Trauma Sensitive Practice in Education

In Trauma Sensitive Practice, you'll identify strategies to prevent and respond to dysregulation in the classroom through a trauma sensitive lens.  

Intensive focus on the neurobiology of complex trauma, it’s impact on brain development and physiology and explore what this means for the elements of learning within the Victorian Teaching and Learning Model 2.0. Unpacking impacts on attention, focus and regulation, knowledge and memory, retention and recall and mastery and application.

You will explore the application of proactive and responsive strategies to manage dysregulation, identifying benefits for classroom practice and support the development of a child/young person's identity as a successful learner.  

Unpack the ‘Look Fors’ regarding evidence-based wellbeing frameworks that support trauma sensitive practice through a multitiered system of support, identifying our individual growth goals, AIP wellbeing goals and benefits for the school community.  

• Understand the impact of trauma. Analyse how complex trauma affects brain development and physiology to better support a student’s focus, learning, and memory. 
• Support student regulation. Apply proactive co-regulation strategies to maintain a calm, safe, and predictable classroom environment for every student. 
• Foster positive learner identities. Use trauma-sensitive techniques to help students who have experienced adversity see themselves as capable, engaged, and successful learners. 
• Lead school-wide wellbeing. Align evidence-informed trauma frameworks with strategic goals to ensure a consistent and supportive approach across the entire school community.

Roles

This program is designed for:

• classroom teachers
• teacher leaders
• assistant principals 
• principals. 

School sectors 

This program is available to the following school sectors:

• Victorian Government
• Catholic
• independent.

Beth Guy, Manager of Student Support Services in Goulburn North-Eastern Victoria Region, has an extensive background working across Education, Health and Welfare sectors focusing on vulnerable children, young people and families. She has a work history across corporate. not-for-profit, local and state government specialising in child safety reform, regulation and implementation.  

For the past 20 years Beth has specialised in Trauma Informed Practice through teaching and social work practice, previously providing consultancy and training to a wide range of national and international organisations, government and education departments alongside teaching at a secondary and tertiary level.

This program is delivered in 2 full-day workshops, with opportunities to engage and contribute.

Learning outcomes

You’ll gain knowledge and understanding of:

• the impact of trauma on neurobiological development  
• trauma impacts on behaviour, regulation, and relationships
• proactive and responsive strategies to prevent and respond to dysregulation in the classroom
• implementation of knowledge applied to Wellbeing School Improvement Teams, Communities of Practice and Annual Implementation Plan wellbeing goals  
• implications for engagement and learning within the frame of the Victorian Teaching and Learning Model 2.0.

Participate in:  

• didactic and experiential learning to utilise expertise within the room and support new knowledge.

You’ll develop the skills to:

• apply proactive and responsive strategies to manage dysregulation and identify meaning behind behaviours
• apply strategies to support the development of a child/young person's identity as a successful learner
• implement trauma sensitive practice beyond the classroom.

Department of Education fully subsidises Victorian Government school participants.