Blog Posts
What is trauma?
Trauma affects many students in our classrooms, kids in our care, and children in our communities, yet it often goes unnoticed or misunderstood. You may have heard the term “trauma,” but perhaps its full impact isn’t always clear. What is Trauma? Trauma often involves experiencing or witnessing an event in which a person believes his/her…
Netflix Show Adolescence: A Wake-Up Call for Teen Mental Health Awareness
If you’re an adult, living in the USA, you’ve probably heard of the show “Adolescence” currently streaming on Netflix. The show tells the story of 13-year-old Jamie, who has been accused of murdering a female student from the school he attends. Spoiler alert. It turns out Jamie did indeed commit the horrifying crime and so…
Halloween Fun: How to Plan Trauma-Informed Classroom Festivities
As educators, creating a safe and supportive environment is always a priority, especially for students who have experienced trauma. With Halloween right around the corner, your classroom might be gearing up for special parties and fun activities! While many kids love getting into the spooky spirit, for children who’ve experienced trauma, some Halloween festivities can…
No Nightmares in the Classroom
by Michelle Bickhaus, M.Ed. Jack Skellington put it well when he said in The Nightmare Before Christmas, “Just because I cannot see it, doesn’t mean I can’t believe it!” Children who have experienced trauma experience it in their bodies and minds over and over again. Though they do not see the traumatic experiences repeated before…
When Helping Hurts: Recognizing and Managing Secondary Traumatic Stress
By Kirsty Ruggles, MS Many of us in helping professions can often find ourselves encountering daily secondary exposure to traumas such as community violence, domestic abuse, and child abuse or neglect. This vicarious experience, to the traumas that others are living and recounting, can create Secondary Traumatic Stress symptoms in us. Secondary Traumatic…
Why Being “Trauma-Informed” Isn’t Enough
If you’re trying to just be a “trauma-informed” educator, you may be missing a BIG piece of the puzzle: relationships. This school year, it’s crucial to adopt both trauma-informed and relationship-focused strategies to help students learn and engage in your classroom. So… what is trauma-informed education, really? When you’re teaching with a trauma-informed…
A Sense of Belonging
At The Knowledge Center, we believe relationships are primary. We know that relationships have to be the foundation to the work we do with children so they have the most success and healing when overcoming trauma. Whether it’s in the classroom, therapy office or principal’s office – relationships are the core to fully supporting children…
