that we have in this webinar today, and I want to thank each of you for the important work that you do.

 

As we move through this session, we really hope that you feel affirmed in the efforts that you're already making, and you also leave with a few new strategies and resources to consider for your learning community.

 

So, throughout the presentation, we will refer to the term educators, and by that, we mean all school staff, because really, every adult in a school plays a vital role in shaping that supportive and safe learning environment.

 

So, the first part of our session, as you can see on the screen here, will build our understanding, Lauren's going to build our understanding of trauma, and looking at how traumatic experiences can impact young people and their development.

 

And we're also going to look at two key things we often use at Be You to demonstrate the impact of trauma, which you might already be familiar with, the window of tolerance, as well as our Be You Mental Health Continuum.

 

And then I am going to spend some time looking at a four-part framework, which highlights four key components, providing effective and holistic support for young people who've experienced trauma. So, we'll start with our daily approaches, where we're going to look at your relationships with students, daily routines, and how to support regulation in the classroom day to day.

 

And then we're going to look at monitoring student progress and changes, when and how to activate those supports, and what to consider.

 

And finally, we're going to explore educator wellbeing and the importance of really prioritising your own wellbeing needs as educators.

 

We're going to share a few Be You resources along the way as well, to support a whole-school approach to mental health and wellbeing. So really, no matter where you are in your professional journey; we really do extend our sincere gratitude and encouragement, your commitment today to equipping young people with the tools and knowledge and care they need to thrive is really deeply valued.

 

So, before I hand over to Lauren to get us started, I just wanted to invite you just to take a mindful breath, and just to think about, I already took mine in my microphone there, I can hear that. Just to think about what you're hoping to get out of today's event. You're welcome to share your thoughts in the Q&A function if you need to, or reflect with your colleagues, or just have a think to yourself for a moment.

 

Lauren Pellow

Thank you, Jess. So, before we go into the four-part framework, we're going to understand what trauma is and how it affects a young person's development. Although we may all be familiar with the term trauma or adversity, it's important to understand how trauma affects a child's development, including their learning, their relationships, and also their ability to self-regulate. In doing so, we can then consider critical strategies that can be applied with students in the classroom and also across the whole school.

 

So, what is trauma? We do have a definition of trauma on the screen here, but I think it's important to note that research has identified three different types of trauma. This includes acute trauma, which is often a significant single incident.

 

Complex trauma, which is generally reoccurring and repeated exposure of incidents. An example of this could be child abuse or bullying.

 

And then the third is developmental trauma, and this one can overlap with the previous two, but this is where a young person's brain development has been disrupted in cases where adults have caused harm to them, or their experience with maybe high parental conflict, such as…(a) complicated divorce or separation; family violence, and this leads to impaired, disruptive cognitive development following exposure to this.

 

So, throughout today's session, we will discuss why supporting a young people through a trauma-formed approach is beneficial to all young people, including those who've experienced any type of trauma. And we actually don't need to know about a student's experience for them to benefit them from this practice.

 

So, here on the screen, we have data from the Australia Child Maltreatment Study, who surveyed roughly, randomly, over 8,000 participants above the age of 16. So, this was collected retrospectively, meaning they were… they are… were asked young people or adults about their childhood or any past trauma. So, as we can see here, it shows something really important.

 

And that child maltreatment is common across all age groups. We know that these kinds of experiences can really affect a young person and how they show up in the classroom, socially, emotionally, and academically. And because their brains are still developing, especially the prefrontal cortex, which isn't fully formed until around the age of 25 years old.

 

So, it can be harder, even harder for them to make sense of what's going on, what they've been through, and, you know, to manage their own emotions.

 

So, while we might not know each student's story, the data makes this very clear that many young people are carrying trauma and adversity with them, and that's why trauma-informed practice matters. It helps us create safer, more supportive environments for students.

 

And what's going to really help here is to have a shared understanding of how mental health works. Here we have the Be You Mental Health Continuum, which it’s this spectrum, that shows that mental health isn't fixed, nor is it static. It sits along a spectrum from flourishing through to doing okay, then to struggling, and then to severely impacted.

 

And what's important is that we recognise that we move up and down this Continuum over time, depending on what's happening in our lives.

 

For some students, especially those who have experience or are experiencing trauma.

 

They may spend more time in the struggling or the severely impacted zones, but with the right support and environment, movement back towards flourishing, and their wellbeing is always possible.

 

In a trauma-informed classroom, our goal isn't to diagnose or fix, it's to recognise where a student might be sitting on this continuum at any point, and to respond with empathy and predictability and consistency, and create conditions that promote safety and connection, and that we can move towards the flourishing end.

 

With this Continuum, I think it's important as educators, we recognise that we move along this continuum as well, and looking after our own wellbeing is part of how we sustain a trauma-informed approach, and this is something I will touch on later, is educator wellbeing.

