I try to maintain a trauma informed lens by having resources for my students available. I have absent work available a month at a time, so they can do any assignment they have missed with in the last month. My students have access to the calm corner at any point in the day if they need to escape or just work through some emotions. I work to teach social emotional skills to my students as well through our self-regulation strategies. It is important for all my students to learn different skills to regulate their emotions.
I want to read the book "Trauma-Informed Social-Emotional Toolbox" by Dr. Lisa Weed Phifer. The book is about skills and tools for students that focuses on exploring strengths, building resilience, and fostering relationships.
Crisis Plan
I want my students to feel prepared when we have a behavioral or medical emergency in the classroom. When we have a medical or behavioral emergency, I will inform the students it is time to evacuate the classroom. Students will know to go out in the hall and sit along the wall. That will enable me to empty the classroom for supports to be able to easily enter the classroom and move around. Once the class is settled and the emergency handled we will end the experience with a conversation about what happened and how they did when we evacuated the classroom.
For students who have preexisting medical conditions, I want to develop a plan with the school nurse and the parents to develop a plan to put into use when we have a medical emergency arise. I think this is the best way to have a plan where I know what to do and I have school staff supports to help me when the incident may occur. It is important that the parents are a part of making the plan since they know what is best for the child medically and will have the most knowledge or how to handle the situation.
Students may have behavioral issues that come into play in the classroom. For students that have behavioral outburst that we already know, I would set up a meeting with the special education teacher and their parents to have a meeting where we could discuss and develop a plan for moving forward. I want all my students to succeed, and be able to protect the student who could be potentially having the outburst as well as their peers. If a behavioral issue happens suddenly where a student is attacking a peer, I will separate the children first to try and prevent harm from continuing. Then I will do the classroom evacuation before addressing the student and calling for support.