Episode 15- Childhood Trauma in the Classroom

 Welcome back! I’m Dr. Michelle Border and today I would like to give a shout out to all my teacher friends out there because in this episode I will discuss how childhood trauma affects children in the classroom. I have taught for over twenty years in the public school system. During that time I have experienced many students, thousands, many who were dealing with childhood trauma. It is during these years that borders are being created in a child’s mind, and some of them are either built stronger or torn down based on their experience in the classroom. Let’s get started talking about that now!

Transcript

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Welcome back, I'm Dr. Michelle Border, and today I would like to give a shout out to all of my teacher friends out there, because in this episode I will discuss how childhood trauma affects children in the classroom. I have taught for over 20 years in the public school system and during that time have experienced many students, probably thousands. Many of those were dealing with childhood trauma. It's during these years that borders are being created in a child's mind, and some of them are either built stronger or torn down based on their experience in the classroom. So let's get started talking about that right now. My research gave me information about what child trauma does to a child's brain, how it affects their development, and how they are affected emotionally. Most of this information was not new to me, as I experienced a lot of it myself as a child, and saw it in my classroom many times over the years. For over 20 years, I have taught in a public school setting. I've worked with nearly 2,000 children during that time. I have witnessed hundreds of children who were experiencing some form of abuse or neglect and struggled with how I could help them. Their behaviors were challenging, their stories broke my heart, and I longed to be able to help make their lives better. Because I saw a lot of myself as a child in these students, I had a high level of compassion for them. Not that other teachers didn't, but I had a different type of connection with them because I knew exactly what they were going through. I did research on my own to try to figure out how best I could help these students, but wished I had a formalized training on the best practices. I believe it is a well-known fact that most public schools struggle with financial security. Schools are funded through local, state, and federal money. The majority of the funding comes from local and state tax money. If the area has a high rate of poverty, they receive less tax money than a wealthier area, and therefore struggle to pay the bills, let alone provide extra services for their teachers and students. Sometimes government officials make cuts on the money provided to schools, which then hinders the functioning of the district even further. When a district is struggling to pay the electric bill, and laws require students to achieve a certain academic level to obtain certain funding, extra programs for students like mental health services are not deemed important and not provided. Teachers are not provided with costly training sessions on how to help their students, and the school does not provide resources for students who need mental health help. I remember for a short time when I was in first grade, I started crying when it was time to go to school. At that age, I didn't have the words for how I was feeling, but I remember getting a stomachache just thinking about going to school the next day, and every morning while I was getting ready for school. I didn't want to go and begged my great aunt, who was taking care of me before and after school, to please let me stay home. She always asked me what was the matter, but other than my belly hurting, I didn't have the communication ability to tell her what was wrong. I know now that I was experiencing anxiety from the trauma I experienced at home, and it was coming out as meltdowns before I went to school. I would sob and beg her not to make me go. But she did. She believed I had to face my fears, whatever they were, and find a way to work through it. I didn't have any fears, but again, I didn't have the ability as a six-year-old to express that I was overwhelmed with anxiety from my parents' abuse. Once I was at school, the crying continued for most of the day. My teacher, Mrs. Swope, a saint, in my opinion, would gently take me by the hand and lead me around the school with her all day. She even let me have lunch with her in the classroom a few times. She was patient with me while I worked out my issues, ignoring the crying and pushed me along through the day. I don't know why the crying episodes started then, or why they eventually stopped, but I remember thinking, why can't I stop crying? I'm not scared, no one is hurting me, and I like being at school. So why am I still crying? The adults in my life asked me the same questions, but I couldn't explain it. While I don't see this exact behavior in a lot of my students, there are typical behaviors that are seen in many of them who experience abuse and neglect. While childhood trauma is mainly caused by abuse and neglect, other situations can also cause long-term stress to children. These events are called adverse childhood experiences, or aces. ACEs include physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, physical and emotional neglect, and include situations of household dysfunction. Household dysfunction includes divorce, domestic violence, substance abuse by a parent, incarceration of a parent, or mental illness of the parent. The parent may not have physically harmed a child and provided the child with all the physical things they need, like comb, food, and clothing, but their behaviors in the home could have caused emotional distress for their child. To determine how much a child is affected by ACES, a score could be obtained based on a list of events the child may have experienced. The higher the score on the ACES test, the more toxic stress a child has