 

So, what's helpful when we're adopting this trauma-informed approach is the awareness of how trauma impacts a young person, and how this shows up in their engagement.

 

And in the classroom. First of all, trauma can really impact their sense of confidence. As we touched just upon earlier, trauma can affect the way the brain works, so things like process and information.

 

Memory, concentration, and emotional regulation. The brain doesn't develop, like I said, until the age of 25.

 

So, trauma can particularly disrupt and impair their prefrontal cortex. And this part of the brain is responsible for impulse control, so thinking before acting, logical thinking, reason… reasoning, and decision making.

 

So, you might see this play out in the classroom. A student might find it hard to retain information or fellow instructions. You might see students act without thinking, you might see that a lot, in fact.

 

And you actually might see them struggle to engage in that higher order thinking. And you might notice that they seem constantly on alert. Almost like they're scanning for danger, and that small things can often trigger really strong emotional reactions.

 

So, understanding this and being aware of this helps us respond with empathy rather than frustration, and to see this behaviour as communication, not defiance. So, young people with trauma often see emotions as threats.

 

So, their emotional literacy will be impaired, and they will not often share how they are feeling, they will rather show it.

 

So, we're trying to shift this narrative from what's wrong with this child to actually what's happened to this child.

 

To help illustrate this, what's happening in the brain at the time, and to help expand our understanding. Here we have the Window of Tolerance, which some of you may recognise, or I've been introduced to before, but this is a helpful frame to look at, and it's by Dr. Dan Siegel, who is a psychologist and educator in child and adolescent development.

 

The Window of Tolerance describes the zone where we are at most engaged, where we can function the most and learn most effectively. And it's the optimal arousal zone, so this blue box here, the regulated. And this is where we can clearly… think clearly, we can manage our emotions, and we can stay engaged with our environment.

 

So, when we are within this window, we generally feel calm, we feel safe, and we feel connected. So, think of it as our brains are online, and learning is possible.

 

So, when someone experiences stress or trauma, their nervous system can shift outside the window into these two survival states.

 

So here at the top, we've got the hyperarousal state, and you probably know this, more commonly as the fight or flight. And this is feelings of anxiousness, restlessness, feeling angry, or overwhelmed, or hypervigilant.

 

This is when we get those physiological feelings of increased heart rate, increased blood pressure, maybe we start to sweat, our digestive system speeds up, so we start to feel sick.

 

And the behaviour we might associate this with is arguing, fleeing the room, difficulty focusing, and impulsive reactions.

 

Then, down below, we've got the hypoarousal, and that's that freeze, or freeze or shut down. And that's where we can feel numb, withdrawn, disconnected, exhausted. And alongside this behaviour, we might see lack of engagement, lack of interest, slow responses, blank stares. And it's really important to see these behaviours as protective responses, especially in children who have experienced trauma, and it's not deliberate misbehaviour. The body is doing what it needs to do in order to feel safe.

 

So, I was just about to say, have a reflection when you've seen these types of behaviours in the classroom. I'm sure you wouldn't have to think too far back to a time where, you would have seen these behaviours but instead, I would like to encourage you to actually have a think about your own, and when you have, experienced being in that hyperarousal and hypoarousal.

 

Okay, just 2 seconds, because I've just lost my…Jess, can you still see the screen?

 

Jess Moss

Yes.

 

Lauren Pellow

Okay, brilliant. Okay, so what happens here is, what, what happens here is when we stay, is when someone who maybe hasn't experienced trauma, and they experience a stressor, then, if they do experience a stressor, they normally can stay within their regulated window here, the window of tolerance, and sometimes it may push to the edge.

 

So, right now, I thought I'd just lost the PowerPoint, so right now, I nearly just went into my hyperarousal. But because I'm an adult, I've got a fully functioning… I've got a fully developed brain, I can use some coping strategies, I can stay within my window of tolerance here.

 

However. when someone has experienced trauma or adversity, this narrows their window of tolerance, meaning that they are more vulnerable jumping into their hyperarousal or to their hypoarousal.

 

So, you might notice that a young person might be easily triggered by a small thing, and this could be a loud noise, this could be a disagreement with a peer, this could… if they receive some critical feedback, and that's because their window of tolerance is more narrow.

 

And what we want to do here is the first step, is actually support the students, support the child in coming back down into their regulated state, so coming back down to their window of tolerance.

 

And…after that, after you've brought them out of that fight-or-flight state, so they've returned to that baseline where, you know, they have a normal heart rate they're not experiencing those horrible physiological symptoms that you get with your fight or flight. That's when, after, you can have restorative conversations with them.

