By Sheri Bennett, POE Director of Professional Learning
This will be the year that ALL of your students remember you as they look back at their school years. They will look back and think about how you showed up in the classroom or appeared on their screen to teach them a new math formula or check in on how their projects are progressing. Can’t you just hear them as adults? “Remember when my teacher made us wash our hands every five minutes and we had to use all that hand sanitizer and keep masks on our faces – over your nose. That was the craziest year ever!”
Professionally, we have made tremendous strides in our growth as we have learned how to navigate the pandemic. So many educators have continued doing their best to offer Oklahoma students the most effective instruction under the extremely stressful circumstances. Globally and nationally this has been a traumatic experience that we will never forget.
Trauma-informed care is a must as we move forward with educators and students who have all experienced a highly traumatic year. The Oklahoma State Department of Education is hosting a one-day summit called “Awareness to Action” that will offer educators a framework for action. Led by Heather Forbes, who has worked in the field of trauma and healing since 1999, the statewide virtual training will be held on Monday, Feb. 15. If you have never heard her teach, you need to be sure to register for this training. She is a passionate, powerful teacher on the effects of trauma and you will not want to miss her FREE learning opportunity!
“Awareness to Action” is moving educators from being trauma informed to practical actions in your classroom, school or district that will assist you as we continue to navigate the rest of the year ahead! You will definitely learn techniques to help you as you serve the students with trauma on top of the pandemic trauma!
Read more about the Trauma Summit and register today.
“Remember the craziest year ever? Yeah, I remember eating lunch in our classrooms, sanitizer everywhere and my teacher who loved me – it wasn’t such a crazy year after all.”
— Your Thankful Student