endured. I will put one of the ACES tests on my website with a journal prompt for this episode. There are 10 questions on the list, and I personally scored seven. This is why I cried for days on end in first grade. I was experiencing so much toxic stress, and my little mind didn't know what to do with it. Once in a while I would have a student who cried like I did, but most of my experience as a teacher has been with older children. The behaviors displayed by a child experiencing aces may vary depending on their age, but are typically the same types of behaviors. When children are in stressful situations at home, they don't feel they have the power to stop it. They don't have control to get away from it, and they may feel hopelessness that it will never end. They long to feel peace and happiness, although their experiences with these feelings are limited. Because children do not have the ability to rationalize thoughts like adults, they do not know that, one, they are not the cause of what is happening to them. Two, they have not done anything wrong to cause the way they are being treated. And three, they don't know how to positively react to this type of treatment. They are stuck in a tornado of stress, anxiety, and depressive type feelings with no knowledge of how to get out of that state. They may express behaviors of aggression or defiance. This could be acting out, whether it's verbally or physically violent, or a refusal to do what is asked of them. They are so angry and frustrated, having so many negative emotions with no way to control them, that the only thing they know to do is react with aggression. Another possible behavior is withdrawal or dissociation. This is a coping mechanism to childhood trauma where they shut down or hide within themselves. These children may be seen as shy or incapable of completing tasks. They probably don't interact with their peers and may not show initiative in their work. This could also be mistaken as laziness. Some children show emotional deregulation. Children with childhood trauma do not know how to control their emotions. As I discussed in previous episodes, learning to control and manage our feelings is a skill that must be taught. In situations of aces or childhood trauma, children are not taught how to do this, so they react spontaneously to situations instead of knowing how to work through feelings and think about a proper reaction. Some may call this throwing a fit or acting out. Children may also show regressive behaviors. These are behaviors of acting like someone much younger than they are. The child may act like they did at a younger age because this is what they know to do. It can be labeled as emotionally immature due to the fact that they don't know how to handle emotions at their current age. Some children have academic struggles. Children who experience ACEs have so much on their minds, racing thoughts and anxious feelings about what is happening at home. Just because they are away from home while at school does not turn off those feelings. Those feelings cannot be turned off, and they affect brain functioning. When a teacher asks a child to memorize multiplication facts, but they're worried about if there will be anything to eat when they get home or if dad will beat them again. Their brains cannot focus fully on the math facts. Teachers may see this as a learning or behavior issue if they aren't aware of what happens to children when they experience trauma. Teachers are pressured by standardized testing requirements to get students to perform, and when they don't, the teacher may see it as the child is intentionally not doing their best, and both of them end up frustrated. Children experiencing ACEs may also have social struggles. They typically are not in home environments where social skills are taught. Learning to communicate with others, how to manage their emotions and the reactions to those emotions, and how to work cooperatively with others are not something these children are good at. The result is either acting out with anger, defiance, or mean behaviors, or withdraw and dissociation, becoming very quiet and alone. They will struggle to act appropriately in social situations and to form relationships with their peers. Toxic stress from ACEs can affect a child physically also. They may experience stomach aches, headaches, or tiredness. Being in an environment that causes trauma puts a child's body into the fight or flight mode. In this mode, the brain is flooded with adrenaline and cortisol that can cause physical ailments like digestive problems, joint and muscle pain, and fatigue. Toxic stress produces higher levels of cortisol, which harms cognitive processes, subdues immune and inflammatory reactions, and results in a heightened risk for mood disorders such as depression, anxiety, and hypervigilance. So what is happening in the child's brain when they experience toxic stress? A child encounters mass amounts of growth and development in their mind and body from ages birth to 17. Trauma can negatively alter that growth and development, resulting in impaired brain functioning, impaired intelligence level, and a higher risk for mental issues and substance abuse. When a child experiences adverse situations, their brain will experience changes in its structure and chemical activity. Adverse experiences cause the brain to become hyperalert. Continuous hyper alertness will alter the neural pathways that would be strengthened through positive experiences. These pathways are rerouted to the stress response system and will stay alert for long periods. This results in toxic stress. Toxic stress affects many parts of the brain. The hippocampus part of the brain, this is in the center of our brain, down towards the brain's stem, controls learning, memory, and cortisol levels. Toxic stress from trauma reduces the volume of the hippocampus, reducing its ability to control cortisol, and affects learning and memory. Another part of the brain that is affected by toxic stress is the corpus calllicum. It is above the hippocampus in the center of our brain. This part of