Creating Trauma-Informed, Strengths-based Classrooms: Teacher Strategies for Nurturing Students' Healing, Growth, and Learning

With accessible strategies grounded in trauma-informed education and positive psychology, this book equips teachers to support all students, particularly the most vulnerable. It will help them to build their resilience, increase their motivation and engagement, and fulfil their full learning potential within the classroom.

Trauma-informed, strengths-based classrooms are built upon three core aims: to support children to build their self-regulatory capacities, to build a sense of relatedness and belonging at school, and to integrate wellbeing principles that nurture growth and identify strengths. Taking conventional approaches to trauma one step further, teachers may create a classroom environment which helps students to meet their own needs in a healthy way and progress academically.

Based on the successful Berry Street education strategies pioneered by the authors, this book also includes comprehensive case studies, learning points and opportunities for self-reflection, fully supporting teachers to implement these strategies within the classroom.

"This book is full of rich examples, tips, ideas, and gems of knowledge around trauma; to support schools to offer children a much more containing, calm, regulating, and supportive school experience. This books looks at some of the reasons why children might behave in certain ways, as behaviour is communication, and is curious about "what happened to you?" and "what is strong with you?" instead of "what is wrong with you?". There an array of tangible take home messages and skills which can be apply in the day-to-day school experience. It will be a valuable and enriching resource in the education world."
- Dr Karen Treisman, Clinical Psychologist, Trainer, Organisational Consultant, Author

"This book provides an exciting and unique framework for supporting learners in schools who have been impacted by complex trauma. Tom and Jacolyn draw from neuroscience and positive psychology to explain the impact of trauma on developing bodies and brains and provide easy-to-implement classroom strategies to address this harm. Above all, their work is respectful of trauma-impacted young people and those wonderful people in schools working hard to educate them. An important resource for all educators! "
- Dr. Judith Howard, Associate Professor, Queensland University of Technology.

"This book is a much-needed and essential addition to the expanding field of wellbeing education. Tom Brunzell and Jacolyn Norrish draw on the most advanced research and the practical wisdom of Berry Street. The result is a book that focuses on how teachers can establish trauma-informed, strengths-based classrooms. It is full examples, providing teachers with greater insight into how teachers can support students who may be struggling in and outside the classroom. Thoughtfully written case studies and vignettes connect theory into practice. This book combines comprehensive, evidence-informed strategies for teachers and school leaders alike."
- Prof Mathew White, School of Education, The University of Adelaide