 

And also, with trauma-informed practice, you're not just encouraging students to go back to their Window of Tolerance. You can actually help them widen that window and teach them skills, so they are able to cope and become more resilient.

 

I'm not going to list…all of this  because, you would probably see these behaviours, all the emotions, and these, kind of, are things that happen. Play out in the classroom day to day.

 

But this is how it looks at, like, at school, and as educators, you're in a really niche position where you do see students quite regularly, so you are able to notice and see these behaviours, their emotions, their thoughts. So, a student might externalise or internalise how they're feeling, and it can play out in their ability to learn; how they engage with their peers, so their social relationships, and also their behaviours.

 

And it's not like… it's not like that they don't want to be regulated, or they don't want to do this, it's the fact that they can't. It's because they're not engaging with their prefrontal cortex, their brains have switched offline, and they're in that hyperarousal, or the hypoarousal.

 

And that's how it might play out in school. So, to have awareness of this can really help you as educators. So again, shifting that narrative to why are they doing this, you know, these things on the screen, to actually, what's happened, what's made this child

 

Act like this, or say this, or do this.

 

Supporting First Nations young people, so to engage with Aboriginal elders, with local knowledge and insight that can really help guide you to what's best practice, and to give you information about their community.

 

And to consider the… actually the historical trauma with First Nations young people, again, the stolen generation, and the intergenerational trauma, that's still going on, and the disadvantage… disadvantages that the communities still experience today, and to be aware of that.

 

And to take a ‘yarning’ approach, so leave space in school to actually understand and why, and have those conversations, and to be curious, and to ask those questions, because connection and trust has to take place before any learning and any change. And just to acknowledge, each culture and, the healing that has to come after it.

 

Take that curious approach, and to really consider, the niche and specific impacts that they (the students) have dealt with.

 

So now we're going to look at the framework for supporting young people with a trauma-informed practice.

 

And this is the framework to support young people to thrive. So here we've got, daily approaches, which is what Jess will be guiding you through. We've got then monitoring progress, activate and support, and then the last one is educator wellbeing. So, these are the four key components to this framework of, Trauma-informed approach.

 

Jess Moss

Thanks so much, Lauren. Like you mentioned, we really don't know the experiences that students are bringing to the classroom each day. But we do know by the numbers that you shared here, that there are a lot of young people that bring trauma and adversity, and unfortunately, it's not getting any better, which makes it more important for a school community to encourage capacity to respond and recover from a trauma-informed approach.

 

A calm classroom really is the ideal environment for all students. And, you know, Lauren mentioned the importance of safety and trust and connection for students who've experienced trauma.

 

And how this is going to help reduce symptoms of anxiety and stress. And all students really need this to thrive, you know, regardless of the causes. So, with this in mind, the first part of our four-part framework is around exploring some daily approaches from a trauma-informed lens that educators can adopt.

 

So, the three key components that you may need to consider, in your daily practice with your students, particularly when they've been impacted by trauma, are your relationships, regulation, and routine.

 

And so, although these are often presented in a linear way, these principles are deeply interconnected, and they really do shape our daily approaches to teaching and learning.

 

So, while there may be many trauma-informed models, they all share common foundations, and these three principles, they stand out as essential tools that educators can use to support both young people in the classroom and across the school, community.

 

So, our relationships are one of the most influential factors in the way a young person experiences safety, stability, and security. But it also helps to establish their sense of self and belonging.

 

And this then enables us to support the unique and individual ways our students might regulate, even in the most challenging of moments. So…we're going to look at self-regulation, or being attuned to your own needs, as a core part of keeping calm classrooms. But underpinning both our relationships and regulation strategies is actually a consistent and predictable learning environment.

 

So, our routines are going to impact the way our relationships are formed and maintained and also support students to remain regulated as far as possible. So, like I mentioned earlier, you know, I've just left the classroom after 12 years, and these three approaches were integral for me.

 

Not only to support students who may have experienced varying degrees of trauma. But also, to create that optimal learning environment for all students, and I know that these approaches are reflected in your classrooms, and I really hope that some of the ideas and strategies that I'm going to talk through today can really complement what you're already doing.

 

So, one of the most influential protective factors in a child's life is having a safe, caring, and supportive relationship with someone that they trust. And I know for me, relationships always came first. So, nurturing strong relationships and creating a sense of belonging and safety at school is imperative.

 

And this takes on a special importance when we consider the needs of students that have been affected by trauma.

 

But strong relationships are Built with intention and effort, and they should be something that we do daily. So, while educators have that instinctive desire to connect and support their students, it's important, particularly when a student has experienced trauma to validate and normalise these experiences.

 

And when an educator is able to notice and interpret and respond to a student's emotional state with empathy and care, it can help to create a safe space where they feel heard and understood.

