Often, experiences of trauma challenge a person's ability to cope. Although many students on college campuses carry around trauma, the COVID-19 pandemic placed a magnifying glass on student mental health that made it clear universities cannot be passive when it comes to supporting students through their trauma. In this article, the authors argue…

Higher education institutions can often serve as sites of growth and possibility. At the same time, trauma in varying forms permeates higher education across institutional types. The authors define trauma as the short- and long-term direct and indirect response to deeply distressing events. Students, faculty, and staff all experience various…

The early years of a child's life are a crucial time for brain development and stress can play a critical role in compromising its development (Zadina, 2014; Zull, 2011). Fink (2019) explains physical and mental stress as being characterized by heightened excitability and arousal, perceived adverse situation, and lack of control. This normal,…

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic was alarming, and compounding this traumatic shift in the world's cultural awareness of safety was the social and political unrest that unfolded during this time, which students were acutely aware of through the news and social media. After experiencing that unprecedented trauma, rich novel studies in the English…

Today's classrooms call for a delicate balance of policy and practice. Early childhood educators are tasked with developing the social, emotional, and academic wellbeing of the children they serve, while also following school, district, and government expectations. Many teachers struggle to effectively teach academic content, given their students'…

If the recent turbulent times have shown educators anything, it is that we need to be prepared to address our own and our students' social and emotional needs. However, moments of tension are not the time to start. Rather, students need to be prepared to engage in meaningful ways with skills and competencies. To achieve this state of readiness,…

In the aftermath of the acute phases of COVID-19, some schools are adopting trauma-informed, high-leverage practices to help educators and students cope with the psychological impact of the pandemic on learning. Given the scope of the pandemic's devastation, scattershot approaches are not enough. A systemic approach is needed to ensure that all…

This article provides teacher educators practical strategies and guidelines to help utilize trauma-informed practices in teaching to develop and foster self-regulation among preservice teachers impacted by trauma, and through this intentional and purposeful process prepare future teachers to be trauma-informed. Additionally, the importance of…

Teachers are essential partners in addressing the needs of English learners (ELs), yet most professional development fails to mention the specific needs of such students who have experienced trauma and exhibit signs of toxic and post-traumatic stress. Such students are not readily identified and even so, are often hesitant to seek the professional…