the brain is responsible for communication, arousal, emotion, and higher learning abilities. It connects the two hemispheres of the brain and shares information between the two. Toxic stress also decreases the volume of this part of the brain. The results are a struggle with self-control, verbal communication, control of emotions, and a decrease in higher order thinking. The cerebellum controls motor behavior and executive functioning. The cerebellum is the largest white matter structure in the brain and sits behind the brain's stem at the base of the brain. White matter in the brain transfers neurological messages to all the parts of our brain. Toxic stress reduces this part of the brain, resulting in less support for motor functioning and mental skills. The prefrontal cortex is another part of the brain that toxic stress reduces. It is the part of the brain behind our forehead. The prefrontal cortex controls behavior, understanding, and emotional regulation. A smaller prefrontal cortex can result in dysregulation of emotions, lower mental abilities, and lack of emotional control. This reaction may lead to impulsivity and poor decision making. Instead of a reduction caused by toxic stress, as described in the brain parts mentioned before, the amygdala is affected by toxic stress by an increase in reaction. The amygdala determines whether an experience is threatening and then triggers a fight or flight response. The overreaction of the stress response system leads to hypervigilance and long-term stress. When in an environment where aces or trauma is happening, a child's brain may get stuck in this fight or flight response and change the functioning of the amygdala to be hyperactive. Neurons are messengers to the parts of the brain. Messages are sent to the neurons through a gap between the neurons. This passage of messages is called a synapsis. Synapsis happens the most in humans during the first three years of life, making development during the early childhood years so critical. Environmental conditions and experiences strongly influence synaptic growth or reduction. Positive synapse growth occurs when a caring, nurturing caregiver supports a child. If the child is not positively supported, synapse growth is hindered and can affect brain development by sending only negative messages instead of positive ones. The process of neuron growth happens from the bottom parts of the brain to the top. The lower parts of the brain, the parts that are in the bottom part of the skull, are responsible for bodily functions, such as breathing, sleeping, and blood pressure. Higher levels of the brain regulate emotions, abstract thinking, reasoning, and problem solving. When one part of the brain's development is interrupted by trauma, the other levels may not develop properly. Childhood trauma may affect the lower levels of the brain and thus affect the development of the higher levels of the brain. This causes problems with academic and social-emotional development. All of these impairments in the brain can affect a child's success during school years. The school years have learning demands and incorporate social interactions. Impacts on the brain can impact a child's success in the classroom. The results may be a child who struggles to pay attention, has a declined learning ability, and has difficulty forming positive interactions with others. Oftentimes the lack of motivation, lack of learning ability, or negative behaviors of a student can be seen as poor choices or defiance by a teacher who doesn't know about or understand what is happening to that child at home. They may think the child isn't trying hard enough, haven't been given enough discipline, or are just lazy. Teachers struggle to see the child as an ideal student and may struggle to connect with that child. Childhood trauma is not always obvious when you look at a child. They don't come to school with a sign saying I'm being abused, neglected, or have aces, so the staff will know that the child needs help. Children do not know how to communicate their feelings or experiences in ways that adults can immediately know what is happening to the child. Children respond to toxic stress with anger or shutdown. In the classroom, this may look like the child is lazy and won't do their work when they have either mentally shut down or do not have the academic ability to complete the assignment. It could be that the child is always fighting with other children, having arguments with other students and staff, or damaging school property because they are so full of anger about their home life they have to let it out somewhere. It could be the quiet loner student who is well behaved and gets good grades, but they are actually struggling with trying to prove they are good and don't have the social skills to interact with others. There are misunderstandings and misconceptions about students who experience trauma when they are in the classroom. People think teachers should know about this. They should know how to help these students, but you might be surprised at how little information teachers are given to help their students. There is an option to help students who experience these things, and that is called trauma training for teachers. Trauma training is courses or professional development sessions where teachers are taught about how to better serve children who have experienced trauma or ACEs. Trauma training methods promote healing and creating situations in the classroom where children feel safe so they do not feel the negative feelings they experience at home. Some educators may have been provided trauma training in their courses in college, however, few colleges offer courses about trauma. Being trauma-informed requires a shift in practices, policies, and procedures to create a learning environment that promotes a positive climate and integrates social-emotional learning into the curriculum. Students will learn how to regulate their emotions and behavior along with academic subjects. With educators having trauma training, they can understand that trauma affects a child's behavior and will