My project is anchored in research that says that 2/3 of our population will experience at least one adverse childhood trauma in their lifetime. Trauma is defined as abuse, neglect, divorce and tumultuous family dynamics including drug abuse, domestic violence, and criminal behavior. Childhood trauma decreases the students' ability to be successful in the classroom. In one study, as the number of childhood traumas increased, so too did the number of school problems including academic failure, attendance problems, and school behavior problems. It isn't that these children are willfully acting out; research has proven that their brains rewire in order to protect themselves from the trauma. There is good news though, the same plasticity (ability to change) that the brain demonstrated to protect the child from the trauma can be utilized to equip students with new coping skills. To be clear, not every student in our community has experienced this kind of trauma, but others are impacted by mental health and chemical health issues. The goal is the same, however: to equip students with new skills that empower them. In order to accomplish this goal, I am creating a class for my students that focuses on building resilience skills such as effective communication, goal setting, and emotional regulation. You can help empower these students by purchasing the supplies that will help us build community and improve their resilience skills. I am requesting resources including the games Mindfulness Matters and Totem. Conversation starters centered around teambuilding, diversity, letting go of anger, and stress management will get them talking.
About my class
My project is anchored in research that says that 2/3 of our population will experience at least one adverse childhood trauma in their lifetime. Trauma is defined as abuse, neglect, divorce and tumultuous family dynamics including drug abuse, domestic violence, and criminal behavior. Childhood trauma decreases the students' ability to be successful in the classroom. In one study, as the number of childhood traumas increased, so too did the number of school problems including academic failure, attendance problems, and school behavior problems. It isn't that these children are willfully acting out; research has proven that their brains rewire in order to protect themselves from the trauma. There is good news though, the same plasticity (ability to change) that the brain demonstrated to protect the child from the trauma can be utilized to equip students with new coping skills. To be clear, not every student in our community has experienced this kind of trauma, but others are impacted by mental health and chemical health issues. The goal is the same, however: to equip students with new skills that empower them. In order to accomplish this goal, I am creating a class for my students that focuses on building resilience skills such as effective communication, goal setting, and emotional regulation. You can help empower these students by purchasing the supplies that will help us build community and improve their resilience skills. I am requesting resources including the games Mindfulness Matters and Totem. Conversation starters centered around teambuilding, diversity, letting go of anger, and stress management will get them talking.
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