Understanding How Trauma Shows up in the Classroom

This is the first of a 2-part series where we’ll unpack the complexities of childhood trauma and its profound effects on young minds. Megin Rustin, a seasoned early childhood educator and adoptive mother, shares her wealth of knowledge and personal insights on this critical topic. 

Listen in as we explore the scientific intricacies of the developing brain, discussing how regions like the amygdala and hippocampus respond to trauma and how these responses can have lasting implications into adulthood. Our conversation offers a heartfelt blend of professional expertise and real-life experience, shedding light on the often unseen challenges children face due to traumatic experiences.

Topics Discussed in This Episode

• [00:00:00] Introduction
• [00:01:26] Why the topic of trauma is so important to Megin  
• [00:02:45] Megin’s role with Teachstone
• [00:03:23] How Megin was involved in early childhood education before Teachstone
• [00:05:31] What is defined as trauma
• [00:06:25] How the brain functions under traumatic circumstances
• [00:09:54] The things that start happening in the brain that affect its development when a traumatic event occurs
• [00:13:16] What’s happening in the brain when young children are experiencing chronic stress
• [00:15:36] The meanings of dysregulation and regulation
• [00:18:30] How children learn how to calm down and regulate themselves
• [00:22:08] The adult’s role in the regulation process
• [00:23:47] Step 2 of co-regulating 
• [00:26:21] Why timeouts aren’t effective and how that relates to regulation
• [00:31:40] Why you need to be aware of a variety of strategies because we need to meet individual children's needs

Resources

Kate Cline    

Megin Ruston