Self-Care Intermission

Hi all,

I wanted to quickly thank anyone that has happened to stumble onto (and hopefully enjoy) TheTraumaTeacher thus far and also give a quick update on life on my end. As you likely have read on one of my posts, this site began as a pandemic project for me to share all of my child advocacy knowledge while I am currently not working directly with children and have some extra time on my hands. Unfortunately when a pandemic is raging outside of your front door, there is always the risk of potentially contracting whatever the virus is and getting sick yourself..... which is exactly what happened. With being sick for two weeks and then trying to get back into writing as usual like nothing had ever happened (not a good idea, I do not recommend), I have inevitably fallen behind in my pre-writing and will be taking a step back to write at a more comfortable and unrushed pace. I think we as advocates in some form can all agree that while we are so consistent with preaching patience and self-care to our clients, patients, and loved ones, we often forget to actually practice ourselves when the time comes. So forgive me for a little while as I personally take a step back and allow myself some grace to build my pre-written post collection back up to share with all of you lovelies. I promise that I will be back soon with lots of get informative posts, lessons, and activity tutorials.

Take care of yourselves and see

you all soon ❤

Be well and keep fighting,

~Jess

Building Your Resource Network

     Welcome to the world of advocacy! You’ve submitted your resume, aced the interview process, been welcomed in by a new employer and a hardworking team of do-gooders just trying to make the world a better place, and now you’re sitting at the desk you’ve been assigned staring at a blank computer screen begging your office phone not to ring. Don’t worry, we’ve all been there. We have all been the “new kid” in the office that barely knows what is going on, asks questions that the rest of the staff are able to answer without even thinking, and felt that surge of nervous energy when duty calls. I like to think that everyone still gets those jolts once in a while. I certainly do. Just like the clients we work with, we are all human and we don’t always have all of the answers. In fact, we never will. If we were able to magically conjure new homes, immune systems, jobs, cures, families, cars, or literally anything else our clients needed and hand them over on a silver platter neatly tied up with a bow, we would be miracle workers. But that isn’t how the world works. Resources come and go every day and it is absolutely impossible to keep up with what is out there. Even ten years in, you will learn about new programs and services around your area and find that ones you’ve used for years have unfortunately gone away. It is all a part of the job. Over time, you will be able to sit in front of a client and be able to at least start to make a plan with them for how to move forward from whatever life has thrown their way. Some of the information will seemingly find you, some of it you will hear about from one place or another, and some of it you will have to do the legwork to find yourself. I am going to give you a few ideas of where and how to find information on resources in your area as well as some critical and optional resources you should always be keeping an ear out for.

    Where?    

Within Your Agency

The first place you should absolutely start looking for resources is right outside your office door! In some work environments, it may be heavily discouraged to spend too much time “chit-chatting” at someone else’s desk or in their office. Not my idea of keeping morale up, but that is none of my business. However in the world of advocacy, collaboration is key. This is not a competition and we do not get paid on commission. There is no prize for knowing more resources than the girl in the next office over and it should never feel that way. When an advocate doesn’t have a client in their office or a call coming across their phone, they should absolutely be sharing ideas, resources, and hang-ups with their co-workers. There have been so many times that I have actually sat in with another advocate while they worked with a client and took mental notes on how they handled the case and what resources they sent them to. In fact, part of your induction into an agency should be just that - job shadowing and asking questions. If you are managing a case with struggles outside of your working knowledge, don’t hesitate to walk over to another advocate’s office and run the situation by them. The majority of skills and knowledge we attain in this field is learned through monkey see, monkey do. Not only is spending time in your coworker’s office beneficial to learning resources, but it helps to vent frustrations as well without breaking confidentiality. Just don’t overstay your welcome and make sure your work is up -to-date!

Archives

As I’ve mentioned a few times before, when I started as a children’s advocate I came into a pretty much clean slate. Though there was really nothing in place program-wise, there was a lot of paperwork left behind compiled by other employees through the years who dealt with the children’s programs of old. Mind you, most of the pamphlets and workbooks dated back to the 80s and 90s, it gave me a great place to start. It will take a lot of time, but if your agency has old paperwork, pamphlets, literature, or anything else printed by third parties it is worth it to keep your laptop/tablet/phone with you while you clean to see if some of those organizations are still operating. If they are, most places are happy to speak with you about current services if you reach out by phone and you may even be able to visit their local branch to pick up more recent literature (ALWAYS HAVE LITERATURE). Cleaning out the stockroom doesn’t sound so bad now, does it….. Yeah, ok. It still is, but you get what I’m saying.

Colleagues

Let me first start off by saying I have only recently begun using this word because it sounds so grown-up and I also have only recently realized that I even HAVE colleagues now. I just pray that I am using it right. Honestly, if you haven’t figured it out by now I am terrible at being an adult and often forget that I even am one. So yeah, there's that.

