Resilient Oakland Communities & Kids (ROCK)
Trauma Informed Classroom Toolkit
Resilient Oakland Communities and Kids (ROCK) builds knowledge about protective factors and resilience, trauma and its impact on children's health and learning, and classroom-based trauma informed practices for early childhood educators while supporting their self-awareness about their own experiences with trauma, and teaches self-care strategies they can use to support their well-being.
The following are an offering of tools. School sites interested in engaging in trauma-informed, resilient building work are encouraged to take a look at these tools, try them on, and modify them to fit their specific contexts. It is a hope that these tools serve as a springboard for more conversations about trauma-informed practices and how to cultivate more safe, welcoming, resilient-building learning spaces for both educators and children.
To find more about the ROCK program, click here.
The following are an offering of tools. School sites interested in engaging in trauma-informed, resilient building work are encouraged to take a look at these tools, try them on, and modify them to fit their specific contexts. It is a hope that these tools serve as a springboard for more conversations about trauma-informed practices and how to cultivate more safe, welcoming, resilient-building learning spaces for both educators and children.
To find more about the ROCK program, click here.
Professional Learning Community Tools
School staff meet together regularly, building a safe learning community. The following encompass a sample launching toolkit for any school site interested in starting a Professional Learning Community (PLC).
School staff meet together regularly, building a safe learning community. The following encompass a sample launching toolkit for any school site interested in starting a Professional Learning Community (PLC).
- ROCK PLC Sample Scope for the Year: This scope offers guidance for facilitating a monthly, one hour PLC. It includes meeting objectives and topics for a 7 month sequence
- ROCK PLC Sample Agenda: This agenda offers a template for the flow and facilitation of a first PLC session. Ideally, all sessions include an opening to ground participants, relationship building activities, ROCK content (in this case, “The Why”), highlights of practice and self care discussions. Because this sample agenda is from the first session time is spent co-constructing and discussing agreements.
- ROCK PLC Sample Participant Packet: Participant pages and packets were offered throughout the PLC. These sheets are a simple, accessible resource for participants, as a support for the text, Trauma Informed Practices for Early Childhood Educators, by Nicholson, Perez, and Kurtz.
- Listening Protocol: To support equity based practices, this sharing protocol invites participants to fully listen to their colleagues, without the pressure of responding. The protocol is based on the idea that everyone’s experiences and stories are true, valid, and uniquely theirs.
- ROCK Classroom Strategies: These slides offer the ROCK classroom strategies in slide format, with many examples. Facilitators are encouraged to use these slides to support having conversations with educators about what they are already doing in the classroom and what goals they can set.
- PLC Exit Ticket: One way of collecting feedback at each PLC session.
- Teacher opinion survey: This survey is conducted at the beginning (pre) of the PLC and then at the end (post).
Community of Practice Series
This offering is a 4-part online series, inviting educators to consider trauma-based practices and offering an array of classroom strategies to support resilience. Educators are to identify a focus child to keep in mind throughout the different sessions and are encouraged to bring and discuss successes and puzzles regarding this child. Mindfulness strategies are weaved in throughout the series, as well.
This offering is a 4-part online series, inviting educators to consider trauma-based practices and offering an array of classroom strategies to support resilience. Educators are to identify a focus child to keep in mind throughout the different sessions and are encouraged to bring and discuss successes and puzzles regarding this child. Mindfulness strategies are weaved in throughout the series, as well.
- Sample ROCK Community of Practice Session One: Intro to trauma, idea of focus child, introduction of strategies
- Sample ROCK Community of Practice Session Two: Emotional literacy, sensory literacy
- Sample ROCK Community of Practice Session Three: Self regulation
- Sample ROCK Community of Practice Session Four: Building relationships with families
Trigger Checklist
In this work, adults are frequently invited to engage in self-examination. The Trigger Checklist lists several potential adult triggers and adults should spend time considering each one. It is important to then reflect on these triggers and have a conversation in teaching teams about support mechanisms
In this work, adults are frequently invited to engage in self-examination. The Trigger Checklist lists several potential adult triggers and adults should spend time considering each one. It is important to then reflect on these triggers and have a conversation in teaching teams about support mechanisms
Trauma Responsive Classroom Strategies
This document serves as a launching pad. When using this list, educators are invited to both celebrate the trauma responsive strategies they are already engaging with and to also identify a few strategies they might try, or refine.
This document serves as a launching pad. When using this list, educators are invited to both celebrate the trauma responsive strategies they are already engaging with and to also identify a few strategies they might try, or refine.
Knowing Children
In collaboration with New Teacher Center, this tool relies on the notion that in order to deeply engage with a child, it is important to make efforts to see the full picture. The Knowing Children tool confirms that educators amazingly know so much about their children and also prompts them to find out more.
In collaboration with New Teacher Center, this tool relies on the notion that in order to deeply engage with a child, it is important to make efforts to see the full picture. The Knowing Children tool confirms that educators amazingly know so much about their children and also prompts them to find out more.
- Knowing Children Tool
ROCK Resilience Building Strategies Survey
This survey is designed to understand how well ROCK supports have helped educators implement resilience building strategies. The survey includes questions developed with feedback from educators, as well as items from the validated ARTIC scale measuring attitudes towards trauma-informed care.
This survey is designed to understand how well ROCK supports have helped educators implement resilience building strategies. The survey includes questions developed with feedback from educators, as well as items from the validated ARTIC scale measuring attitudes towards trauma-informed care.
- Sample ROCK Survey
ROCK Levels of Support
It is critical to recognize that this work takes time. This document is one way of structuring different levels of support for schools as they move through the program. As the work grows, the conversations deepen, and at the same time, the facilitator might step back.
It is critical to recognize that this work takes time. This document is one way of structuring different levels of support for schools as they move through the program. As the work grows, the conversations deepen, and at the same time, the facilitator might step back.
- Levels of Support