Trauma's Effects on Early Childhood Education (ECE) Classrooms and Teachers
Not only does trauma affect individual children and their families, but it also has profound and widespread effects on early childhood education (ECE) teachers and classrooms, impacting all students in those learning environments. Therefore, integrating specialized training and classroom management skills for teachers and staff is integral in the implementation of trauma-informed practices in ECE.
Trauma and ECE Classrooms and Teachers
Children who have experienced trauma can exhibit externalizing behaviors such as aggression, inattention, and behavior problems, and also may need extra support within the classroom to ensure they are keeping up and thriving.¹ While ECE is beneficial for young children, often these externalizing behaviors limit the extend to which the child can fully participate in classroom activities, which may limit the benefits they get from ECE.² Additionally, these difficult-to-manage behaviors often result in high levels of stress, burnout, and turnover for ECE teachers, negatively impacting the education of the classroom as a whole. Higher teacher stress often stems from the teacher having to decide in any given moment whether to address the needs of the one student or the needs of the entire class. This kind of stress and disruption of the classroom environment is especially prevalent and harmful when teachers are not trained on working with children who have experienced trauma.³
It is estimated that every year, about 25-50% of preschool teachers leave their positions.
Almost 1/5 of ECE center staff leave the field altogether every year.
High ECE teacher and staff turnover rates have detrimental impacts on students. When teachers are cycling in and out of classrooms, it disrupts children's stable and trustworthy attachments with them, which is especially harmful for children who have experienced trauma and who already are not inclined to develop secure relationships with adults. Importantly, high teacher turnover impacts the social/emotional well-being of all students in the classroom. Additionally, it negatively impacts student learning and achievement.⁴