After a while of referring clients and patients to different resources, you will begin to develop professional relationships with people providing the services you refer to. Before you even realize it, you will call to confirm a therapy form has successfully processed and end up chatting with Cheryl, the patient coordinator, about how excited you are that the waiting list for housing is opening back up and checking to make sure that Cheryl’s dog was feeling better since she took it to the vet last time you both talked and comparing the best natural dog foods for different issues and how nice the weather has been this week which is perfect because Cheryl received a flyer that there are scholarships available for youth softball this year but it looks like it’s going to get cold again the weekend but that’s okay because your plans were just to curl up on the couch with Netflix and a mug of hot tea anyway……… See where I’m going? When you continually work with the same people over and over, you create a bond with them. This bond leads to longer conversations which tends to lead to information about other agencies and services they work with or have heard about. If you and your colleague from the hospital are talking and you mention how hard of a time you’ve been having connecting with low-cost clinics in the area catering to kids, your colleague very well may have some insider knowledge from within the medical field of a new clinic opening up nearby or perhaps be able to connect you with a friend of theirs in pediatrics. I highly encourage you to communicate with your resources like the people that they are because we are all really just trying to create a better world. It may even get you invited to take part in local collaborative groups and efforts, which leads me to my next suggestion..

Committees and Collaborative Efforts

Typically you have to know somebody that knows somebody to even hear about these groups, much less get an invite to attend. It isn’t intended to be that way and I assure you that most groups would really prefer more people knew about their efforts but most of these committees are small and serve a targeted audience. Once you have established your presence and started relationships with your small pool of resources, you may begin to hear about committees made up of employees from other agencies working toward your same goal. GO TO THESE MEETINGS! Find out when they are. Find out where they are held. Go to Dollar tree, pick up a little $1 notebook, and march yourself into that meeting taking down names, agencies, services, and any other information you can grab. Take the pamphlets and the flyers. This, ladies and gentlemen, is networking. This has been the absolute best place thus far that I have been able to compile resources and actually meet the people providing the services. Also, make sure to take your business card so you can tell others what you are doing as well. I have met daycare organizers, special needs medical providers, child therapists, museum program coordinators, farmers, artists, yoga teachers, gardeners, and so many other wonderful and out of the box resources through these meetings. I have also been invited to attend trainings through colleagues I have met through committees that I never would have known about otherwise because they weren’t directly tied to my field. In fact, I even was invited to give a training to early educators on the subject of domestic violence and its effect on children because of these connections. Networking is going to play a massive role in rounding out your resource library to make sure you’ve covered bases you didn’t even know were going to come up. Network. Just do it. You’ll thank me later.

Good Ole Google

When it’s the eleventh hour and you’ve still not been able to find that resource your client needs so desperately, turn to the tried and true. There is a lot to be said about opening your favorite search engine and typing in exactly what you need. Really, all you need to put in is the type of resource you’re looking for and your zip code or town name for a plethora of options to come up. Then just pick up the phone and call for more info. Most agencies have all of their information online including referral forms, but it is handy to call ahead and introduce yourself to verify that they will, in fact, accept a referral from you. I’ve found every one that I have worked with has appreciated the intro call and even invited me to their agency to tell me more about their programs. If you are working with an agency that is overseen by a larger umbrella-type organization such as a coalition or network, look them up too. I have reached out to my local state’s director of child advocacy several times to learn about resources and funding available as well as been connected to other professionals as well.

    What to look for?    

Common Resources

Clinics - Food Banks - Churches - Clothing Closets - Thrift Stores - Medical Offices - Lawyers - Therapists - Daycares - Schools - Tutoring - Housing/Landlords - Job Recruiters - Government Agencies

Uncommon (but helpful) Resources

Museums - Aquariums - Farms - Local Artists - Yoga and Health Instructors - Movie Theaters - School Groups - Volunteer Groups - Day Camps - Parks&Rec - Banks - Law Enforcement Officers - Firemen - Any First Responder - Local Business Owners - Libraries

    I truly hope that this helps you on your journey to establishing your network in the wonderful world of advocacy. If there is anything else I can help with, please don't hesitate to reach out. I would also love to hear on the comment section any unique ways you have come across new resources or even out-of-the-box resources you use in your own work. Can't wait to hear from you!

Good Luck and Keep Fighting!

♥️ Jess

Tips and Ideas for Creating Effective Learning Spaces

        I get the feeling that every person working in education either absolutely loves or devastatingly loathes decorating and arranging their learning spaces. I think we can all recall teachers from school and other programs we were involved in growing up that fit into one of those two categories. Every teacher I ever had either had a classroom decked out with rugs and bean bag chairs fit to be featured on MTV Cribs: Classroom Edition or one that was completely bare aside from rusty desks and that one school-issued motivational poster from the 1970s. I also think you can probably figure out which of these two that I classify as with very little effort - I LOVE IT! In my opinion, there is no better feeling than creating an effective system and actually being able to watch it function successfully in real time. Even without sparkly or colorful do-dads sitting around, personalizing the space where you teach and work with children in whatever capacity that is can and does have a major impact on how effectively you’re able to do that work. All it takes is a couple of seconds with your back turned for a quiet, well-mannered group of kids to turn into a mosh pit of slung toys and eardrum rupturing shrieks of maniacal laughter. The last thing you want is to get caught with your back turned for too long because you can’t find that specific book for story time.

