Abstract
Trauma occurs in a variety of forms including abuse, violence, neglect, or witness to any of these events. In the past, some have viewed trauma as a deficit that needs to be repaired. While this healing approach has value, new research has garnered a great deal of attention in shifting this paradigm to a strengths-based methodology. One such representation is the trauma-informed positive education (TIPE) model. This chapter provides an overview of the TIPE model and its three domains (i.e., repairing regulatory abilities, repairing disrupted attachment, and increasing psychological resources); discusses relevant pedagogical practices including emotional intelligence, mindfulness, grit, and growth mindset; and gives practical examples for educators to implement.
TopBackground
According to Brunzell et al. (2015), trauma can be described as “an overwhelming experience that can forever alter one’s beliefs that the world is good and safe” (p. 4). Trauma and traumatic events are prevalent in all facets of life, at every stage, and every age. There are also different types of trauma. Simple trauma is a short-lived occurrence or one-time event that threatens serious harm (e.g. serious accident(s) or natural disasters like hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, etc.) (Brunzell et al., 2015). While this name may imply that this type of trauma is “clear cut,” that could not be farther from the truth. Often simple trauma has some of the most powerful and immediate effects on students and their behaviors. This is in contrast to complex trauma, which is the traumatic exposure to multiple events over a longer time that may have ongoing personal threats, violence, or violation (e.g. child abuse, neglect, bullying, etc.) (Brunzell et al., 2015). Over time, complex trauma, when ignored or inadequately addressed, has the potential to be more devastating on students than simple trauma. This can have a lasting emotional and cognitive impact.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Trauma-Informed Positive Education (TIPE): An educational model that addresses trauma in students through three main domains that center on becoming present at the moment, building strong relationships in the classroom, and practicing positive psychology.
Growth Mindset: An internalized perspective of one’s effort can create ability and overcome any deficit one may have.
Trauma: An intense and vast experience that can alter the course of one’s life in terms of how safe one feels within the world.
Grit: The characteristic to persevere through life’s challenges to continually strive to achieve one’s goals.
Mindfulness: The practice of being present in one’s everyday experiences and life.
Emotional Intelligence: The ability to manage our feelings and emotions in ourselves and through our relationships with others.
Positive Education: This model focuses on incorporating language, cognition, and social skills in the classroom, which allows teachers to better meet the social and emotional needs of their students and assist in their development.