Contents: 

• PREVENT
• TEACH
• RESPOND

Explore Behavior Bytes for targeted strategies and evidence-based practices applied through multi-tiered supports.

PREVENT

Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Prevents Teacher Burnout

Secondary Traumatic Stress

Secondary traumatic stress is the emotional distress that results when an individual hears about the traumatic experiences of another individual. 

Distress may result from: 

• Hearing someone’s trauma stories 
• Seeing high levels of distress in the aftermath of a traumatic event
• Retelling a student’s story for reporting purposes
• Seeing photos or images related to the trauma

What Can You Do?

• Stay connected to a support system
• Identify and incorporate self-care strategies that promote resilience
• Increase knowledge of secondary trauma, warning signs, and effects
• Assess your current level of compassion fatigue and warning signs of secondary trauma

TEACH

Students who survive childhood trauma and grow to be successful have identified one variable: A caring adult who believed in them and cared about their well-being.

Model empathy through daily social-emotional interactions:

• Verbal and non-verbal interactions with students, staff, and families
• Using active listening in classroom leadership practices
• Creating connections and relationships with students to help them feel physically and psychologically safe

Fostering and Modeling Resiliency

Equitable Community Centered Classrooms:

• Include representation that reflects students and community demographics
• Determine how you want to address situations when partiality is occurring
• Be mindful of the social environment you are nurturing
• Encourage diversity in the curriculum
• Recognize differences and celebrate cultures
• Naming partiality is key to disrupting their impact on the development of young children
• Silence reinforces partiality, empower students to practice voice and choice
• Model active listening with students
• Understand the importance of body language and non-verbal communication
• Classroom resources are bilingual, accessible, and developmentally appropriate
• Be mindful of cultural differences among children concerning their comfort level with physical proximity

RESPOND

Empathy vs. Sympathy

Brene Brown on Empathy