Holding Space for 300: Talking Trauma-Informed Practice With Our Staff

Holding Space for 300: Talking Trauma-Informed Practice With Our Staff

One of the most meaningful parts of my role is getting to stand in front of our full staff—nearly 300 educators—and talk about something that sits at the center of everything I believe about schools: trauma-informed practice is not “extra,” it is the work.

When I present on trauma-informed approaches during our professional development days, I’m not just sharing strategies; I’m inviting our educators to see students—and themselves—through a different lens. A lens that says, “What happened to you?” instead of, “What’s wrong with you?”

And yes, sometimes that applies to the adults in the room, too.

Why Trauma-Informed Practice Matters in Our Context

In our independent study and virtual settings, trauma doesn’t always show up as the “classic” behaviors people expect. It can look like:

• Cameras off and chronic disengagement

• Parents who are overwhelmed, short, or non-responsive

• Students who are “fine” on paper but emotionally checked out

When I design these sessions, I’m thinking about our specific context: educators who are juggling Zoom meetings, progress monitoring, IEPs, SSTs, and everything in between. My goal is to connect trauma-informed practice to what they’re already doing—not pile something new on top.

I walk our staff through how trauma can impact attention, memory, executive functioning, and relationships, and then we talk about what that actually looks like in a virtual classroom, a phone call, or a parent meeting.

No scare tactics. No guilt trips. Just honest conversation and practical tools.

What I Focus On in the Training

In each session, I structure the learning around a few big ideas:

1. Regulated Adults, Regulated Systems

   1. Before we talk about student behavior, we talk about us. I remind our staff that they are human beings, not robots with laptops. We name compassion fatigue, burnout, and the emotional toll of the work—not as weaknesses, but as realities that deserve care and structure.

2. Predictability as a Form of Care

   1. Trauma often lives in unpredictability. So we look at how simple things—clear routines, consistent communication, predictable follow-up—can feel deeply grounding for students and families. I connect this back to our MTSS and SEL systems so teachers see that structure is not just “compliance”—it’s comfort.

3. Shifting from “Why are they like this?” to “What might be driving this?”

   1. We unpack real scenarios: the student who no-shows, the parent who sends a sharp email, the teen who shuts down on Zoom. Instead of judging, we practice curiosity. This is where we layer in strategies: regulation breaks, flexible responses, language that de-escalates instead of escalates.

4. Small Moves, Big Impact

   1. I’m very clear: trauma-informed practice is not about turning teachers into therapists. It’s about small, repeatable moves—warm openings, check-ins, choice, voice, and a focus on relationship before redirection.

How I Design the Experience for 300

Presenting to nearly 300 staff is a big room, physically or virtually. I try to model the exact practices I’m asking them to use with students:

• We start with grounding. A brief breathing or centering moment—not to be “cute,” but to say, “You matter, too.”

• We connect data to stories. I pull in what we’re seeing from SEL Tier 3 referrals, attendance patterns, or family feedback and connect it to actual student experiences.

• We keep it interactive. Turn-and-talks, chat box reflections, quick polls, or scenario-based activities that let people wrestle with the material instead of just receiving it.

• 
  

I never want these sessions to feel like, “Here’s one more initiative.” I want staff to leave thinking, “This actually helps me tomorrow.”

What I Hope Staff Walk Away With

At the end of a trauma-informed session, my goal is not that everyone can recite definitions. My goal is that they:

• Feel seen in their own emotional experience as educators

• Have language to describe what they’re noticing in students and families

• Walk away with 3–4 specific strategies they can try right away

• Understand how our larger systems—SEL Tier 3, MTSS, SPED, 504—are designed to support this work, not sit separate from it

I remind them that trauma-informed practice is not a “flavor of the year.” It’s a way of seeing, responding, and designing that can actually make schools safer and more predictable—for students and for the adults who show up every day.

Why This Work Feels Personal

As a special education leader, a systems-builder, and a parent, I don’t approach trauma-informed practice as an abstract concept. I’ve seen what happens when students’ needs are dismissed as “attitude” or “non-compliance,” and I’ve seen what happens when teams respond with curiosity and support instead of frustration.

When I’m standing in front of our staff of nearly 300, I’m thinking about:

• The student who finally logs into class after weeks away

• The caregiver trying to hold everything together on the other side of the screen

• The teacher who cares deeply, but is exhausted and needs systems that don’t rely on heroics

Those are the people these presentations are for.

Looking Ahead

These trauma-informed PD sessions are not a one-time event; they’re part of a larger shift toward schools where support is something you can feel—in the way we email, teach, follow up, and design systems.

This blog is one way I’m capturing that journey: what we’re trying, what we’re learning, and how we’re evolving as a community of educators.

And if you’ve been in one of those rooms with me—thank you for leaning into the hard conversations, asking honest questions, and showing up for students in ways they may never fully see, but absolutely feel.