Trauma in Schools #26 — Creating Caring School Environment for Students

“I always tried to impress upon my faculty that we are there for the students. We’re not employed by anybody else but the students.”

— Godwin Higa

Godwin Higa is a former teacher and principal of the year in the San Diego Unified School District and currently serves as an adjunct professor at Alliant International University-San Diego Campus. He is a nationally recognized expert on trauma-informed teaching practices and restorative justice. He is currently a candidate for the San Diego school board.

The Takeaway

Teachers must lead with compassion to connect with students and make them feel safe. To do this, teachers should try to remove any isolating, invalidating, and harmful aspects within the classroom. A safe and healing environment helps students develop socially and academically, especially after experiencing or during a traumatic event.

As you listen

Why is it important that teachers understand the neuroscience of trauma in addition to the practices?
How can youth be involved in restorative practices in the school community?
How do trauma-informed practices impact academic outcomes in students?
What can the school do for students coming back to class after experiencing trauma?
How can educational staff become more open-minded about trauma-informed practices?
What can teachers do to learn about generational trauma, ethnic struggles, and equality?
What are certain types of abuse that students can experience in school and how can we combat it?

Former Cherokee Point Elementary School Principal Godwin Higa explains the effects of childhood trauma on students and the compassion-based philosophy the San Diego school has embraced to help build resilience in the face of adversity.