Hello friend.
Today, you will learn about Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and how they affect your students.
Guys, things are getting worse out there. Essential community services have been stripped to the bone. Extreme classroom behaviours are becoming commonplace up and down the country.
That's why learning trauma-informed practice is more vital than ever.
But most teachers fail to do this.
Because they strictly rely on their initial teacher training to guide them.
That’s not enough anymore.
In this newsletter, you will learn:
- The definition of an ACE
- Why sanctions can backfire
- The life outcomes of children with ACEs
- Why your job is not to ‘fix’ these students
- And why positive relationships are the key to unlocking their potential.
Now, let's dive in.
#1: What are ACEs?
ACEs are traumatic childhood events that happen before age 18.
Children raised in homes that have:
- Domestic violence
- Neglect
- Substance abuse
- Mental illness
- Extreme family dysfunction
Often face devastating psychological and emotional challenges that interfere with their natural development.
As a rule of thumb, the more ACEs someone has, the more mental and emotional support they need.
Sadly, these kids often develop ‘maladaptive responses’ to cope with these damaging events.
If you have kids who often:
- Kick-off in the classroom and are hostile to staff and peers
- Students who avoid classes altogether and defy any instructions
- Are ‘spaced out,’ forgetful and ‘freeze’ at the sign of any tension
Suggests that trauma is negatively impacting their everyday life. The trauma can cause them to feel weak, disempowered, and isolated from their peers.
#2: ACEs lead to worse life outcomes
Research shows that more ACEs increase the risk of bleak life outcomes. These poor kids are more likely to develop:
- Severe mental illness
- Substance abuse problems
- And even chronic ailments like cancer and heart disease.
ACEs harm relationships and dramatically reduce confidence and well-being.
Adults and teachers who overlook these factors may re-traumatise students and reinforce the cycle.
#3: Your job is NOT to become their psychotherapist
Becoming a trauma-informed practitioner doesn’t mean you become their personal shrinks.
Many of these kids’ problems are beyond your gift to fix. You can’t fix a kid’s housing situation, parents’ divorce, or put your money into their Monzo accounts.
But you can create safe and welcoming environments. You can help students feel comfortable, build trust, and engage in learning.
This includes:
- Listening
- Showing empathy
- Taking an interest in their passions and goals
Doing these things soothes their overactive nervous system, which is often lit up like the sky when the clock strikes 12am on New Year's Day.
If you can take the kid out of 'fight-or-flight,' you have a great chance to help them learn.
#4: Positive relationships improve behaviour better than sanctions in the long term.
Look, I’ve been in the game for a while and teaching these kids can be tricky.
Punitive punishments don’t change behaviour in the long term.
Over time, these students become more antsy, demotivated and disengage with education altogether.
However, showing interest and support can make students feel valued and supported.
Stable relationships with positive adults can be life-changing. Your influence can help them:
- Regulate themselves
- Deal with conflict effectively
- And remain focused on difficult tasks despite setbacks.
Positive relationships with supportive adults are the long-term cheat codes for classroom management.
5: Clear systems and routines help them feel safe and keep you sane
Guys, as much as we care about the students we teach, there must be structure.
I’m not telling you to be Mary Poppins. But I’m not telling you to be Genghis Khan either.
It’s not a contradiction to want to nurture our ACE students but want them to strive for excellence too.
To help our ACE students reach for the stars, we need:
- Clear systems and expectations displayed at all times
- Rewards and sanctions should be linked to these expectations
- Praise effort rather than results to foster a ‘growth mindset’
- Regular group activities to encourage self-regulation and classroom bonding.
To paraphrase famed author and productivity professor Adam Grant, we want to set high expectations but give our students the belief and the tools to meet them.
With this knowledge, I hope you can confidently identify the effects of childhood trauma. Additionally, you know how to create safe, welcoming learning environments that can help your youngsters thrive.
TLDR
- Adverse Traumatic Experiences (ACEs) are traumatic experiences that happen in childhood.
- ACEs can lead to bleak life outcomes and antisocial behaviours.
- Although we can’t fix all our students’ problems, we can create safe, welcoming environments they can thrive in
- Punitive sanctions will backfire in the long term. Work on building mutual respect and trust instead.
- Have clear systems and routines that set out expectations, rewards, and time to mutually bond.
I’m rooting for you! 🙌🏾👏🏾
Friend, this is the last TOTR newsletter of 2024. The next edition will be on Thursday 9th January 2025.
I want to say a massive thank you for subscribing to Teach Outside the Robot.
You work incredibly hard and I want to tell you how important you are to the young people you teach.
I hope you get the chance to rest over Christmas and binge-watch your favourite series on Netflix. 😎
From my family to yours, I wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Karl
