may-june

14 CEA ADVISOR MAY - JUNE 2018

CEA MEMBERS EXPLORE THE IMPACT OF TRAUMA ON THEIR STUDENTS As more and more students arrive

KNOW YOUR RIGHTS

How to Respond to Aggressive Student Behavior Aggressive student behavior toward teachers has been called a silent crisis, because many teachers are unsure of their rights, administrators are often unwilling to address or report the problem, and aggressive students are increasingly the youngest children in our schools. Remember that no matter what the child’s age is, unwanted physical contact (such as biting, spitting, or kicking) is unacceptable and must be reported. This allows you and the student to get the necessary help. So, what do you do about a student’s aggressive behavior toward you? • Document unusual or escalating behavior in writing. • Review your school’s safety plan, board of education policies, and • File a report with your principal. At the top of the report, write “Pursuant to C.G.S. Section 10-233g(a).” This refers to a Connecticut notification law that requires your principal to forward a copy of the report to the local police. • Provide your local Association with a copy of your 10-233g(a) report with students’ names redacted so that the local can follow up with the administration. • If you have an injury, see the school nurse or seek outside medical attention. Consider filing a workers’ compensation notice of injury so that the incident is documented in the event you do need to make a claim down the road. • You are entitled to file a criminal report of threats or physical violence with the police; state statute prohibits school administrators from interfering or prohibiting such reporting. • If the student who assaulted you has an IEP, request a PPT meeting in writing immediately and include a copy of the assault report. Additional supports and modifications or a change in the student’s placement might be in order. As the demands to address all of a student’s academic and emotional needs have increased, it is vitally important that all teachers are informed of their legal rights and duties related to assaults by students. In this timely workshop, you will • Hear about preventive actions you can take to protect yourself and your students before an incident occurs • Learn what steps can and should be taken in the event that you are assaulted by a student • Use a case-study method to analyze the dos and don’ts related to student assault If you are interested in having your local Association host this workshop, presented by CEA’s Robyn Kaplan-Cho, contact your local Association president or CEA UniServ Representative for more information. protection: Preventing and responding to assaults by students HCR workshop Knowledge is the best your collective bargaining agreement for protections.

Ristuccia noted that in a school setting where students may be coming from much lower socio- economic backgrounds, the prevalence of childhood trauma is even higher. These students tend to have very reactive responses dictated by an “I need to keep myself safe” mentality at all times. They are consumed with fear and often overreact to mild or moderately stressful situations. This manifests in aggressive or defiant behavior, because the students are experiencing rapid, unexpected emotional shifts. This, in turn, results in impaired executive function and reduced engagement in learning, which negatively impacts their academic performance and devastates their success in school. So what can teachers do to support these students? Ristuccia suggests that small actions can have big impacts and recommends that teachers utilize the “power of community” to support student success. He told attendees, “The most important thing you can do is community. We are social beings, and kids need to feel like they are part of a community. It’s not so much about diagnosis and treatment but rather how you can create a community for them.” Specific suggestions included teaching social and emotional skills, provide your students with meaningful connections to students also spoke of the need for students to learn empathy, the fact that hate crimes and intolerance can be directed at any group, and the face that no one is immune. Abrams has earned a reputation nationally as a teacher expert on genocide and Holocaust education, having created classes and curricula in this area and led students on what he has called “Freedom Tours”— trips to concentration camps, Holocaust museums, and other landmarks in Germany, the Czech Republic, and Poland. Abrams said, “This bill has taken on special meaning for us at Avon High School. I can’t tell you how many people contacted me to tell me

maintaining a predictable classroom environment, using detention time to teach social skills, and providing a space in the classroom where students can go to calm themselves. Teachers also should engage in ongoing trauma-informed professional development to ensure that they are constantly monitoring their own assumptions and emotions. For more information go to traumasensitiveschools.org .

to school each day bearing the effects of traumatic childhood experiences, teachers need to become better informed about ways in which they can support them. In an effort to learn more about trauma- informed education, over 90 CEA members attended a workshop in May called The Impact of Trauma on Learning. Guest speaker Joe Ristuccia, a school psychologist and consultant to the Trauma and Learning Policy Initiative (TLPI) in Massachusetts, focused on how educators can create safe, supportive, trauma-sensitive learning environments that promote improved social, emotional, and academic growth in their students. Ristuccia cited an ACE (Adverse Childhood Experiences) study conducted by physicians with Kaiser Permanente HMO in San Diego in 1998. The study looked at the correlation between early childhood education and adult disease but focused on 10 categories of adverse childhood experiences. Although the patients in the study were well- educated and able to afford quality health insurance, 64 percent indicated that they had experienced at least one ACE. Even more surprising was that 22 percent experienced 3 or 4 ACEs and were thus at extreme risk for social, emotional, and cognitive impairments. In a unanimous vote of the legislature, Holocaust and genocide awareness have become required courses of study for all Connecticut public schools. Beginning with the upcoming 2018-2019 school year, all districts must include this in their social studies curriculum. As part of its implementation, the law (Public Act 18-24) does allow districts to use existing resources and accept gifts, grants, and donations. Stu Abrams, a social studies teacher in Avon, brought several of his students to the legislative hearing on this proposal. Abrams testified about the importance of Holocaust and genocide education and its relevance to current events. His

Joe Ristuccia, an expert on how students are impacted by traumatic experiences, addresses CEA members at a workshop in May sponsored by CEA’s Human and Civil Rights Commission.

Holocaust and Genocide Awareness Now Required Curriculum in Connecticut

2018-2019 CEA HUMAN AND CIVIL RIGHTS AWARDS Celebrate excellence: Nominate your colleagues Why do we celebrate excellence? Educators live in a world filled with challenges and threats to their profession and their schools. In spite of these challenges, they—along with other individuals and organizations—find innovative ways to support students and public education. CEA’s Human and Civil Rights Awards acknowledge these dedicated and diverse men and women for advancing human and civil rights and for standing up for their students and public schools. Honor an individual with a nomination for a CEA Human and Civil Rights Award. Visit cea.org/about/grants-awards/ that the students were the ‘difference that made the difference.’ What this reminded me of was the students in Parkland, Florida. Everyone was so impressed with how they spoke out after the tragedy at their high school. It should come as no surprise how articulate, elegant, and passionate our students can be.”

hcr for details. The nomination deadline is February 1, 2019.

Avon Education Association member Stu Abrams appeared before the Connecticut General Assembly’s Education Committee in March in support of the Holocaust and genocide education bill.