Emotional Intelligence Tools to Understand and Respond to Trauma

Description

Concept by Sheryn Moon

We are trained to be teachers, not psychologists, yet day by day we cope with learners whose behavior and performance have been deeply affected by all kinds of social and personal trauma.

How can we best help and support them without disturbing the rhythm and balance of the other members of the group?

This course supports teachers and educators to understand the basics of trauma and how our autonomic nervous system pulls us into dysregulated states. We will explore how neuroception unconsciously affects behavior, and our ability to learn and connect with others.

You will learn some techniques and classroom management strategies to cope with distress, teach emotional intelligence, and help offset the negative consequences of trauma.

We will get to know our autonomic nervous systems through the lens of Polyvagal Theory, exploring without judgment how to recognize when we are in a dysregulated state and how to return to a place of calm, connection, and social engagement. When we can successfully self-regulate, we are in a better position to support others effectively.

You will take away a variety of resources to create safe spaces in your classrooms. Teaching self-regulation by modeling and guiding students through exercises and games that have a direct and positive effect on strengthening the vagal tone, therefore, teaching the essential skill of self-regulating their emotional state.

Your new knowledge will support you to create a positive impact on the class relationship and the whole school atmosphere.

Learning outcomes

This course will help participants to:

• Develop skills to recognize automatic trauma responses in self and others;
• Understand behavior through the lens of trauma & reduce the risk of doing further harm;
• Learn tools to cope with distress;
• Discover the basic principles of Polyvagal Theory and how important social connection is for health, growth, and learning;
• Emotional intelligence tools for schools (or exercises for students);
• Learn co-regulation and self-regulation exercises and games;
• Build psychologically safer classrooms;
• Cultivate compassion towards students and colleagues.

Tentative schedule

Day 1 – Introduction to the course

• Getting to know the group, outline of the course;
• Introduction to trauma;
• Survival responses fight, flight, freeze, and fawn;
• Why the world needs trauma-informed teachers and professionals.

Day 2 – The basics of Polyvagal Theory

• Understanding the basics of Polyvagal Theory;
• 3 autonomic neural pathways: ventral, sympathetic, and dorsal;
• Neuroception and safety;
• Co-regulation before self-regulation.

Day 3 – Emotional intelligence

• Befriending your nervous system;
• Recognizing dysregulation and how to find the way home;
• Emotional intelligence tools for schools.

Day 4 – The language of emotions

• Modeling self-regulation in the classroom;
• The language of emotions;
• Exercises & games to teach self-regulation.

Day 5 – Learning links and recommendations

• Reviewing knowledge gained and skills learned.

Day 6 – Course closure and cultural activities

• Course evaluation: round-up of acquired competencies, feedback, and discussion;
• Awarding of the course Certificate of Attendance;
• Excursion and other external cultural activities.