Connections Conference 2017

Although many children experience a traumatic event, not all children are traumatized. However, for some children, the constant exposure to violence and trauma, can become locked into a permanent state of Fight/Flight and can cause reactions to normal experiences as if they were life and death threats, subsequently negatively impacting school performance. (Mendelson, Tandon, O'Brennan, Leaf, & Ialongo, 2015; West et al., 2014). During the semester, there will be traumatic situations that occur in and out of the classroom which has the potential to alter the learning environment, interrupt the learning process, or may lead to retaliatory violence in some cases. This session will highlight the challenges faculty face with students who present with residual trauma. Faculty will become familiar with strategies that can support students with these issues. Also, the workshop will highlight strategies that can support the development of a safe and nurturing learning environment for both the instructor and student.