Using trauma-informed practice to support students and educators in a Post-COVID world: an action research project

Abstract

Children enter classrooms each day with a variety of experiences, and it is the hope that their teachers do their best to meet their needs. The 2020 global pandemic had a collective impact and resulted in new experiences -in big and small ways. The purpose of this Action Research study was to investigate trauma-informed resources and develop practices that teachers and staff could utilize while supporting all students and themselves. Participants for both cycles of work were educators from a K-5 elementary school in the Northeast. Cycle 1 semi-structured interviews enabled participants to share their experiences and perspectives about trauma-informed practices used at the research site, the strengths of those resources, and what was needed. The action step took the form of shared reading and focus group discussion to build knowledge about trauma-informed practices, designed, implemented, and evaluated to reinforce and develop best practices to support all students and educators in a post-pandemic world. Evaluation of Cycle 2 was done through surveys and focus group exit tickets. Findings included the significant impact of shifting educators' mindset around building school community and relationships and the importance of advocating for staff needs, including time, space, and resources. Implications for the organization included the creation of a community committee sustaining change, a commitment to reinstating community events and activities from before the pandemic, and continued knowledge building of trauma-informed practices (TIP) through a shared resource hub.