Addressing Trauma In School - Kristen McLeod

 Addressing Trauma In School - Kristen McLeod

“Understanding leads to efficacy, which leads to hope”

Trauma is everywhere
25% of kids entering JK have experienced trauma (that we know of)
68-70% by 17 years of age

Should we be addressing individual students or groups/classrooms?

- Trauma is #1 predictor of school attendance across numerous students
- In school-based studies, number one predictor of behavioural health problems in school-aged children and youth.
-A linear relationship between trauma exposure and the likelihood of:
...academic concerns, suspension, expulsion and dropping out
...lower achievement scores
...language programs and identification of learning problems
...referral to special education service

Trauma impacts learning directly - especially trauma that occurs in years 1- 3
- can impact low motivation related to external locus of control/powerlessness/anticipation of
failure/perceived low impact on the world.

Hand model dan siegel

Sensory systems impaired in students with trauma.

The limbic system is the emotional control centre
- hippocampus - emotional learning. emotional memory, manages what info gets sent from Amygdala
FIght, Flight, Freeze system.  All or none - take all energy from the rest of the brain.  If run, run for a long time before start thinking rationally again
Flight as a mean think first then runs.

Kids experience trauma when the teacher in the classroom can't handle a traumatic situation.

The developmental Trauma Disorder

Universal Needs
- treated with respect
- value and valued
- empowered
- safe in a relationship

Understanding Regulation
Regulation model/pyramid
Pro-social Regulation- rule follower
Social Regulation -  peer relationship
Cognitive Regulation - Processing Language
Emotional Regulation - Express, understand, show emotions
Arousal Regulation - Stress response system
SAFE RELATIONSHIPS

Diagnoses for kids with trauma is ADHD or Anxiety because their bottom 'sucks'  Arousal regulation

When the pyramid crumbles we either fight Flight or Freeze
Build the brain to build the pyramid.
Buil up the top to support the bottom...the bottom is impaired through trauma.

The window of tolerance. How we manage arousal regulation.
Optimal arousal is between high arousal and low arousal. (Trauma - narrows the window of tolerance)
TOO LITTLE AROUSAL: emotionless, numb, tuned out, withdrawn, disconnected, shut down. takes them out of their window of tolerance.  (Suspensions don't work)

How We Regulate
-auto-regulation  What we do unconsciously
-Co-regulation - helping others regulate
- Self-Regulation - flexible skills with a good foundation
- Post-traumatic ADAPTATIONS (not behaviours)

The Shame of Trauma
- some of our interventions, shame turns them off.
-part of trauma about psychology.
- I'm wrong, I'm useless.... it's my fault.
- Push away the people they need most, because they are afraid they are going to hurt them.
-Grow shame by going too quickly to the top of the pyramid.

Trauma is illogical and shame is a huge driver.

Youth at Risk: No Problems, Just Solutions

7 Lesson School Teacher - John Gato

1st day of school teachers are concerned about Control. Hat conversation
Its easier to build strong children than repair broken men.

What made a teacher stand out - made you feel engaged.

4 pillars of engagement:
Belonging -
Power -Setting goals
Freedom -input for rules/consequences
Fun - creative/relative

Transactional Analysis
P - Parent (critical or Caring)
A - Adult
C - Child (rebellious, needy)
Ego states - Any interaction with 2 people are in these states
Best interactions are A to A

Part of engaging a student is through adult to adult interactions.
Who are you?  Sometimes students come in already in a specific state (possibly looking to hook you)

Students at risk like an iceberg - behavior on the top but its due to everything underneath.
Spheres of influence

Stepstojustice.ca

Tapping in VLS for VSL Visual Literacy Solutions for Visual Student Learners

Experiential learning mindmap

Multiple intellegence is gone Gardner will now do.
5 Minds of the Future
Disciplinary mind - mastery of schools of thought (science, math, english,  1 professional craft)
Synthesizing mind - integrating ideas from different disciplines and communicating it
xxxxv-come up with something new
respectful mind - appreciation for differences between people
ethical mind - responsibility on 2 fronts - work front, citizenship front

Waterloo Region Integrated Drug Strategy

A community response to problematic substance use.

