Building Resilient Classrooms: Trauma-Informed Strategies for Educators

Welcome to Building Resilient Classrooms: Trauma-Informed Strategies for Educators!

In today’s classrooms, students bring with them a wide range of life experiences; some of which include trauma, adversity, and chronic stress. These experiences can significantly impact behavior, learning, and relationships. This interactive training empowers educators with the knowledge, skills, and tools to create trauma-informed learning environments that promote safety, connection, and resilience.

Participants will explore the impact of trauma on brain development and student behavior, learn practical strategies for fostering emotional regulation and positive relationships, and develop classroom practices that support all learners; especially those affected by trauma. Grounded in evidence-based approaches and framed through a lens of equity and care, this workshop is designed to help educators build stronger, more responsive, and more inclusive classrooms.

Key Takeaways:

• Understand how trauma affects learning, behavior, and development
• Identify signs of trauma and stress in students
• Learn classroom strategies that promote safety, consistency, and connection
• Foster resilience through relationship-building and co-regulation
• Develop a trauma-informed mindset and instructional approach

Please note:

Event links will be shared with the registered email.

ACT 48 hours are available upon request for certified teachers in Pennsylvania.

Dr. Ken Smythe-Leistico is the Director of Field Education (MSW) and Associate Professor in the Department of Social Work at Carlow University. His areas of expertise include parent-family-community engagement, school performance and attendance initiatives, and non-profit communication strategies. Dr. Ken is the Project Director for the HRSA-funded CURE program. The program seeks to provide MSW and PsyD students with hands-on interprofessional, interdisciplinary experience working with vulnerable populations in underserved areas during their field experiences. He is also the Co-Director of Carlow’s Strength-Based Mental Health grant where he helped to develop the new School Social Work specialization. Dr. Ken is PI of the Carlow Community Scholars Program funded by Senator Casey’s congressional appropriations. The program aims to support Carlow students who are aging out of foster care or who have experienced homelessness.

Dr. Ken was the former Assistant Director of the University of Pittsburgh Office of Child Development (OCD). He researched, developed, and implemented programs that target children and families transitioning into kindergarten while reducing chronic absence. His blend of research to practice was demonstrated through the development of a trademarked brand for kindergarten and a website with practical tools and resources for school transition which was recognized by National Head Start as a “Promising Practice”. Ken was featured as an Emerging Leader by the Harvard Family Involvement Network of Educators, honored by Pittsburgh Magazine as one of the region's “40 under 40”, and is the author of several articles, book chapters, and a children’s book. Ken has been an invited speaker and trainer with over 100 national presentations that focused on kindergarten transition, utilizing technology to improve outcomes for families and children, and using decision-making science and branding to improve the reach of non-profit organizations.

Dr. Smythe-Leistico possesses a Doctorate in Education from the University of Pittsburgh, a Master of Social Work from the University of Alabama, and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology and Sociology from the University of Wisconsin at Whitewater.