Teachers tackle trauma, self-care education at Dubuque conference – KCRG

DUBUQUE, Iowa (KCRG) — Now more than ever before educators are tasked with teaching students who are living with trauma. It can make kids act out in class, which can be stressful for teachers to handle.

Keystone Area Education Agency is tackling those issues at its All In 2-for-1 conference in Dubuque. The two-day conference has sessions that focus on trauma-sensitive classrooms and self-care for teachers.

Jill Hageman, a school social worker with Keystone AEA, was in charge of the Self-Care Corner at the conference. The concept of self-care is easy to understand, according to Hageman. “To support the students at school, they need to support themselves first,” she said of teachers.

She said many kids come to school living with trauma which can lead them acting out in class.

Hageman explained. “it could even be minor behaviors so distractible, hard to focus in class, all the way to some outward behaviors like maybe saying inappropriate language.”

Educators also call this Adverse Childhood Experiences or ACEs. Hageman said teachers can become stressed or overwhelmed if they have many kids with ACEs in their classrooms. That’s why it’s important for them to take care of themselves.

“Some people like to go home in the evening and read a good book. Some might like to take a walk. Some like to spend time with their family. So it’s really kind of knowing yourself and knowing where your stress levels are at,” Hageman said.

Jennifer DeLaRosa, a third-grade teacher in Decorah, attended the conference. She’s had instances in her class when kids were acting out because of their trauma.

DeLaRosa said sometimes her students are, “hitting other kids, swearing, crying. Crying is a big one in third grade.”

That could get exhausting if she hasn’t learned tools for mindfulness. She practices meditating and does breathing exercises at home, and she also tries to teach her students how to handle their emotions.

“I look at it like a personal challenge because I know that if they’re doing this now, they need me,” she said.

The conference also featured keynote speakers Kristin Souers and Pete Hall. The pair is co-authors of the book “Fostering Resilient Learners”. They also stress the importance of self-care for teachers.

“When we’re regulated and we’re in a good place we’re going to be much better for our kids and we’re in a giving profession so we have to be,” Hall said.

Self-care can be accomplished in many ways, they said. “Exercise and eating healthy, getting enough sleep, cooperating with others and engaging in teamwork,” are some examples.

The pair also stresses creating a trauma-sensitive classroom by providing safety, consistency, and predictability to their students.

This conference continues into Wednesday, June 26 with sessions on mental illnesses, relationship building, and more.