"I am so thankful for the information and knowledge I gained from this course. I work with many students who have been through significant trauma. This course taught me that while there are some students with obvious trauma I know about, there are others in my classroom who have been through trauma that I am unaware of and the student themself may be unaware of as well...Overall I really learned a lot from this course and I am very grateful for all that I have taken away from it. It has transformed who I am as a teacher and many of the ways I teach and approach situations with my students and their families."
-- M.C. from Massachusetts
"My biggest take away from this course is how we can be proactive and not reactive when it comes to trauma. Everyone comes in with some kind of trauma and it is not as important that we know the specific trauma as it is we know and reflect on our trauma informed strategies. I have taken professional development on trauma informed teaching prior to this course, so I knew many of the components. I appreciated the language of being proactive since we know, inevitably, we will have students that have experienced trauma."
-- D.K. from Wyoming
"Equity is important to consider, because if we are truly equitable, we are looking at benefiting every single individual that walks through our doors. Restorative practices are one thing that schools and teachers can implement to ensure that every child is being heard during any conflict or problem. Therefore, it is vital to shift equity to the center so our students and families have the best experience where they feel comfortable and safe to let down their guard and be a team player."
--K.T. from Michigan
"Equity Centered Trauma Education is a vital course that explores the intersection of equity, trauma, and education. Equity Centered Trauma Education equips educators with the knowledge, skills, and strategies to create a more inclusive, supportive, and equitable learning environment for all students, especially those who have experienced trauma. By integrating trauma-informed practices and equity-centered approaches into teaching, educators can positively impact student well-being and academic success."
-- R.S. from Michigan
"I think some of the best ideas I will take from this course are the guidelines for relationship building...I appreciated the insistence that we should not be the -only one- for a student but that we should instead facilitate relationships between students and serve as a bridge to other caring adults and resources. It is more powerful to help a student connect with their community than to be their savior. The author empowered me to be a connection maker, working to increase the number and quality of relationships and recognizing that students already have valuable relationships in their lives."
-- A.P. from California
"I have said this about other courses, but I really mean this about the course I just took on equity-centered and trauma-informed education. This course was heavy! It really pushed me to dive into my memories of school when I was a child and also into instances in which I have felt like an outsider...Once again, I am very appreciative of this course being offered and feel lucky that I chose it. I will beyond a doubt recommend this course to others who are looking for meaningful professional development as educators."
-- A.M.S. from Maryland