Resources for Trauma-Informed Teaching Strategies


  • Matthea Marquart, MSSW, Janice Carello, PhD, LMSW, and Johanna Creswell Báez, PhD, LCSW, “Trauma-Informed Online Teaching: Essential for the Coming Academic Year”  The New Social Worker, published online, July 3, 2020. This article discusses the benefits of trauma-informed teaching and learning (TITL), an approach of adopting trauma-informed principles to inform educational practice, policies and procedures.
  • Esteve Corbera, Isabelle Anguelovski, Jordi Honey-Rosés & Isabel Ruiz-Mallén (2020) “Academia in the Time of COVID-19: Towards an Ethics of Care,”Planning Theory & Practice, published online, May 18 2020. This article discusses the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on the future of academia’s and argues that academia must strive to create a culture of care, help members refocus on essential responsibilities, and redefine excellence in teaching and research.
  • Karen Costa, “Trauma-Aware Online Teaching,” Online Presentation, April 28, 2020, and “Trauma-Aware Online Teaching Collaborative Doc,” Open Source Resource Document, April 28, 2020. The first link is a presentation on trauma and trauma-aware teaching methods that provides educators with tools needed to implement these strategies in online classrooms. The second link is a crowdsourced text where people can pose questions and offer advice and resources pertinent to the presentation.

  • Brandon Bayne (UNC Chapel Hill), “Adjusted Syllabus.” Bayne provides a syllabus addendum to support students during the pandemic. 
  • The School of Social Work at the University of Buffalo, “Trauma-Informed Teaching Resources Page”. This site provides several resources on rationales for integrating a trauma-informed framework into educational practice and classroom resources. Topics include: Trauma, stress, and self-care; classroom handouts, principle and practices charts; trauma-informed presentations; and references.
  • Jessica Minahan, “Trauma-Informed Teaching Strategies,” Educational Leadership, October 2019, Vol, 77, Number 2, pp. 30-35. Minahan posits that making small changes in classroom interactions can make a big difference for traumatized students. The author provides strategies for putting students' reactions into context, employing thoughtful interactions, building relationships in times of crisis, promoting predictability and consistency, shifting perspectives, giving supportive feedback, recognizing areas of strength, and implementing inclusionary practices. The article also presents several questions and thinking exercises to assist educators with their goals. For quick reference, we have added them below.


    • "Students can't learn if they don't feel safe." What small changes are you willing to try in your classroom to foster a sense of safety among traumatized students?
    • Think about one of your students who struggles with [their emotions]. How could you help [them] "switch the channel" when [they are] upset?
    • Do you routinely share—and exchange ideas about—what's working with traumatized students? How could you better improve lines of communication across the whole support team?
  • Shed Siliman and Katherine Kearns, Brave Consultations: Creating Hopeful Spaces for Grads in Distress,Online PowerPoint Presentation, Winter 2020. Siliman, a trauma-informed teaching expert and crisis counselor, and Kearns, an Assistant Vice Provost for Student Development at Indiana University-Bloomington, encourage instructors to reflect on their own emotions and reactions in this moment and take that into account as they move into a new kind of classroom. Now more than ever, the presentations stress, trauma-informed teaching offers students the space to express what they feel. Trauma-informed strategies give educators the tools to listen reflectively by giving their students options and agency in this time of need. 
  • Brené Brown, Daring Classrooms, and this video. The following is a summary from these sites. The following is a summary from these sites. Brown’s Daring Classroom explores how scarcity affects the way we lead and teach. Brown posits the following question: What would it mean for our schools and classrooms if we showed up for tough, honest conversations about what it takes to bring our best, most authentic selves to work? The first link offers a handbook and additional resources while the second link provides a short video. Both links provide educators with strategies for engaging with vulnerability and learning how to recognize and combat shame. She argues that conversations may sound risky and vulnerable, but risk and vulnerability are essential to courageous educational spaces.
  • Shannon Davidson, Trauma-Informed Practices for Postsecondary Education: A Guide. Although this resource was written before higher education institutions moved to online platforms, there are several strategies that can be adapted to Canvas—see section on “Trauma-informed practices for postsecondary education: Classroom-level strategies” on page 17. The author gently reminds educators that there are four principles for working with trauma-affected individuals. For the sake of brevity, we have included them in this passage. “First, normalize and validate students’ feelings and experiences. Second, assist them in understanding the past and its emotional impact. Third, empower them to better manage their current lives. Fourth, help them understand current challenges,” (see page 16). The author also includes de-escalation techniques.