 

And being able to facilitate conversations about social and emotional challenge with our students is also important in our relationships with them.

 

So, our students need spaces where they can air their worries, but also spaces that give them opportunities to model conversations and challenge that unhelpful thinking. And you're likely already doing this, honestly, every single moment of every single day.

 

But thinking about how we can help our students reframe and then work through emotionally or socially challenging situations is inherently going to develop our relationships with them as well as them developing their relationships with their peers. And while there is always work to be done in terms of building these relationships in our classrooms, relationships extend across our entire school community, so modelling that acceptance of all young people and recognizing that each day really is a fresh start.

 

And trying to separate the behaviour from the student is integral. And when students know what is expected of them, those expectations are consistent, and we're setting the students up for success.

 

So, when we prioritise relationships through those consistent expectations, those attuned interactions, and really a genuine recognition of each student's strengths, we're going to create a school culture where every young person is going to feel safe and valued.

 

And these moments of connection, whether it's a warm greeting, or a shared celebration, or even a restorative conversation, they're not small, they really are foundational in creating a sense of connection and belonging.

 

So, in our classroom, relationships are foundation, as I've mentioned. So, every interaction is an opportunity to show students that they're seen and valued and supported. Not just academically, but emotionally and socially as well. So, this becomes especially important when you're working with young people who've experienced trauma.

 

And here you can see some things you might want to consider in terms of a safe and supportive relationship, and what that might look like and feel like, or sound like for you.

 

So…when an educator, for example, is attending to the emotional cues of young people, by that, I am referring to being able to notice when a student is feeling overwhelmed, or anxious, or angry, or moving into that hyperarousal state.

 

Like Lauren mentioned, an attuned teacher is going to help them understand that these feelings are valid and common, especially in the context of trauma.

 

Or, on the other hand, if a student is suddenly withdrawing and moves into that hypoarousal state, an attuned teacher might say, you know, I've noticed you're quieter than usual today, is everything okay?

 

And it's extremely beneficial to build in opportunities to actively observe those subtle shifts in a student's behaviour and tone and body language, or even their engagement to their learning, and then be able to address them or note them in the moment.

 

I can remember, in my classroom, I remember using a daily soft check-in, so where at the beginning of each day, I would have the students rating their day using a 1 to 5 scale, and they'd show me with their fingers, and then I knew straight away the baseline I was working with, and who needed to be monitored, and how I could adjust my teaching to accommodate this.

 

So, using… prompting questions is also a really effective strategy, in the moment, so…asking the students, you know, what is the most likely outcome? Or maybe what happened last time when you were in a similar situation, and then directing them to strategies to use by asking:

 

What's one thing we can do right now to help to control the situation? So, it might be a breathing technique, or a mindful activity.

 

I often used to write examples of these kinds of questions down in my planner, or on my phone, so I could refer to them in the moment, when I was having those one-on-one chats and those restorative conversations.

 

Now, relationships and regulation are interlinked, and you're going to be doing both simultaneously at times, and regulating your own emotions is going to assist the young person to regulate theirs. And this is all underpinned by a safe and supportive relationship that is going to be strengthened every time this occurs, so…

 

If we think back to earlier in the presentation, when Lauren explained the Window of Tolerance, and the aim of emotional regulation strategies is to actually bring that young person back into their Window of Tolerance, so that they then feel safe and they can return to their optimal space for learning.

 

This means that we are actively promoting and modelling self-regulation. And in doing so, lending our own nervous system to our students, (and) that's going to support that co-regulation.

 

So, our own regulation means that we as educators are able to provide consistent and attuned relational responses, and this will build self-regulation over time.

 

I think it's really important to note that; self-regulation is a skill, you know, that strengthens with its use, and the more frequently young people have the opportunity to draw on this; the more they're going to develop this tool and use it when they need to solve problems.

 

And empowering students with those problem-solving skills is also a vital strategy for helping them manage those uncomfortable emotions and also building resilience.

 

It's not just about teaching cognitive strategies, it's about restoring that sense of agency and safety for students who might feel overwhelmed by uncertainty or emotional distress, you know?

 

We really want the classroom environment to support safety, and setting up a dedicated wellbeing space can really, really help with this.

 

A wellbeing space is probably best framed as a reflective and quiet space, where a child or young person can go to when they might be feeling particularly anxious or experiencing any other overwhelming feelings.

 

It's important to remember that developing regulation skills isn't about fixing or solving a young person's crisis. So, when a young person is experiencing anxiety or fear.

 

Our goal is not to remove the discomfort from them, but to gently support them in developing the confidence and capacity to face it.

 

So, building self-regulation skills, particularly early in life, is going to lay that foundation for a young person's positive social and emotional development.

