In preparation for new teaching standards required by the state of Colorado in the U. S., faculty from educator preparation programs across the University of Northern Colorado engaged a summer professional learning community focused a book study of “Equity-Centered Trauma-Informed Education,” by Alex Shevrin (2021). The professional learning community consisted of faculty teaching in educator preparation courses across the university motivated to explore the book’s equity-centered and trauma-informed practices to learn new practices that align with the new expectations for preparation of future educators across PK-12 education contexts.

While a focus on increasing equity for diverse learners in PK-12 education has been an important discussion in the US since the civil rights movement that started in the 1950’s, the emergence of trauma as a focus of attention in educational settings has become central to educator preparation much more recently. Although additional resources are available to support students identified with disabilities, many students who have experienced trauma may not be identified with a disability and may not receive support beyond their typical classroom teacher(s). Simultaneously, traumatic experiences are becoming more common in society and the implications of trauma on long-term health are highly concerning. Yet traumatic experiences can affect students (and teachers) with a wide variety of diverse identities and create barriers to learning for students, barriers to supporting learning effectively for teachers, and substantial impacts on wellbeing for both.

This presentation will share the principles of equity-centered, trauma-informed education, how PK-12 teachers, teacher trainers, and school leaders can enable these practices, and approaches to use within classrooms and across schools to disrupt the cycle of trauma that can be experienced by increasing effective support for those who bring the effects of trauma with them or have experienced trauma within school.

Keywords: Teachers, Training, Equity, Trauma, Barriers, Wellbeing, Leadership.