The vision and development of this edited text are driven by a deep
desire to ensure that teacher candidates are thoughtfully prepared to
more fully address students' needs and create classroom environments
that are safe for students and teachers. Specifically, this text will
provide an understanding of how educator preparation programs are
providing teacher candidates with the knowledge and skills to
effectively utilize an asset-based approach to foster resiliency skills
that support P-12 students who have or are experiencing trauma. This
text considers how programs are developing equity-focused content,
curriculum, & pedagogy to ensure teacher candidates can integrate
trauma-informed practices as well as develop their own resiliency
skills. This resource highlights important and relevant tools,
strategies, and approaches for preparing future teachers to implement
trauma-informed practices within their classrooms.
In recent years, much attention and resources focused on preparing
teachers to more comprehensively address, acknowledge, and understand
childhood trauma and the impact it has on students' lives inside and
outside of the classroom. This text will be of interest to all those
working in institutes of higher education, alternative licensure
programs, and organizations, public schools, and districts involved with
the preparation of teachers and/or professional development of
in-service educators. It has the potential to serve as a catalyst for
teacher preparation programs to more intentionally integrate
trauma-informed practices in meaningful ways and contribute to a glaring
gap within the literature focused on the systematic ways in which
childhood trauma and resiliency development are being addressed in the
preparation of teachers.
