Course Description
Course Description: Students who have experienced trauma or are currently experiencing chronic stress are heavily impacted. These events rewire their brain and we are seeing the results of this in our classrooms frequently. I’m sure we all can create lists of all the ways our students show us they are stressed or struggling with trauma recollections. This 6 week course will cover many ways that we can create a classroom environment that will support these students, allowing them to become their best selves. We will discuss our own bias’ when it comes to working with our students and ways to better our teaching styles. There is no magic wand or curriculum – just us and our understanding that learning does not come easy for all our students.
*Taking Ashley’s course “The Brain & Trauma” is not a prerequisite for this course, however, would be very helpful in applying newly learned information.
Audience: All those working in a school setting who hold a Bachelor’s Degree
Session Information
Format: Remote Hybrid (fully online with some scheduled meeting times)
Instructors
Ashley Short, M.A.Ed.
Ashley Short, M.A.Ed.
Ashley has been a special education teacher since 2010. She began working in a district program for the Bennington Rutland Supervisory Union in 2016, serving students who struggle with the general education setting due to their trauma and/or chronic stress. This program has morphed from a sub-separate setting to being truly functional based on independent student needs, meaning students were both in the program and working in their general education classrooms. In May of 2022, Ashley graduated with a certificate in Trauma and Resilience from Wilmington University. She began teaching college level course through Vermont Center for Schools in 2024.
Additional Content Area
Course Goals:
• Students will be able to define what trauma looks like in the classroom setting.
• Students will be able to list the 5 core components of a safe classroom environment.
• Students will be able to create a plan for their own classroom to be a safe learning space for any person who enters the space.