better know how to assist that child when they're in the classroom. ACES harm students' classroom abilities and behaviors. We also know that teacher-child relations can make a difference in a student's engagement in the classroom. Children use relationships with others to create views about themselves and the world around them. Positive interactions with adults create positive views for children. Trauma training educates teachers about teaching students self-awareness, self-management, responsible decision making, relationship skills, and social awareness. This results in higher academic achievement as well. While many teachers believe that their students' mental health is part of their responsibility, many do not feel prepared to address their students' needs. The frustration of not knowing how to handle challenging situations in the classroom can lead to stressed, burned out, and discouraged teachers. When provided with the knowledge, educators can help children feel safe, connected, and supported. They may be the only positive adult in a child's life for a child who experiences ACEs. Throughout the school day, teachers can provide children with experiences that may counteract the adverse experiences that they are having at home. Schools that provide trauma training have shown that using trauma training reduces student behavior issues, suspensions, and expulsions. I've explained in past episodes that our childhood experiences make a huge impact on our adult lives. When those experiences are negative at home, we can hope to have positive experiences at school. Since teachers spend several hours A day with children in their classrooms, they can provide a positive nurturing environment for these children that may change their future. Studies show that positive experiences with a teacher can actually reverse the damaging effects of ACEs. Positive teacher relationships provide children with the emotional security to participate in social interactions, engage fully in learning activities, and regulate their behavior. There are many methods that teachers can use in their classrooms to counteract the effects of trauma. One way is to maintain routines. This provides students with a feeling of normalcy and that they are safe. Life for children with ACEs is often chaotic and unpredictable. Allowing students to have choices in how they learn or the activities that they do provides students with a feeling of control. An increase in the level of support and encouragement from adults in the school can make a traumatized child feel important. Children who experience ACEs often do not have positive adult role models at home and lack a feeling of connection to those adults. Obtaining a connection with an adult that shows the child that they are cared for can reverse the negative effects of trauma. It is important for teachers to provide clear but firm limits for inappropriate behavior. But schools typically use punishments as consequences which only address the behavior, but not the cause of the behavior. Students are more likely to adjust their behavior if they are taught other choices, choices they probably were not taught at home, and shown some compassion rather than just harsh discipline. Teachers who have trauma training will likely be more aware of and sensitive to the reactions of students who experience ACEs. This awareness and sensitivity may help them to anticipate difficult times for the students and provide additional support to that child. By providing students with activities and lessons that promote healthy choices, behavior regulation, as well as academics, teachers are giving students tools they need to have better performance in the classroom. With extra support from adults, some children may develop resilience in a few weeks or months. Other children may need more help over longer periods, especially if their trauma is chronic and ongoing. But emotional help from the school staff can make a huge difference for that child. In previous episodes, I have talked about the negative effects of childhood trauma on a child's mental, emotional, and physical health. These ill effects can continue into adulthood. I have also discussed previously about how trauma can produce personality disorders, anxiety, depression, and problems in relationships into adulthood. These issues can also be carried into parenting methods. Often the cause of a parent causing trauma for their child is that they experience trauma in their childhood. Without being taught or experiencing positive situations, people will repeat the patterns they learned in childhood. This can be with parenting, relationship building, motivation, and financial decisions. When we think our life is normal, that this is just how it is for everyone, we don't understand that we need to do better for ourselves and those we love. If we are not having positive experiences at home, then our other option is to have it at school. Educators could make a difference in the future of these children if given the chance, and could end up changing our society. I'll bet every one of you can think of a teacher that was really special to you. And if you think about why that teacher was special, I'll bet it wasn't because they taught math or reading well, because they gave out candy every day, or because they gave you extra recess. I'll bet it was because of how they made you feel. For me, it was Mr. Novak, my high school shop teacher. He taught me how to do my best, encouraged my love for the work, and believed in my ability to do things that many girls never attempted at my school. These were experiences I did not have at home, but have carried with me all my life. I dedicate this episode to his memory and for the impact he made on my life. Please continue to listen to future episodes as I talk more about the effects of ACES and childhood trauma on your favorite podcast provider or on my YouTube channel. Be sure to check out my website, breakingarborders.com, for that journal prompt that I mentioned earlier. Please also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. Thanks for listening.