Becoming a Student of Your Students: Trauma-Informed, Culturally Relevant Practices for Physical Education Teachers

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to first provide PE teachers with an understanding of the different types of trauma students face, including traumatic events, historical trauma experienced by members of racial, ethnic, sexual, and religious minorities, as well as how trauma exposure interferes with student learning. Second, it will encourage teachers to build their own trauma-informed skills, such as self-awareness, self-care, self-regulation, and mindfulness in order to help them model healthy social and emotional skills for their students. Third, since PE teachers operate in a different environment than their classroom counterparts, they require a specialized set of guidelines for trauma-informed instruction that provides safety for all.