Trauma-informed Approach in Everyday School Life – In-service Training for Early Childhood and Basic Education Teachers
The project trained early childhood and basic education teachers to recognize the effects of students’ traumatic stress and to respond to them in a trauma-informed way in everyday school life. The aim was to strengthen a safe learning environment and to support students’ learning.
Funders
Project information
Implementation time
15.5.2023 – 30.6.2025
Funder
OPH
Research programme
Project type
Themes
Project Manager
Milla Ylitalo
Sustainable development goals
Project background
Many children have traumatic experiences in their background that can make schooling and learning more difficult. Teachers need additional competencies to be able to take these experiences into account in their teaching and to act in ways that do not further burden students.
Project objectives
- To strengthen early childhood and basic education teachers’ ability to recognize students’ traumatic stress
- To provide teachers with practical tools to support traumatized students in everyday school life
- To support the entire school community in building a safer learning environment
Project activities
- We designed and implemented a 5 ECTS in-service training programme for teachers
- We organized online webinars and face-to-face sessions addressing trauma and its effects on learning
- We trained teachers in concrete support methods and in strengthening their own resources
- We collected interim and final feedback from participants during the training.
Key results and outputs
- The project produced a continuing education model that increased teachers’ understanding of a trauma-informed approach
- Participants gained practical tools that they could apply directly in everyday school settings
- The training strengthened teachers’ professional confidence
A compiled version of the training is available in the Open Educational Resources Library (aoe.fi).
The material provides teachers with the means to understand the basics of a trauma-informed approach in everyday school life. The approach helps create a safe, supportive, and recovery-promoting learning environment for all students.
With the materials, you can learn how to:
- recognize expressions of traumatic stress in a student’s everyday life
- discuss traumatic stress with students and groups
- support and take into account traumatized students in everyday school situations
- identify opportunities for post-traumatic growth
The materials are suitable for teachers in basic and upper secondary education as well as other professionals working in the school community.
Contacts
-
Milla Ylitalo
Senior Lecturer
milla.ylitalo@laurea.fi
+358 40 081 9041
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