Utilizing the resources within a talented community, including District 38 families and staff, more than 20 Lewis-Palmer School District 38 team members received in-depth training in a home-grown course on Trauma-Informed Education.
The course was spearheaded by parents John and Cindy Sharp, alongside teacher Nicole Dell, each who brings a unique perspective to the field of education. Each shares a passion for supporting students with individualized needs, including those who have experienced trauma.
According to Cindy Sharp, as much as 70% of the student population across the U.S. has experienced an adverse childhood experience, leading to developmental trauma.
“Trauma-informed education is the process of creating a new mindset, a cultural change that lets educators see these students through a developmentally-relevant and biologically-sensitive lens that not only helps the student population that has been impacted by trauma but increases the resilience and engagement of all staff and students. Complex trauma and toxic stress affect the way the brain develops and functions,” Sharp said, noting this new mindset leads to an understanding that generates a safe and effective educational environment.
The Sharp family developed expertise in the realm after forming their family through adoption and realizing certain aspects of traditional education did not meet the needs of their students. The journey of understanding their student’s needs better led Cindy to earn her Master of Educational Psychology with an emphasis in Developmental Trauma, alongside John, who has sought out training and certificates to bolster his law degree.
“A few principle concepts included the importance of connectedness and attunement, recognizing and identifying student strengths as well as areas of need, and elements that contribute to supportive, resilience-building learning environments,” said Dell, who co-facilitated the training.
Class participants included teachers, social workers, school nurses and other school and support staff who can utilize the skill in their daily work. According to the three facilitators, staff conducted a book study, worked in groups and drew upon one another’s strengths to forge new skills.
“Attendees were deeply grateful to have learned what they did, advocating that the training be offered to more populations,” Dell said.
Ultimately, the three facilitators shared that they hope all participants came away with new methods of understanding all students, especially those who may have different understandings of safe situations driven by their lived experiences.
“Students who are surrounded by trauma-informed, trauma-responsive teachers will have better self-regulation, which will in-turn facilitate better attendance, participation and learning because they feel safe and welcome in the classroom and at school in general,” Cindy Sharp said.
Sharp added through this training, students will have a higher likelihood of being correctly identified as being impacted by trauma, instead of being misdiagnosed.
“The benefits to District 38 are enormous,” Sharp said. “Less special education resources will be misdirected from students that are really suffering the impacts of trauma, better integration of more students into the general education environment, less time lost on behavioral and disciplinary issues, better social and academic outcomes, better teacher and staff retention because everyone feels supported and heard – the list of benefits is endless.”
The facilitators say this first class is just the beginning, and plans are in the works to replicate training every semester.
Executive Director of Student Services Rick Frampton thanked the Sharp family for their time, expertise, and donating many of the course materials and supplies.