This narrative inquiry study collected stories from parents and teachers to build a deep understanding of the lived experiences of raising or teaching children affected by traumatic grief. Research shows that children who experience adversity or loss as trauma, including childhood traumatic grief, may experience long- term disruptions to executive functions and present learning, behavioural and social challenges within school settings. Current research indicates that the adoption of trauma-informed care practices within schools can successfully support students who have experienced trauma and/or childhood traumatic grief. In particular, the development of strong family-school collaboration, understood recently as a form of working alliance, is key in effectively supporting students experiencing mental health issues, including childhood traumatic grief. Using a narrative inquiry approach, this study shares the stories of three women, a mother, a teacher by profession, and a mother who is a teacher by profession, to develop deep understanding of what is being experienced in supporting children affected by childhood traumatic stress and grief. The findings from this study affirmed the need for increased understanding and awareness of the ways that trauma can impact the education of children affected by trauma. The findings also confirmed that insecure attachments can be mitigated with consistent and attuned care. To do this effectively as educators, there is need for increased resources and supports within the schools. This study confirmed the need for increased collaboration to develop strong relationships between students, parents and teachers. The need for collaboration is essential for the successful support of students struggling with the affects of trauma and these findings affirm current conversations on the importance of trauma-informed approaches, relational schools and working alliances.

This qualitative action research concentrates on examining the best practices for teachers in trauma-informed practices by producing an implementation guide to train the trainer. The theoretical framework utilized to help inform the development of this research was Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory (1989) in relation to human development for identifying the emerging best practices with being trauma informed. The scope of this research focuses on low-socioeconomic status (SES) urban youth, so cultural sensitivity is naturally always a component of a complete train-the-trainer, trauma-informed teaching program. I identified the emerging best practices in two ways: (a) by gathering and summarizing supporting sources of literature and (b) by holding collaborative conversations with acknowledged experts in culturally competent trauma-informed training. The findings revealed six components essential to prepare the trainer on trauma-informed education training. First, culturally responsive pedagogy and culturally responsive teaching were identified to aid in bridging the gap in providing support. Social capital based upon lived experiences of students was recognized by acknowledging their needs through appropriate modeling of positive attitudes and behavior while increasing confidence in student learning using inclusive resources demonstrated throughout academic content. Next, the key principles of brain science were acknowledged showing a relationship between impact of trauma and learning affects such as: processing, decoding, self-regulation, and impulse control. Then, mental health was addressed to show there is an impact of negative interactions and disciplinary actions, according to Bronfenbrenner’s (1979) ecological systems theory. Attitude and language were acknowledged as both verbal and non-verbal and having an impact on instructional behavior, which influences student climate in learning and behavior. Lastly, the equity and accountability components were identified to require teachers to move away from implicit bias issues by creating more cultural-normative behavior through designing more restorative practices while building partnerships with students and families alike. The result of this action research provided a set of emerging best practices embedded in the implementation guide to support the trainer in training educators on how to teach trauma-impacted youth in California’s culturally diverse public-school classrooms.

This study utilized a correlational research design to investigate the relationships that may exist between teacher empathy, attitudes, and levels of self-efficacy. In particular, the study was designed to (a) determine whether attitudes towards trauma-informed care mediated the relationship between teacher empathy and teacher self-efficacy related to classroom management and (b) uncover what teachers find most challenging in their efforts to support students experiencing trauma. An online survey, completed by 146 American teachers, included items from three established measures: the Empathy Scale for Teachers (Wang et al., 2022); the Underlying Causes of Problem Behaviors and Symptoms subscale of the Attitudes Related to Trauma- Informed Care (ARTIC-35) (Baker et al., 2016); and the Classroom Management subscale of the Teacher Sense of Self-Efficacy scale (Tschannen-Moran & Woolfolk Hoy, 2001). Multiple regression was used to analyze the quantitative data and thematic analysis was used to uncover themes from responses to an open-ended item on the survey. The following six themes emerged from the thematic analysis of descriptions provided by teachers of the biggest challenge they face in their efforts to support students experiencing trauma: The most common response involved difficulty recognizing and responding to trauma. This study found higher levels of teacher empathy to be associated with more positiveteacher attitude towards trauma informed care, as measured by the underlying causes of problem behaviors and symptoms subscale of the ARTIC-35. Additionally, these positive attitudes (consistent with trauma-informed care) were associated with more efficacious feelings in teachers regarding their classroom management. The results indicate that attitude towards trauma-informed care serves as an indirect-only mediator to explain the impact of empathy on level of teacher self-efficacy related to classroom management. Although caution is urged when drawing causal conclusions from correlational studies, the results highlight the potential importance of cultivating teacher empathy so trauma-informed practices can flourish in creating positive, safe classroom environments that increase learning opportunities for all students while possibly reducing departures from the teaching profession.

