Linda Darling-Hammond: If you’re fearful, if you’re anxious, if you’re distracted about something that’s happened to you or your family, you literally can’t learn. Your brain shuts down. It’s essential to give kids social and emotional tools to go with their intellectual tools.

Mathew Portell: When they walk through the door, they don’t leave everything that has happened at the door. They bring it with them. Operating in a trauma-informed approach is the understanding that we have to be able to help them manage their experiences in productive ways.

Lindsey Minder: Having that lens makes it less about are they doing the right thing or the wrong thing? And more about, where is that behavior coming from? Why is that happening? What can we do about that?

Dena Simmons: Schools are powerful places.That’s why it’s so important as educators that we don’t contribute to the trauma that many of our young people experience day in and day out. It is our responsibility to ensure that schools are places of healing, places where our students can thrive.

Teacher: How was school today?

Student: Good.

Teacher: Classes have been OK?

Student: Yep!

Teacher: OK.

Teacher: We’re going to share a high and a low experience.

Student: Last week, my anxiety started coming back really bad, so I’ve just been learning how to cope with that.

Lindsey: It feels frustrating for me, and I have to take a breath. Catch myself.

Teacher: He does struggle a lot in my math class.

Linda Darling-Hammond: When a strong relationship exists with a teacher, with a mentor, with an advisor, it actually can reverse the effects of the adverse experiences. Children are amazingly resilient, if they get that opportunity for attachment, for comfort, and for problem-solving with a caring adult.

Teacher: Good morning, Jolene. We’re glad you’re here.