Bridging to Resilience

I believed that I was "trauma informed" and "responsive," until I had a child of my own who was trashing the classroom and eloping. Navigating my daughter's diagnosis, the pursuit of outside services, and working with school personnel on her behaviors has completely changed my perspective of struggling students and their families. I want to share the lessons I learned and how they affected my teaching practices so other teachers don't make the same well-meaning mistakes I did. Teachers will learn about the struggle to find outside resources, the feelings parents of struggling students experience, and how they can support families with compassion.

This session equips educators with actionable strategies to collaborate with school leaders in catalyzing restorative practices. Drawing from the experience of a former assistant superintendent and the personal transformation of a former superintendent, participants will learn how to navigate leadership dynamics, foster mutual understanding, and advocate for systemic change. Attendees will explore methods to bridge the gap between policy and practice, influence leadership mindsets, and leverage data to build a shared vision for restorative schools that prioritize equity and accountability. 

We will Unpack our American grand experiment on punishment and how it is ineffective and perpetuates trauma-inducing environments. If we want to stop losing kids, this is the biggest mindset shift needed to propel us forward in a trauma-informed school and community. This session will teach us how to create a shared language around punishment versus discipline. Participants will walk through several activities designed to be taken back to staff to shift paradigms and create the needed energy to transform where we currently are to where we want to go. This is an experiential and emotionally active session!