Actions for change through 4 pillars

1. Prevention
- a wide representation of stakeholders. resources include a website, mobile apps, literature and best practices for youth, parents, teachers. Naloxone kits (reverse effects of opioid overdose - only works for approx. 30min.)

Trying to determine how many overdoses occur in the community. Currently, no means to track this information.
4 key elements
Monitoring - anonymous reporting via www.omars.ca
Alerts - subscribe and receive Alerts issued by WRIDS regarding tainted substances
Responses - information on how and where to access naloxone

Education and Training - training on harm reduction and naloxone administrations

2. Harm Reduction
Co-leading with OMARS
Harm reduction programs (Naloxone distribution and overdose prevention via Sanguen)
Sharp disposal sites
Overdose prevention working group

3. Rehabilitation and recovery
- Rapid Access Addiction Medicine (RAAM) quick access to an addiction physical and counsellor. Establishes a care pathway between the emergency room, addiction medicine clinic, withdrawal management services and family doctors. Being piloted....still a "ways away" from implementing.

4. Justice and Enforcement
- Care pathways for those encountering police. (Transition plans after treatment/diversion ex.housing options)

91 individuals through 50 agencies involved.

Outcomes established in the following areas:
- System
- Service
- Individual

Signs and symptoms of opioid use.
- tired, pin point eyes, blue eyes ears fingers etc.
Naloxone is only effective with opioids

Info from SRO - B. Mikols

Trends
Gate keepers (like the DD) sits with the naloxone kit while others sample drugs.

In the next month every police officer in Waterloo region will be carrying Naloxone on patrol.

Fentanyl can be in powder, pill, liquid form.
Can be absorbed by inhaling, touch, ingest
Police will use gloves when searching. not search in unseen areas.

Carfentanyl - for large animals (horses).

School trends - Marijuana (still illegal)

Deeper Conversations on Education and Career/Life Planning: Supporting the Highly Skilled Workforce Recommendations

All Resources Here

Technology is replacing entry-level job positions. (workplace students)

How can schools prepare all students for the world of work that is ever changing ahead of them?

Amount of money students can get is determined by financial needs

Ed. Costs (Books, tuition, Living expenses) - Financial contribution (students, parents, scholarships/bursaries) = Financial Need

Cost of education is a shared responsibility between, students, parents, institutions, and government.

Use the estimator. www.ontario.ca/osap

Resources: ontario.ca/OSAPpartners

Future Jobs - Rich Weiner

Violent Threat/Risk Assessment Training

The better the data the better the assessment the better the intervention.

If you don't' know what got them into the gang how do you expect to get them out.
- You can't use the same strategies for everyone.

Multi-discipline team can connect more data than one person.

If threat is Clear, direct and plausible - Plausible is most important.

Under reaction is the biggest problem.

Assume whoever comes forward was elected by a larger population.  Once build rapport ask "Who else knows about this?"

If someone communicates signs and we do nothing then you increase their risk.

Serious violence is not a straight line. Many offenders go through an evolutionary process, and its contextual no one just snaps.  People can go in and out of risk before committing act.

It's one thing to make a threat it's another to be able to act on it. Kill you vs. Stick this knife in our throat

Artificial lowering of risk. Not addressing the issue.

High profile cases doesn't cause violence it intensifies feelings/symptoms of violence already present.

The more they can identify will the aggressor/victim the more it will increase symptom development.

Locker dynamic - Find evidence in student's locker, backpack, desks, assignments, vehicles friends lockers - weapons, lists etc.

Bedroom Dynamic - evidence of planning - Many parents had not been in kids bedroom for over a year. Domain of the police - search warrant, or interview parents, F&CS

Social Networking Dynamic - can be the most blatant source of evidence.

History of Target Selection
Site Selection
Frequency
Intensity
Recency
All of these determine Baseline. Shift in baseline determines evolution in violence.

