TxSSC
COVID-19 and Mental Health Considerations Amid Reintegration to School
1.0 Impact of Stress and Trauma
“To close your eyes will not ease
another’s pain.”- Chinese Proverb
Stress and trauma can affect a student’s academic performance, behavior in class, physical health, interpersonal relationships, and mental health. Understanding the impact of trauma by being trauma-informed means that when encountering difficulty with a student, the first thought is “how might this relate to trauma”, rather than willful disobedience. Understanding how traumatic stress impacts a student does not excuse their behavior, but rather explains it.
Trauma Sensitive Schools explains how learning is impacted by trauma:
Texas Education Code (TEC) requires each school district to adopt and implement a policy requiring the integration of trauma-informed practices in each school environment. A district must include the policy in their district improvement plan, as required under Section 11.252 (District-level Planning and Decision-making). TEC 38.036
Download the document below to read the entire section.