Resources

Trauma Informed Care:
"Students often exhibit behaviors which are a result of trauma, but that can be misinterpreted by a teacher as willful  disobedience, or that the child has greater controls over his/her behavior than he/she does. Potentially further  complicating interpretation of behavior are cultural factors which may be difficult for the teacher to identify and  understand.”  Teachers’ Strategies Guide for Working with Children Exposed to Trauma p. 4

Trauma: Trauma is a psychologically distressing event that is outside the range of usual human experience, often  involving a sense of intense fear, terror and helplessness. From: Helping traumatized Children: A brief Overview for  Caregivers. By Bruce Perry http://www.childtrauma.org/images/stories/Articles/attcar4_03_v2_r.pdf 

Five Criteria for Effective Discipline 

Effective Discipline: 

1. Helps children feel a sense of connection. (Belonging and significance.) 

2. Is mutually respectful and encouraging. (Kind and firm at the same time.)

3. Is effective long - term. (Considers what the child is thinking, feeling, learning, and deciding about  himself and his world – and what to do in the future to survive or to thrive.) 

4. Teaches important social and life skills. (Respect, concern for others, problem solving, and  cooperation as well as the skills to contribute to the home, school or larger community.)

5. Invites children to discover how capable they are. (Encourages the constructive use of personal  power and autonomy.) 

Source: Jane Nelsen, www.positivediscipline.com