 

And it's going to play a key role in those social and developmental milestones that come along with age, such as making friends, or building social skills, or… making good decisions, and even managing stress.

 

And as educators, we also have the opportunity to think about ways that we can model calmness ourselves, so as we enter the room, as we speak and instruct the young people in our classes.

 

We can use this opportunity to model, you know, deep breathing techniques, and even inviting students to do this with you in the moment.

 

It's important to reflect on, you know, your own body language as well, like: are you talking down at the student's level, or maybe sitting side by side with them rather than facing them?

 

Whether or not it's a good idea to give direct eye contact, or maybe not. We can also consider the tone of our voice, and whether it might help to speak softly, or even sometimes in a more predictable rate or rhythm.

 

Are there opportunities for physical movement, or areas for physical movement, or mindfulness, or breathing? And are there dedicated self-regulation zones that are safe and warm and welcoming?

 

You are all experts in your own classroom, and I would really encourage you to reflect on what you're already doing and then be just really intentional and deliberate with it when situations arise.

 

So, the third part of our daily approaches is establishing routine and creating an environment that's set up for success. So, predictable and regular routines are essential for strengthening relationships and supporting emotional regulation.

 

And then this relationship is reciprocal, so our strong connections and regulated emotions are going to help reinforce routines. So, educators naturally excel at building positive, predictable environments, and these everyday practices play a critical role.

 

In fostering a safe… a sense of safety for all students, especially for those who've experienced trauma. And for these young people, unpredictability can trigger hyperarousal as a way of regaining control over their surroundings.

 

So, reiterating those classroom norms and clearly communicating expectations is going to reduce ambiguity and anxiety, and help students to feel secure and understand the boundaries in which they can thrive. And we also want to build students' insights and self-regulation skills, you know, to identify what is going on in the moment and empower them with those really healthy strategies for meeting their own needs.

 

But most crucially, establishing a consistent classroom routine is really a powerful way to reduce uncertainty for students. It helps them feel safe and ready to learn, so even when changes in the day arise, which of course they will.

 

In a Busy school environment, anchoring the day with those familiar rituals and re-enforcing the expectations consistently is going to help to create structure for all students.

 

So, some of the ways that we can embed routines and structure into the day might involve, you know, co-creating rules, which fosters ownership and builds trust. For example, holding class discussions, or using a voting system to decide on shared values that are going to underpin your classroom expectations.

 

Using visual aids, such as posters or anchor charts, can often make these… reinforce these rules and make them accessible to all learners. I would often have students in my class create the posters for the classroom. It gives them that sense of ownership.

 

We can also think about how we are giving instructions or feedback as well. So, using positive and affirming phrases that are going to reinforce expectations and values, and help students feel seen and also respected. So, for example, instead of saying, ‘please don't interrupt’, you might rephrase it, and you might say, ‘I really appreciate it when we take turns to speak’.

 

So, these statements are going to promote that respectful behaviour but also preserve dignity. And pairing this with a growth mindset language is going to encourage students to view challenges as opportunities for learning, rather than threats to their… to their self-worth.

 

And, you know, I've touched a little bit on emotional check-ins throughout the presentation, but I want to just reiterate there are many ways to do this.

 

I've seen some amazing examples in classrooms using visual aids, such as feeling thermometers and opportunities for students to reflect on how they might be feeling through writing prompts or drawing, having calm kits accessible in the classroom that might have, you know, breathing scaffolds or sensory objects in them, vocabulary walls, which can help students to identify and name their emotions when they arise.

 

You may have heard of the model name ‘Name It to Tame It’. Which is going to help students regulate their emotions, by encouraging them to identify and label what it is they're feeling.

 

And when the environment and the routine is set up to support this, it's built in that daily practice, it supports emotional literacy, and it gives students language to make sense of their internal experiences, and…

 

Of course, daily activities are going to vary, but maintaining a familiar structure, such as starting each morning by outlining the day's lessons which, of course, I'm sure that you all already do, is going to enable those young people to anticipate what's ahead, and there's so much value in that.

 

And it's always helpful, too, to support those, verbal routines with visual aids around the room. So, your timetables, assessment calendars. And that's going to help students really easily see and understand what's coming up.

 

Finally, I want to talk about supporting the mental health and wellbeing needs of diverse communities within your school setting. To do this really requires thoughtful, inclusive approaches, especially when working with young people from priority groups who've experienced trauma.

 

And again, you really are the experts in your own context, but here on the screen, you can see some overarching principles to, you know, guide our ways of interacting with our students.

 

You know, I like to think about practicing cultural humility, which I guess for me looks like recognising the cultural framework and the lenses that I bring to the work I do.

 

And then, you know, reflecting and perhaps even challenging, you know, some of my own perceptions so that I can best support the children that I'm working with.