Hypothesis
1- cry for help
2 - conspiracy theory of 2 or more - puppet master

Day 2
naturally open leaders look for opportunities to openly share information for the systems they are responsible for.

Closed leaders look for reasons not to share information for the benefit of themselves.

VTRA stage 1 trumps Suspension

the question is not..the mental health diagnosis is the reason for the violence but. How much is the mental health diagnosis affecting the behaviour?

Habits of Highly Effective Leaders

Nick Teti - CPCO

'Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is all about growing others." Jack Welch

Why would someone follow you? (Self reflection)

Authentic - trust, integrity, honest, genuine
They believe you know what your are doing.
You have direction - heading in a direction others want to go.
Ability - make a difference
Trustworthy
Exercise of influence
Jesus did not come to be served, but to serve.
Integrity is all encompassing (You define yourself when no one is watching)
Trust - The foundational principle that holds all relationships.
"Building trust on a team requires shared experiences over time"
Trust is built on Character and Competence

Emotional Bank Account - Build Trust
Six Major Deposits
1. understanding the individual
2. Attending to the little things
3. Keeping commitments
4. Clarifying expectations
5. Showing personal integrity
6. Apologizing sincerely when you make a withdrawal.

1. Proactivite
Use proactive language vs. reactive language

"Between stimulus and response, there is a space. In that space lies our freedom and power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and freedom" Viktor Frankl

Circle of influence and Circle of Concern

2. Begin with the end in mind
All things are created twice.
First a mental creation, followed by the physical creation
- Focus on creating the shared vision
- Then focus on the execution of the vision

A clear Vision creates followers - Simon Sinek

3. Put first things first

4. Think win/win
Doesn't have to always be win-win
Agreements and solutions are mutually beneficial -
Life is about cooperation not competition

Abundance vs. Scarcity Mindset.

See the problem from the other point of view
Identify key issues and concerns
Determine what results would constitute a fully acceptable solution
Look at new options

5. Seek first to understand, then be understood
Empathetic Listening - Listening with the intent to understand



6. TEAM -Together Everyone Achieves More
Synergy - Increas levels of communication to get Synergy (Win-Win)

7. Sharpen the Saw
If I had six hours to chop down a tree, I'd spend the first 4 hours sharpening the axe.
Physical - Mental - Spiritual - Social/Emotional

Empower Others
If we delegate tasks you will build followers
If we delegate Authority you will build leaders
It's not about recruiting followers but instead building leaders who can change the world

e_Assessment FOR learning techniques

Andrew Schmitt
https://sites.google.com/a/tdsb.on.ca/the-tall-teacher/presentations/ontario-summit16
Assessment for Learning is the key way for teachers to advance the learning for students.  Technology can be used to transform the learning experiences for our students.  What happens when you bring the two together?  Explore some ways that technology can be used to transform the way that teachers are assessing their students with the ultimate goal of moving the learner forward and improving student achievement.  

How well do you know your students.Exam paper - lotto instant kiwi commercial video
When teachers try to change more than 2-3 things at the same time it often deteriorates the teaching.
Where the learning is going, where the learning is right now, how to get there.
Use SAMR as a self reflective tool to see how you are using technology. also tie it into assessment.
key Strategy - 
1.Clarifying, sharing, and understanding learning goals and success criteria.
- Use a google form and students must create test questions.
- turn success criteria into a google form that students fill out - use it for teacher purpose to see if students know how to be successful.
FormMule - have form emailed to user.

2. eliciting evidence of learners' achievement.
Plickers app.
Poll everywhere
3. provide feedback to move the thinker forward.
video - feedback on learning. ego involving vs. task involving.
Successful feedback - what students need to do to improve and how to go about doing it.
Good feedback causes thinking.

Ask Three questions in students work an write corresponding questions at the bottom.
Bookmark  text in google doc. allows you to link to text.
Conditional formatting in a spreadsheet.  use colour to identify things that stand out. - allows to see trends.
Descriptive feedback is only beneficial if you give them time to improve.
Activating students as instructional resources.