Ninth International Conference on Health, Wellness & Society

Abstract

With research showing the impact of trauma on children and the way they learn (Grogger, 1997), educators are charged with addressing the holistic needs of their students. Yet teachers are often trained to silence their own needs to serve their students (Hydon et al., 2015). Additionally, few scholars capture how teachers of color specifically have to navigate the impacts of structural violence within and outside of schools (Ginwright, 2015). This workshop offers classroom and collaborative practices for teachers of color to heal from such traumas and prioritize their wellness so that they can better serve their students. Led by two teacher educator/scholars with experience spanning 12 years in the K-12 field, this workshop synthesizes disciplines from social work, psychiatry, trauma-informed care, and Ethnic Studies to frame healing as a critical act of resistance, discuss ways that systems of oppression shape our tendencies to overwork, and share methods to prevent compassion fatigue and burnout. Each presenter will offer two models of wellness and healing: daily re-anchoring strategies that can help teachers carry the compound weight of students’ pain and their own, and, a teacher inquiry group where teachers of color can unpack the racialized and gendered forms of trauma that impact their retention, wellbeing and empowerment within the field and beyond. Participants will practice wellness strategies, including meditation, journaling, and dialogue to practice giving themselves empathy before giving to others, asserting their needs in community, and stepping into their resilience as agents of change in their schools and beyond.