 

Lauren Pellow

Thank you, Jess, for the strategies there. And we are going to move on now to the second part of the framework, which is monitoring progress.

 

Noticing the changes, having those conversations, and also knowing how to link in supports, both formal and informal.

 

So, like I said previously, educators, we're in a unique position to notice when a young person may be struggling, or, after an overwhelming or a traumatic event. Because you guys see the students regularly, you can often pick up on subtle changes in mood, behaviour, or engagement, before anyone else does.

 

Everyone reacts differently, so there's no one right response to trauma. And that most people, you know, most young people will cope and recover with the right support and those universal classroom strategies.

 

Some will experience that short-term distress but gradually settle over time with the right support. But some, for others, you know, those symptoms may persist, and they may even intensify, and they may need that additional support or referral.

 

And the key is here is to stay observant, compassionate, and also responsive, recognising that recovery looks different for every student.

 

So, we have our Be You BETLS Observation Tool that can help with understanding and monitoring responses in the classroom. So, it's not about treating or diagnosing. But early intervention, which educators are often best placed to provide.

 

This tool can help you notice and document what's really going on for a child or a young person by focusing on their Behaviour, Emotions, Thoughts, Learning, and Social relationships.

 

So, encourage us to observe what we see and hear, not just what we think or assume, and to consider the context, so where, when, how often this behaviour occurs, what might trigger them, and also what helps.

 

This kind of structured reflection supports our trauma-informed practice by helping us understand a student's experience more deeply without making assumptions by guiding thoughtful and supportive responses. This can help have a shared understanding and a shared language, so we encourage sharing this tool with even families. We know that some behaviours may be shown at home. They might be shown in school, so that provides that consistency.

 

But while we do encourage speaking to the parent and carer about your concerns. We just want to be mindful that sometimes the home environment might be impacting the young person, and that certain interactions may put the young person at a greater risk.

 

So maybe before that, if you have any concerns, is to talk to your young person, to gauge their reactions, gauge their response, and follow up with your school's processes, to discuss any concerns.

 

Now for the next part of the framework is activating supports.

 

We are going to consider a range of services. You're not expected to be a counsellor or a therapist, I just wanted to make that really, really clear. But you do need to know what to do when you see a student that needs more support than you can provide.

 

Also, it's very handy to familiarise yourself with your school's referral process or pathways. So, you know who to go to, what to do, what to fill out, and how to follow up.

 

It's also helpful to use the Be You Mental Health Continuum, I showed earlier as a tool to identify what kind of help the young person needs.

 

Tier 1…

So, this tier refers to a universal support and a universal approach, the whole school approach to wellbeing, sitting at that preventative and promotion level of mental health.

 

So, think about what you can do as a whole school, implementing universal strategies, encouraging social-emotional learning practices, that can be implemented to the environment and ethos of the school.

 

Tier 2…

Which is a step up, this is when you might think of changes to the environment, more specifically, internal support within the school, so liaising with staff, and also increasing awareness with families.

 

The next tier is Tier 3

This is when you see a young person that's severely impacted. They're not at that baseline behaviour anymore. So, as I said, you're in a good position because you see these students regularly, and you might understand what's considered the norm for one student. What's that baseline behaviour?

 

However, you might see those changes, and you might see those changes more frequently, and certain behaviours, that might be there for a prolonged amount of time, and that's when you might start to think, oh, they need external help, maybe from GP, a specialised service.

 

That’s when you start to think about ensuring immediate safety. If there's an imminent risk within school, (or) if you're seeing increased and risky behaviours, and also developing an education support plan (can be useful) that's consistently used within the school.

 

So, we've got these three tiers here, and I think a tiered support is really effective and crucial. I think it's really important, in fact, to recognise the importance of Tier 1 and Tier 2 support, because Tier 1 and Tier 2, first of all (as) it supports all students.

 

Tier 1 supports all of the students in the school. And then Tier 2 will support, the students who are facing the challenges. A child (or young person) who is struggling may not need to jump straight to Tier 3 support for that specialised support.

 

I can remember, actually, when I was delivering clinical interventions, when I was a mental health practitioner in schools, and I was, receiving a lot of referrals for students where dysregulation was a concern. And I would ask the staff, if they had tried any of the Tier 1 or Tier 2 (supports) and those universal strategies yet, changing those parts in the environment, and sometimes they hadn't tried at all.

 

I would always encourage the staff to start off with a tiered approach and, try those Tier 1 and Tier 2 suggestions first.

 

I just think a tiered approach ensures we're utilising resources wisely and appropriately. And again, I would heavily recommend reviewing any Tier 1 or Tier 2 strategies that could be used first. And sometimes that is all that is needed, and those adaptations that Jess has spoken about really does make the difference when it's continually and consistently used.

