As a teacher, integrating trauma-informed strategies into your classroom is essential to creating a safe, nurturing environment for your students.
But what happens when you’re carrying your own trauma into the classroom?
Balancing personal healing while supporting students through their challenges can feel overwhelming, yet it’s possible to care for both yourself and your students simultaneously.
In this post, I’ll share simple, practical strategies to help you navigate these tough times. You don’t have to have everything figured out—every small step you take matters.
Why Trauma-Informed Strategies Matter
As a teacher, you wear many hats—educator, mentor, role model, and sometimes even a lifeline for your students. But what happens when you’re struggling with your own challenges?
Trauma doesn’t just impact your personal life. It can seep into your work, your relationships with students, and your ability to create the kind of classroom environment you envision.
At the same time, many of your students may also be carrying the weight of their own trauma. Whether it stems from difficult home situations, societal stressors, or personal loss, their ability to engage, learn, and thrive depends on feeling safe and supported at school.
Navigating both personal trauma and trauma-informed strategies requires a delicate balance.
It’s about recognizing that your well-being is just as important as the care you provide to your students. When you prioritize your own healing, you model resilience and emotional regulation, creating a ripple effect that can transform your classroom into a haven for growth and connection.
This topic matters because teaching during difficult times isn’t about being perfect.
It’s about showing up authentically, leaning on practical strategies, and recognizing that healing is a shared journey.
By caring for yourself while implementing trauma-informed practices, you can create a space where both you and your students can not only survive but also thrive.
Now, let’s dive into how you can make this possible—one small, meaningful step at a time.
Step 1: Prioritize Your Own Well-Being
You can’t pour from an empty cup. Taking care of yourself isn’t selfish; it’s essential for showing up for your students effectively.
- Create Micro-Moments of Self-Care: Even a few deep breaths between classes or stepping outside for a minute of fresh air can reset your energy. Use simple breathing exercises like inhaling deeply for a count of four, holding for four, and exhaling for six.
- Set Boundaries: Limit after-hours work and carve out time to rest. Whether it’s turning off email notifications or saying “no” to an extra responsibility, protecting your downtime is crucial.
- Lean on Your Support System: Reach out to colleagues, mentors, or friends who understand your challenges. If you need professional support, don’t hesitate to seek therapy or counseling.
Pro Tip: Keep a “comfort toolkit” in your classroom—snacks, a favorite tea, a stress ball, or a calming essential oil like lavender. These items can help ground you during overwhelming moments.
Step 2: Build Trauma-Informed Strategies Into Your Day
Supporting students with trauma doesn’t have to mean adding more to your plate. Simple shifts in how you approach interactions can create a profound impact.
- Start with Predictability: Trauma can make students feel unsafe in unpredictable environments. Establish consistent routines and give clear heads-ups about transitions or changes in plans. For instance, you might say, “In five minutes, we’ll be moving to group work.”
- Focus on Relationships: A warm smile, calling students by name, or simply asking, “How’s your morning going?” can build trust and create a safe space. Even small gestures remind students they’re valued.
- Use “Co-Regulation” Techniques: When a student is dysregulated, stay calm and steady. Speak in a soft, even tone, and model the regulated behavior you want to see. Your calm presence can help students feel secure enough to mirror that stability.
Pro Tip: If a student seems overwhelmed, offer simple choices: “Would you like to work at your desk or the quiet corner?” Giving them a sense of control helps them feel grounded.
Step 3: Keep It Simple
When you’re managing trauma—yours or your students’—simplifying can be your best friend.
- Simplify Your Classroom: Declutter your environment and focus on tools and routines that truly support learning. A clean, organized space is calming for both you and your students.
- Focus on What Matters: On tough days, let go of the need to “do it all.” Focus on connection and creating a calm environment. The rest can wait.
- Use Visual Supports: Visual schedules, task cards, or icons can help students feel less overwhelmed and more in control.
Pro Tip: Have a few go-to low-energy activities, like silent reading or journaling, for days when you or your students need a breather.
Related post: 5 Ways to Create Emotional Safety Before Starting Your Next Lesson
Step 4: Acknowledge and Normalize Feelings
Both you and your students need to feel seen and understood.
- Name It to Tame It: When appropriate, acknowledge emotions in the room. Saying something like, “It seems like we’re all feeling a little tired today,” can validate feelings and set a tone of empathy.
- Teach Emotional Regulation Skills: Simple strategies like identifying emotions, practicing mindfulness, or using “I feel” statements can empower students to manage their feelings.
- Model Vulnerability (Within Boundaries): It’s okay to share small, appropriate pieces of your own experience. For example, “I had a tough morning too, so let’s take a minute to breathe together.”
Pro Tip: Create a “Feelings Check-In” chart where students can move their name or a magnet to an emotion they’re experiencing. This lets them express themselves without needing to speak up if they’re not ready.
Step 5: Use Movement and Mindfulness to Reset
Trauma is not just a mental or emotional experience—it often manifests physically. This means that both you and your students may carry tension, restlessness, or fatigue in your bodies, making it harder to focus, engage, or self-regulate. Incorporating movement and mindfulness into your daily routines can release this tension, reset the classroom energy, and create a sense of calm and safety.
Movement Breaks
Integrate short brain breaks like stretching, yoga poses, or “shake it out” activities. Even a one-minute stretch at desks can shift the classroom’s energy.
- Stretching Sessions: Lead the class in a quick series of stretches, like reaching for the sky, touching toes, or twisting gently from side to side. Encourage slow, deep breaths as they move.
- “Shake It Out” Breaks: Play a fun, upbeat song for 30 seconds to a minute and have everyone shake out their arms, legs, and bodies to release built-up energy.
- Chair Yoga: Teach a few simple poses students can do while sitting at their desks, like a seated forward fold or gentle neck rolls. This keeps things low-key but effective.
- Movement Stations: Set up stations with different simple activities (e.g., jumping jacks, wall push-ups, or balancing on one foot) that students can rotate through in 5-minute increments.
Mindfulness Exercises
Practice simple mindfulness techniques like a minute of silent breathing or a guided visualization of a calm place. Start small and build over time.
- Breathing Exercises: Teach students simple techniques like box breathing (in for 4, hold for 4, out for 4, hold for 4) or balloon breathing (imagining they’re inflating and deflating a balloon as they inhale and exhale deeply).
- Guided Visualization: Lead students through a visualization exercise, such as imagining they’re walking through a peaceful forest or sitting by a calm lake. Describe the sights, sounds, and sensations to help them fully engage.
- Body Scans: Have students close their eyes (or softly gaze downward) and guide them to notice sensations in different parts of their body, starting from their toes and working up to their head. This helps them connect with their physical selves and release tension.
- Gratitude Practices: Ask students to take a moment of silence to think about one thing they’re grateful for that day. Encourage them to visualize it or write it down.
Pro Tip: Make mindfulness part of your daily routine, like starting the day with a calming activity or ending with a gratitude moment.
Healing Together
Teaching while navigating trauma is an enormous challenge, but you’re not alone. Taking steps to care for yourself while using trauma-informed strategies creates a healing environment—for you and your students.
Every small action—whether it’s a deep breath, a kind word, or a moment of rest—makes a difference. Healing is a journey, and by walking it together, you and your students can grow stronger, one day at a time.
Grab my free Teacher Mindset Cheat Sheet for reflections and support for you as you engage in trauma-informed teaching. >>
Which of these strategies will you try first? Let me know in the comments—I’d love to hear how you’re caring for yourself and your students through tough times.
