The Trauma-Sensitive Classroom: Building Resilience with Compassionate Teaching

by Patricia A. Jennings

Overview

Selected as a "Favorite Book for Educators in 2018" by Greater Good.

From the author of Mindfulness for Teachers, a guide to supporting trauma-exposed students.

Fully half the students in U.S. schools have experienced trauma, violence, or chronic stress. In the face of this epidemic, it falls increasingly to teachers to provide the adult support these students need to function in school. But most educators have received little training to prepare them for this role. 

In her new book, Tish Jennings—an internationally recognized leader in the field of social and emotional learning—shares research and experiential knowledge about the practices that support students' healing, build their resilience, and foster compassion in the classroom. In Part I, Jennings describes the effects of trauma on body and mind, and how to recognize them in students' behavior. In Part II, she introduces the trauma-sensitive practices she has implemented in her work with schools. And in Part III, she connects the dots between mindfulness, compassion, and resilience. Each chapter contains easy-to-use, practical activities to hone the skills needed to create a compassionate learning environment.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780393711868
Publisher:	Norton, W. W. & Company, Inc.
Publication date:	11/13/2018
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	224
Sales rank:	228,458
Product dimensions:	6.90(w) x 9.90(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Patricia A. Jennings, a professor of education at the University of Virginia School of Education and Human Development, is one of “Ten Mindfulness Researchers You Should Know,” according to Mindful magazine. She is the editor of Norton Books in Education’s Social and Emotional Learning Solutions series and author of the best-selling Mindfulness for Teachers, The Trauma-Sensitive Classroom, Mindfulness in the Pre-K –5 Classroom, and Teacher Burnout Turnaround.

Table of Contents

Foreword xiii

Preface xvii

Introduction: Why We Need Compassionate Teaching 1

Part 1 Understanding Trauma in Schools

1 Understanding Trauma and Chronic Stress 9

2 When Trauma Comes to School 29

Part 2 Addressing Trauma in Schools

3 Building Supportive Relationships 48

4 Creating Safe Spaces 64

5 Supporting Prosocial Behavior 87

Part III Building Resilience with Mindful Compassion

6 Building Resilience 107

7 Mindful Awareness 121

8 Compassion 131

9 Cultivating Compassion in the Classroom 146

Conclusion 164

Appendix 166

References 179

Index 190

Editorial Reviews

"Teachers will find strategies and practices that they can immediately implement in their classrooms. The book combines the author’s expertise in mindful practices with trauma-sensitive implementation strategies that have the potential not only to strengthen and sustain teacher resilience and tenure in the field, but also to promote resilience in students"

Teachers College Record

"Dr. Jennings offers a practical description of how and why stress, adversity, and trauma impact students' school behavior and learning, as well as providing specific strategies that educators can implement right now in order to foster greater resilience and educational success among these vulnerable students. The book is an essential resource for educators."

Robert W. Roeser

"Tish Jennings presents a series of self-assessments and actions that can be implemented at the classroom and school level to support the well-being of both students and educators. There are numerous ideas and actions in these pages that will help any teacher to create a caring, compassionate classroom."

Mark T. Greenberg

"A major contribution of this work is the comprehensive nature of the information that Professor Tish Jennings draws together. Very few scholar-educators have done such a masterful job of connecting new findings in neuroscience with trends in sociology, psychology, education, and human development. . . . The Trauma-Sensitive Classroom will be of great interest and benefit not only to teachers, but to every professional working in schools."

Bob Planta

"We all know that a teacher's relationship with a student has the potential to inspire them for the rest of their lives. Those pupils who've experienced trauma in their homes or communities should have that same potential. This book will make it possible for every teacher to be that guiding light that can shine for a lifetime."

Daniel J. Siegel