 

So, working in a trauma-informed environment can be incredibly rewarding, but as you all know, I'm sure, it can be emotionally demanding, and it's important to remember you don't have to carry all of this on your own. So, when we seek help from whether it's a colleague, a leader in our team, part of the wellbeing team, maybe, we're not just supporting ourselves, but you know, we're practicing what we preach. We're also modelling healthy, help-seeking behaviours for our students.

 

And many young people impacted by trauma struggle to ask for help, like we know. And when they see us doing it, it normalises it, and it teaches them it's okay to reach out.

 

And also, can I just mention, establishing and maintaining healthy boundaries is essential.

 

Not just for your wellbeing, but also for your effectiveness. You know, I say regulated teachers can help regulate students.

 

Boundaries help us stay grounded; they avoid burnout. It helps us remain present for our students, and it's okay to say, this is beyond my role. However, I know who can help. I don't think it's selfish at all. I think it's really, really important, and really, really responsible to do so.

 

So here we have our Be You Early Support domain, and I would just like to kind of signpost you to one of our key domains here. So, on the right, with our Early Support domain: Notice, Inquire, and Provide.

 

And we have our Professional Learning (domains) available on the Be You website to help educators build their competence and confidence when supporting young people who have experienced trauma or adversity.

 

Whether it's an online module, or a bite-sized piece of information, or some resources that can actually help extend today’s learnings or help you to implement the strategies that Jess has gone through actually into the classroom and put theory to practice. I would heavily recommend our Early Support here on the right in the yellow.

 

So lastly, we've got our fourth and final part of the framework.

 

Although we're talking about the framework to support young people to thrive, like I said, it can be very challenging to work with young people who have experienced trauma and adversity. It takes a lot of patience and emotional energy from educators. It's important that you are looking after yourself as well.

 

So here I have the Circle of Control, and maybe you've seen this before, maybe you haven't, but what I've done here is put it into the context of trauma-informed approach and looking at supporting students who've experienced trauma. And what you can control, rather than, focusing and putting your energy towards the things you can't control, which, sit in the circle of concern.

 

So, in a trauma-informed school, we often, (as) you know, we (educators) give so much of ourselves to support students, but we really need to sustain this work, and we need to protect our own wellbeing. I won't suffer you with the with the saying, ‘you need to put your own oxygen mask on first’, because I'm pretty sure, you have heard that a million times. However, the meaning behind the saying is really, really true, and it's really, really crucial.

 

The Circle of Control can remind us to focus on what we can do in this context and in these situations, and this could be setting boundaries, practicing self-care, the strategies you decide to implement into your classroom, while letting go what's beyond our control. And in this context, it's to preserve our own resilience and energy; and to look at what we can do, and what we can control and influence. And research does heavily suggest it's that when we focus… the people who focus on their circle of control, they're the most mentally healthy and resilient people.

 

So, I just…like you, just to have a good reflection on this, on maybe a certain situation: whether it's personal or professional, and just have a think about what were you thinking of in that moment?

 

Were you really focusing on the circle of concern and the circle of influence, or were you thinking of the things that you had control in?

 

As humans, it is really natural just to fall into focusing on the circle of concern. But what we really want to emphasise here is to focus on what you can control.

 

Again, like I said, naturally, you're always going to focus on the young people, and might think about yourselves last, and educator wellbeing. Does it (your wellbeing) get pushed back to, to the back of our minds.

 

I really want to bring this (your wellbeing) forward to the forefront of our minds right now, because looking after yourself puts you in a better position to support young people.

 

Educators who look after themselves and manage their own stress levels, like we just said, are better equipped be able to manage children's behaviours and difficulties.

 

And, Be You has a range of resources to support educator wellbeing, including this Educator Wellbeing: Beyond self-care guide and a Wellbeing Plan for educators. You can see on the screen here.

 

Which you can also find on our website. And this plan is designed to help you support your own mental health and wellbeing in the workplace. (To) map out and address the unique challenges you might experience as an educator or someone working within education.

 

And it helps you just consider and consolidate strategies and resources you can use to protect your own wellbeing, in the workplace and also outside, and also help manage those disruptions at work.

 

Jess Moss

Thanks, Lauren. I was listening to you talk there, and I just… I have to say, I really do love the Circles of Control, influence, and concern model. I just think it's such an effective tool to use to really reflect on what we actually do have control of as educators, and just being able to focus on that, you know, as the research states, ‘it's really going to allow us to ultimately have better mental health outcomes overall’.

 

So, as we come to the end of our presentation, I would really love for you to just take some time now just to reflect, you're welcome to take these questions back to your schools or your teams or just think now to yourself.

 

I want you to think about something that you are doing really well already, because I know there are so many wonderful things happening in classrooms, and I think it's really important to celebrate that.