This study examined school staff’s trauma-informed practices and experiences in an urban alternative high school that serves former high school dropouts, many of whom have experienced trauma. In light of the growing concern about trauma among students and the interest in trauma-informed education, this study offers a significant contribution by analyzing educators’ meaning-making, highlighting both what their practices look like “on the ground,” and identifying the consequences. Framed by Contemporary Trauma Theory as well as the concept of educational trauma (Sullivan, 2004), this study used ethnographic methods to examine the practices school staff used to create a schooling environment that was responsive to the needs of students with trauma histories. Observations and interviews were conducted with a total of 8 staff and 27 students over the course of one school year. The findings indicate that staff members’ trauma-informed practices centered on building relationships and using those relationships as a knowledge base in order to decipher and respond to negative student behavior. Together, these practices overlap with defining features of trauma-informed schools outlined in the literature. Staff practices had both positive and negative impacts on the school community. / Urban Education

This cross-disciplinary essay explores the use of John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars (2012) and its pedagogical implications for learners in middle school. It demonstrates that the novel expresses preparatory grief by implementing internal focalisation through the main character Hazel Grace. The essay also argues that the pedagogical implications related to the novel can yield fruitful results in the EFL classroom. The analysis is conducted by, firstly, exploring the novel’s depiction of preparatory grief and, secondly, examining the pedagogical implications from a trauma-informed teaching perspective. The main findings are that preparatory grief is present throughout the novel and that a trauma-informed teaching approach is apt for the inclusion of the novel in the EFL classroom, which ultimately can improve learners’ awareness of a young adult’s perspective on the process of dying.

In this dissertation, I sought to understand foster parents’ perceptions of giftedness, how foster children’s strengths, gifts, and talents affect their experiences and those of their foster parents, and what resources and information foster parents have for supporting their foster children’s education and gifts. To understand these beliefs, I analyzed quantitative and qualitative survey data from 53 foster parents throughout the United States and analyzed interviews from 14 of those foster parents. Most foster parents surveyed perceived their foster children as a little or very different academically and in other ways than their peers not in foster care, and perceived they had different educational experiences than their peers, largely attributed to their lived experiences prior to entering and during foster care. Most participants felt their foster children’s abilities, strengths, and talents affected foster parents a little or very much. Interviewed and surveyed foster parents defined giftedness as including the following attributes: academic achievement, natural ability or innate talent, intelligence, domain-specific capabilities, performance or skills above average for their age or above their peers, unique approaches to learning, and motivation for learning. Interviewees also addressed non-academic forms of giftedness, socioemotional characteristics of children with gifts and talents, and noted that these students may have some difficulties in school. Foster parents explained the adaptations they have made to their parenting because of their foster children’s strengths, talents, and abilities, and highlighted the unique life experiences of foster children, which were not only hinderances but also could help them succeed academically and in life. Participants also expressed why they think foster children are not identified for gifted education programming. Foster parents had many needs related to their foster children’s education and strengths, talents, and abilities. They made recommendations to those who train new foster parents and provide ongoing training to current foster parents; to schools and teachers of foster children; and to new foster parents about how to best meet the needs of foster children and encourage their gifts and talents.