Teacher Coaching to Support Trauma-Informed Classroom Management

Traumatic stress is common in school-aged youth, and its effects often manifest in classroom settings. However, teachers often do not receive sufficient preparation to manage their classrooms in a trauma-informed manner. Therefore, teacher coaching may be a promising avenue for strengthening teacher capacity in this area. This paper (a) describes the current state of youth traumatic stress, (b) discusses the role of teachers in supporting youth with or at risk for traumatic stress, and (c) presents a case demonstration of a trauma-informed adaptation of the Classroom Check-Up to illustrate how school-based coaching can be used to foster teacher uptake of trauma-informed classroom management practices. Practical implications and future research directions are discussed.