 

I would also like you to think about a quick win that maybe you could implement, you know, tomorrow or sometime soon.

 

And then, a long-term goal that you can set when it comes to embedding trauma-informed practice into your school.

 

So, we do have a little bit of time for some questions. Our moderators have passed on a few questions that have come through. So, Lauren, if you don't mind, I might, throw to you first, because I feel like this would be a great one for you to answer.

 

We've been asked what would be the best way to get buy-in from staff who don't understand that students may not be able to control their own behaviour?

 

Lauren Pellow

That's a really good and really interesting question that's been asked, because often or not, that buy-in or that lack of buy-in can be the first hurdle into implementing a trauma-informed approach.

 

And what I find it helps, and this is why I shared it in the beginning, the understanding trauma and how it impacts the brain. I find sharing the neuroscience and the research behind it in the beginning at the webinar in a simple and relatable way. You know, like, comparing it to how we act as adults when we're overwhelmed or under stress.

 

Jess Moss

And to have some time.

 

Lauren Pellow

Spend time to reflect on… in this … that in a safe space, encouraging that shift, that narrative shift from what's wrong with the student, or why is this student behaving like this, to actually what's happened to the student.

 

And also, I think to practice what we preach, to take this trauma-informed model in meeting staff where they're at, so understanding where they come from.

 

Understand and being aware: okay, what's stopping this certain staff member from agreeing or taking on this approach?

Is it lack of information?

Is it lack of confidence?

Is it the stigma attached to it?

 

I had a very similar question about accountability, so I might add to this question’s answer where often there's a stigma attached to trauma-informed practice.

 

And it's about… people assume that we're removing boundaries, and it's really important to stress that it doesn't mean we drop our expectations or boundaries through this approach.

 

It's actually the opposite. Children and young people need boundaries and consistency to make them feel safe. It's about how we hold those boundaries.

 

Accountability and compassion can coexist.

 

Instead of punishing a child for their behaviour, it's using a restorative approach instead, and helping them see what's wrong with the behaviour without focusing on blame and shame.

 

It's about how can we repair, and how do we support these students to learn new responses?

 

So, shifting from that punitive approach to the restorative approach.

 

Structure and care can really help a student grow within those boundaries. And I think another real practical way is using real-life examples. Looking at a time where these strategies have been really useful and have had good, sustainable outcomes in your own school community.

 

When you have made a child (or young person) feel safe, when you've calmed their nervous system down or when you have this, I can be followed with that restorative conversation and reinforce those boundaries. I know it takes time.

 

And, you know, energy, but implementing debriefs and being… having a safe and open team discussion can really help this approach be taken on by the whole school and across all educators, so…sometimes it is just that information and education around what is a trauma-informed approach and what it isn't.

 

Actually, we've got a couple minutes left, Jess, so I will throw another question to you, because we have lots of really good ones in, and Jess, I would like to ask you, this is a really good one here:

 

What are three first steps, or just three simple actions that a school can do to be more effective, in trauma-informed practice.

 

Jess Moss

Okay, well, this is a great question. So, I think I want to start by answering that with… it's just important to remember that for a school to embed trauma-informed practice, it doesn't mean that everything needs to be overhauled at once. It’s going to start with a few intentional steps …. and it's going to take time.

 

So, first, I would think about ways that you can build a shared understanding. So, through that short and practical professional learning sessions for staff.

 

And that includes all staff, from teaching staff to admin staff. So that's going to create that common language, a shared understanding of how trauma really affects the brain and a child's behaviour, and then ultimately their learning.

 

And secondly, I mentioned earlier, and I can't stress enough, obviously, the importance of focusing on those, predictable routines and those predictable relationships, so…students are going to heal through those consistent and those calm interactions.

 

This might look like, greeting them at the gate by name each day, or using a really clear structure in your conversations, and…modelling -regulation skills. These small relational moments are going to have a huge impact in the long term.

 

And then, I think, lastly, I would suggest, reviewing policies and practices through a trauma-informed lens. Thinking about whether your behaviour responses prioritise safety and connection, and then shifting the narrative, from punishment to restoration.

 

And like I said, this is going to take time. It certainly won't happen overnight, but it will make a change to the school culture.

 

Thank you, Jess. That was really informative. I would just like to jump in and just say this (even) has been recorded, and this recording will be available early on next week.

 

Jess Moss

On behalf of Lauren and myself, and the wider Be You team, we really thank you so much for taking the time to join our event today, and we really hope that you have something to take back to your community.

 

If after reading this transcript and reviewing the resourced linked to this page and you have questions, or would like to connect with your school’s Be You Consultant please contact the Be You team: beyou@headspace.org.au.

 

For upcoming events visit: https://beyou.edu.au/events