Title
Teaching as Accommodation: The Benefits of Teaching All Children Through a Trauma-Informed Lens
Date of Award
5-2023
Document Type
Thesis - Campus Access Only
First Advisor
Jerusha Beckerman
Second Advisor
Denisha Jones
Abstract
Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are an epidemic in our society. In 2021 alone, an estimated 600,000 children in the United States experienced abuse or neglect, with 90.6% of all reported cases documenting one or both parents as the perpetrator (HHS, 2023). As educators, we play an important role in preventing and mitigating the effects of ACEs in our students. When a child’s home life is unstable, schools and teachers are the next line of defense. Throughout the United States, schools are the constant; they are a universal provider even in areas that otherwise have limited access to support. Schools are the closest thing we have to an equalizing and unifying protective factor against ACEs. In my thesis, I work to give teachers concrete examples of the effects of trauma as they appear in classrooms, and then suggest a broad approach to trauma-informed teaching. Using curb-cut theory as a guide, I propose that when we take strategies that are designed to accommodate children who have experienced trauma, and apply them to all students, everyone benefits.
Recommended Citation
Retzloff, Megan, "Teaching as Accommodation: The Benefits of Teaching All Children Through a Trauma-Informed Lens" (2023). Art of Teaching Thesis - Written. 17.
https://digitalcommons.slc.edu/aot_written/17
Included in
Child Psychology Commons, Cognitive Psychology Commons, Educational Methods Commons, Educational Psychology Commons, Elementary Education Commons, Elementary Education and Teaching Commons, Other Mental and Social Health Commons, Other Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons, Psychiatric and Mental Health Commons, School Psychology Commons, Social and Philosophical Foundations of Education Commons, Special Education and Teaching Commons