Today's educators face the difficult task of meeting the needs of diverse classrooms that include children who have been affected by war, violent conflict and trauma. The psychosocial needs of war-affected children who resettle in Canada can be intense, complicated, and can require a sensitive and individualized approach. Trauma can have multiple consequences on children that are not easily understood. Children who have experienced trauma are often labelled as disruptive, defiant, and at high risk of dropping out. When appropriate supports are in place, it is possible for children to recover from trauma. Working from a trauma informed perspective is a valuable approach to teaching that helps to ease the transition of these students into our classrooms, increasing the possibility of a successful Canadian transition. This webinar draws from qualitative research conducted in Canada and oversees that examines best practices in supporting the psychosocial needs of refugee students as a means of supporting successful integration into our schools and communities.
Key takeaways from this webinar will include:
1. Working from a trauma-informed perspective
2. Building capacity in newcomer students - Effects of trauma and interrupted learning and helping newcomer students that have suffered trauma and violence in their lives
3. Building a culturally responsive space and classroom
4. Lesson plans to assist and build capacity in classroom teachers
Bridging two worlds : building teacher capacity in working with refugee children
Culturally responsive teaching can be defined as using the cultural knowledge, prior experiences, frames of reference, and performance styles of ethnically diverse students to make learning encounters more relevant to and effective for them. It teaches to and through the strengths of these students.
