Editorial: New U-46 student trauma training important tool for teachers

Imagine a child whose life is marked by daily trauma caused by poverty, abuse, neglect, divorce, mental illness or the loss of a parent.

Now imagine how difficult it would be for that child to overcome those distractions and focus on academics.

Elgin Area School District U-46 officials don't have to imagine, because an estimated 30 percent of their students face what experts call multiple Adverse Childhood Experiences. At one school, Abbott Middle School, 90 percent of the 700 students come from low-income families.

But the district is trying to address the issue by training teachers and employees at five schools to provide trauma-informed care to recognize the factors causing anxiety in their students' lives and offer ways to reduce their stress and improve focus.

This new approach could be an important tool for teachers, who spend so many hours each week with these young people, to be able to better understand the students' social-emotional needs and work to provide some help for them to be successful in the classroom.

It also represents an advance in our understanding of the challenges to learning that may exist at home, and in confronting them. The truth is, if a student is worried about basic needs for food, shelter and safety, concentrating on a reading assignment is likely not a priority.

"We hold them (students) accountable. But trauma-informed care is really helping us understand on a more holistic basis on what's going on in their lives," John Heiderscheidt, U-46's director of school safety and culture, told our Madhu Krishnamurthy.

U-46, which eventually wants to train all of its employees in trauma care, is not alone in this effort. The Illinois Education Association is providing training for several suburban districts, including those in Cary, Batavia, Crystal Lake, Libertyville, Mundelein and Schaumburg.

Teachers learn to respond to and address the factors in students' lives that cause agitation. In response, they conduct mindfulness activities, such as breathing exercises and other meditative practices, to help students focus better and self-regulate emotionally.

What's impressive about the U-46 effort is it was launched by a community initiative. The Alignment Collaboration for Education is a diverse partnership among U-46, Elgin Community College, Judson University, the city of Elgin, Gail Borden Public Library, Advocate Sherman Hospital, the Grand Victoria Foundation, United Way of Elgin and other government, nonprofit, business and community groups.

Such broad community support could further encourage the program to grow and be more proactive. In doing so, it could be a difference maker for many children.