Trauma-informed teaching practice and refugee children: A hopeful reflection on welcoming our new neighbours to Canadian schools
Abstract
Given the Canadian government’s focus on refugee resettlement in light of global crises, many schools are receiving increased enrolment of students who have experienced the trauma associated with living in, and fleeing from, regions experiencing armed conflict. The authors assert that given the numbers of such students entering Calgarian classrooms, it is important that educators have at least some knowledge of trauma-informed teaching practice. While acknowledging the challenges inherent in trauma-informed teaching practice, the article encourages a move away from a deficit perspective on children from refugee backgrounds, toward one of hope, befitting the resiliency such children bring to their new country.
Notes
Community organizations: Calgary Board of Education (CBE)
Future research / gaps identified: n/a
Key findings:
- It is importance to adopt a trauma-informed teaching practice in supporting refugee children who have experienced the traumas of war, emphasizing the infectious hope and resilience brought by these children
- There is a need for educators to recognize the devastating impacts of complex trauma and to implement strategies to create a safe and welcoming learning environment for refugee children
- It is important to apply the ARC Framework in a Canadian high school to support the attachment, self-regulation, and developmental competence of newly-arrived refugee students
Key populations: Teachers with refugee students in their classrooms
Location: Calgary, AB
Open access: No
Integration timeline: not defined
Key recommendations:
On a broader level, teachers need to engage in more 1) trauma-informed teaching through the ARC Framework, as well as 2) self care.
