I am a teacher.
I consider that trauma-informed practice in education is a positive, essential thing .
I also know that schools are bound by a narrative of "control".
It is commonly believed that "poor" teachers cannot "control" their classes
I understand that some children shout out and disrupt because of fear caused by adverse childhood experiences. I know that all behaviour is communication.
I need to be thought of as a good teacher by students, parents and most importantly, other staff in the school.
My professional identity is bound up with being able to "control" my classroom - broadly described as being able to get all students to be silent and listen to me or carry out whatever task I have set them. Disruption, from whatever source, however well I understand it, is unsettling for me. It undermines my sense of capability, my control of the classroom
So implementing trauma informed principles of safety, trustworthiness, choice, collaboration and empowerment is challenging for me. I want all these things to be true in my classroom, but to do this I have to deal with my internal narrative of "control".
I am not alone in my understanding of this narrative of control. Good order in a classroom is generally associated with good learning. Good order is often associated with safety for all students. Good order and control are often central to a secondary school's ethos, sense of identity and reputation. Whatever I do in my classroom has to be supported by the whole-school culture and ethos.
I know that conventional behaviour strategies are based on fear which is fundamentally psychologically unsafe for most learners. I understand and support relationship-first teaching. I know that conventional behaviour strategies are counter-productive for most children, and particularly those who have experienced childhood trauma. But my internal narrative and individual professional identity are based upon control and those are hard to shift.
Many, if not most, teachers are like me in having an underlying narrative of control.
And we wonder why inclusive trauma-informed practices are slow to impact mainstream practice!
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