Awareness is not enough: Competency and skills-based trauma training for teachers and teacher candidates
Publication Date
6-20-2025
Document Type
Contribution to a Book
Publication Title
Developing Trauma Informed Teachers Intentional Partnerships to Create Classrooms that Foster Equity Resiliency and Asset Based Approaches
Volume
3
First Page
109
Last Page
124
Abstract
Although trauma is remarkably commonplace for K-12 students, schoolwide responses to address symptoms and effects have been primarily reactive, resulting in issues with the implementation of seemingly trauma-informed models and frameworks. This chapter discusses a partnership between a teacher preparation program, a counselor preparation program, and a local school district that is grounded in liberation psychology and prioritizes a competency and skill-based delivery system. To illustrate the necessity for this partnership's model, the chapter discusses the most common frameworks for addressing trauma and its effects within schools before exploring potential limitations in the theoretical and practical foundations that result in limited effectiveness at implementation. Finally, the chapter discusses some specific praxis suggestions consistent with the liberation psychology grounding of the partnership.
Department
Counselor Education; Teacher Education
Recommended Citation
Zachary McNiece, Sandra Zuñiga Ruiz, Andrew Chakalian, and Amy Bencomo. "Awareness is not enough: Competency and skills-based trauma training for teachers and teacher candidates" Developing Trauma Informed Teachers Intentional Partnerships to Create Classrooms that Foster Equity Resiliency and Asset Based Approaches (2025): 109-124.
