For some children, it may look like withdrawal or avoiding interaction. For others, it may show up as acting out or struggling to pay attention. No matter how it shows up in students, it clearly leaves an impact.

Fostering a trauma-informed classroom and trauma-informed teaching means you’re creating a place that feels safe and supportive. When you use predictable routines, compassionate discipline, and teach students how to manage their emotions, you are not only helping them learn but also heal.

Here are some practical ways to cultivate a trauma-informed classroom.

Prioritize Psychological Safety

Students dealing with trauma need to know they are in a safe space. A place where they won’t feel judged or ashamed for their feelings or behavior. You can create this type of space by doing simple things like greeting students at the door, asking them how they are doing, and acknowledging their feelings.

A classroom that has soft neutral colors, warm lighting, a quiet corner to relax and read in, and a place that is clean and organized can help students feel less anxious and more at ease. These types of environments feel safe and inviting.

Build Strong and Predictable Routines

Trauma often leaves children feeling like their world is unpredictable and they have no sense of control. Being in an inconsistent environment can intensify feelings, while more predictable environments and routines create a sense of security because they’ll know what to expect.

When creating a trauma-informed classroom environment, establish a daily routine and stick with it. Post the schedule for students to see and be sure to give warnings before you transition to the next activity. This will help prepare students for any upcoming change and ease their anxiety. Additionally, when something unexpected turns up – like a fire drill, walk students through the change in routine to help them adjust quickly.

Teach and Model Self-Regulation Skills

Students who have experienced trauma often have a hard time regulating their emotions. Teach them to support learning, and so they will have the tools throughout their lifetime.

Start by modeling self-regulation yourself. When you feel stressed, tell students how you are feeling and show them how you are going to handle it. This could be through deep breathing, stretching, using a stress ball, or any other stress-reducing exercise.

Incorporate calming techniques into the day, like taking a few deep breaths or using stress balls, or building in brain breaks where students get up and move around during certain parts of the day.

Consider teaching specific strategies like using positive self-talk, journaling, and counting slowly while taking deep breaths. Over time, students will learn which techniques work best for them and choose the tools that help calm them down.

Use Compassionate Discipline

Discipline in a trauma-informed classroom is about learning the “why” behind the student’s behavior; it’s not about punishing them. Taking away recess or sending the student to the office will only work temporarily.

What these students need are the skills and tools to know how to handle the situation next time. For example, a disruptive student may be struggling with impulse control. If this is the case, offer them chances to practice self-control.

When any misbehavior happens, try using restorative practices. Ask students, “How do you think your actions have affected others?” or “What do you think you can do to make this right?” This approach helps to hold students accountable.

Cultivate Strong Student-Teacher Relationships

are the foundation of a trauma-informed classroom. Students who feel seen and heard are more likely to engage in learning. Take time to connect with the student on a personal level. Ask about their day, weekend, and life, and remember the details.

This can make a huge difference in a child who feels invisible to others. Follow through, too, because reliability builds trust and trust is what trauma-informed students need the most.

Balance High Expectations with Empathy

Maintain high standards; this shows that you believe in your students’ ability to succeed. When you see a student who is struggling, show them empathy by saying, “I can see that this is tough, let’s try and figure out how to get you where you need to be.” This will show that you are invested in their success and not mad that they didn’t meet your expectations.

It’s also important to . Consider using choice boards or allowing them to choose between two different assignments. Let them choose the book they want to read or where they want to read it in the classroom. When you give them choices, it gives them a sense of control, which is something trauma often takes away from them.

Why This Approach Matters

Cultivating trauma-informed teaching strategies isn’t just about helping struggling students get through the day; it’s about creating a space where they have the tools and skills to thrive on their own. When students feel safe and supported, they are more equipped to build healthy relationships, be more resilient, and take risks. Instead of saying, “What’s wrong with this student?” Ask yourself, “How can I best support this student?”

For many students, trauma is unavoidable. However, the classroom can be a place where they feel understood, valued, and safe. It can be a place where they heal. By focusing on the specific strategies mentioned, you can create a classroom where everyone has the chance to succeed.

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*Updated September 2025

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Use Teacher Wellness to Keep Everyone Healthy

In order to have a healthy classroom, you must have healthy students, and the best way to ensure your students’ health is to teach them all about health and hygiene. From how to wash your hands to the nutritious foods that help you from getting sick, children need to learn how to maintain their health. They also need to learn how to keep the classroom clean in order to minimize spreading germs. In addition to the students keeping healthy, you also need to be healthy yourself. That means getting enough sleep and exercise, as well as eating the right foods to help you ward off any infectious diseases and germs that may be lingering in the classroom.

Build a Classroom Community

Another effective way to create a healthy classroom climate is to build a sense of community within the classroom. You can do this by connecting to your students, as well as having students build connections with their peers. Building a sense of community creates a learning space where students feel safe and welcome. Through morning meetings and team-building activities, students learn more about one another, which helps to create a strong bond within the classroom. A sense of community can also help you as the teacher, because when students get along, that means fewer issues dealing with classroom .

Get Students Up and Moving

Start your day with movement, whether that means stretching next to your bed or going for a jog before work. When you wake up and move, it gets your day going in a healthy, happy way. Continue your day by having your students get up and move, too. Studies have shown that the more active you are, the better your focus will be. have also shown that fidgeting can help improve your focus. So if you see students fiddling around in their seats, then you know that it’s helping them improve their focus. Another idea is to have students (as well as you) take brain breaks – small 10-minute breaks of short body movement in between lessons or classes. When you keep your body moving and are not sedentary throughout the day, you’ll increase the oxygen to your brain, which is a great way to boost your body and brain health.

Create a Shared Vision

You may have a vision of the kind of climate you want in your classroom, but that vision may not align with your students. For example, your personal vision may be to have a social-emotional healthy classroom environment where all students thrive, while your students’ vision may be something completely different. Take the time to talk with your students about how they would like the classroom climate to be. Tell students your own personal vision for the classroom, then have each individual student discuss what their vision is. Once you’ve discussed your visions with the class, then you can create one shared vision together. According to and the Learning Organization, a shared vision must come from a personal vision first; then the individual is more likely to be committed to the share vision.

Know Your Role as a Teacher

Many teachers find it a great challenge to create a social-emotional safe environment for their students while keeping their role as a leader, mentor and class disciplinarian. There’s a fine line that teachers do not want to cross when trying to balance between having a relationship with their students and keeping their role as a leader. However, you must never relinquish your role as a teacher – you must find the right balance between being an authoritarian and having a caring relationship with your students. Take the time to get to know your students on a personal level, because it will help you gain respect, but also do it in a way where students are aware of your role.

The bottom line is: in order to create a healthy classroom climate, you must not only take care of your students, but you must take yourself as well. Taking the time for teacher wellness, establishing a classroom community, creating a shared vision of what you want your classroom climate to be like, as well as knowing your role as a teacher, will all benefit you and your students. The amount of time and effort this takes will all be worth it in the end when you have created a positive classroom atmosphere where all students are thriving.

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