Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1175948
gloves to clean the sink. After some elbow grease to right his wrong and a heart-to-heart to talk about his choices, the boy returned to class to continue the day's learning. Bennett shared another story about Kasper, a member of the Cali forni a S ch o o l Employe e s Association (CSEA), that illustrates the culture of compassion at Jamestown. One of Bennett's students became particularly anxious about homework, so she asked him to take a moment outside and practice some breathing exercises while she got the class working on an assignment. When she came outside to help him, Bennett learned that Kasper had encountered the distraught boy and taken him to the office for assistance. "Our custodian took care of this kid. Not me. Not a teacher," Bennett says. "is is how it is supposed to be — that any adult on campus can see a student in need and get them help." The calming power of mindfulness Encina High teacher Mary Reardon Hackman welcomes every student by name and with a smile at the door of her class- room. The students in her English language development class are returning from lunch, bringing with them an active but unfocused energy. Before they take a planned reading test, Reardon Hackman asks the class to practice a short mindful- ness session to create some space between outside and the rest of the school day. " S o we're goin g to do some breathing exercises before we do well on our test," she says, bringing the room to a peaceful silence, broken only by her soft instructions. "Breathe in through your nose, deeply and slowly. Out through your mouth. Stretch your arms up and try to touch the ceiling. Reach high, as if you could touch the sky." After five minutes of deliberate breathing and stretching, the atmosphere feels different. Reardon Hackman, a member of SJTA, asks her students to raise their hands if they feel calmer, prompting nearly the entire class to thrust them into the air. "It feels amazing," exclaims Yasir Salarzai. "is is why we're studying so well!" "It makes me feel normal and ready to learn," says Julian Castro. "Now that I'm relaxed, I'm ready for the test," says Hasina Shams. Bringing Trauma-Informed Practices to Your School I T T A K E S A collaborative and deliberate effort to build a trauma-informed culture at school, but you don't have to wait to start building empathetic and compassionate communities. We asked trauma-informed educators Barry Roth and Phe Bach for their advice to educators who want to bring these practices to their students. Roth: "Begin working with people who are like-minded. You're going to find colleagues who are doing trauma-informed practices on your site. Then go to the district and ask to have trauma-informed trainings added to your professional development. Start with the willing, work with your site leadership, your district admin, your local association and other educators to focus your efforts on the kids." Bach: "Some schools have a culture of fear, so it's very important for us to culti- vate compassion and kindness in our classrooms. Ask your fellow teachers about professional development opportunities to learn more about mindfulness and other trauma-informed practices. Give yourself an opportunity to experience it yourself. Take the initiative to bring this lens to your school." For more resources, visit the National Child Traumatic Stress Network, nctsn.org. Encina High teacher Mary Reardon Hackman welcomes every student at the door. Two minutes of breathing exercises changes the room 24 cta.org feature