For the sake of organizing this post as well as my own thoughts, I am going to break down the concept of a learning space into three zones: reflective learning, cooperative learning, and explorative learning (DISCLAIMER: honestly these are categories I made up for my own room planning so please don’t think any of this is actually some kind of official psychological terminology). You may have one of each or even a few of each of these zones in your space and when organized effectively, they can help to manage even the rowdiest groups. If you have ever been in a school, daycare classroom, youth center, or any other space typically inhabited by children I am sure you have noticed these zones sectioned off from one another without even realizing it. Each has its own benefits to child development and serves a purpose in the space as a whole in cultivating a manageable environment. Lacking or poorly executing even one of them, in my experience, tends to throw off the whole ecosystem.

    Reflective Learning Zone    

Reflective learning, or quiet learning, is learning that occurs while reading, listening, creating, or even just sitting quietly getting lost in your own thoughts. This kind of learning requires little to no movement and a calm, focused atmosphere. This kind of space is important because it is where a child can go to take a break for a while, practice self-care, and practice slower, more meaningful thinking. Have you ever sat quietly next to a child while drawing or watching clouds and they suddenly ask you the most random, off-the-wall question having nothing to do with anything in your general vicinity? That’s reflective learning at work as those little mental gears grind.

Reflective learning spaces are for usually independent play and self-led activities. You want to keep these spaces small and sectioned off to discourage rowdy or “big” play. Typically with kids, their mind wanders as far as they can see, so if you keep a space small they will almost always keep their play small as well. You can effectively section off a reflective learning space with sturdy, bottom-heavy shelving (harder to tip over and move), storage benches full of stuffed “reading buddies”, play tables, and comfy seating. My favorite seating choice for these areas are small, colorful beanbag chairs, but I only recommend using them if you are working in a smaller room because kids can get a little carried away on them and need to be watched closely. Great activity options for this type of space would be age-appropriate books, puppets, small “busy” boxes, puzzles, and other sit-and-play options. If you are working with older ages, this can be a great space away from busier areas to do things like boardgames and art projects. This space is also ideal when you’re working with teenies as there is less movement or chances of being kicked or stepped on.

I always considered my group and teaching spaces to be reflective learning areas as well and treated them as such. Kiddos learned early on that when we sat at the group table, they were expected to be quiet, polite, and use their classroom skills. If I felt a group was capable enough, I would also provide small fidgeting toys to keep their hands busy during discussion and keep their ears focused. Posters, die-cut words, and various other classroom decor can be a great addition to reflective learning areas as well for quiet reminders and encouragement. Will children talk and interact in these areas? Absolutely! And they should. It is ok to allow meaningful conversation in these areas, it just isn't a space for zooming cars and jumping jacks. 

    Cooperative Learning Zones    

Cooperative learning is like your middle ground when it comes to play areas. This is the zone where there is definitely going to be movement and talking, but it still isn’t full on running and jumping. A good example of this is when parents and teachers have kids using their “inside” voices and manners. Cooperative learning is exactly what it sounds like, children cooperatively working and playing together. This zone is so incredibly important because it is where children of all ages develop their social emotional skills. Sharing, taking turns, communicating thoughts and feelings, recognising social cues, and more are just the beginning of what is learned in these areas. The difference in this space, versus a more explorative learning space that we will talk about next, is it can be much more easily monitored. This is a great space to learn and practice communication with close supervision and assistance from an adult, ie: you the advocate.

When you are planning out your cooperative learning spaces, think about the type of play and interactions you want here. The space is going to be just a bit larger than what was allotted for reflective learning as children will likely need to move around with their cars and block building, however you definitely want some kind of containment or the entirety of your room will suddenly become a NASCAR speedway or a colossal mess because the child couldn't maintain focus. What has worked best for me has been using fun, colorful, or themed rugs to visually limit the space and teach kiddos to keep the toys ON the rug. My favorite theme is some type of town or city rug with lots of roads and buildings printed on them for little hands to trace with automobile toys. I also highly recommend a good organization system in this space with fun clipart or photo labels to help teach kids to put things back once they are done. Cheap plastic bins form the dollar store labelled with packing tape and printed labels are a great option for organization and come in a lot of fun colors. Again, this space should have visual barriers and limitations to keep play reasonably small, but within that area should be a good bit of floor space for multiple kids to play together.

As mentioned before, cars and other automobile toys are great in an area like this. I would recommend smaller toys no bigger than a child’s hand. If you try to incorporate larger things like big firetrucks and tractor trailers, I can almost assure you that kiddos will scope out a larger area of floor to sling them clear across the room. Save the bigger versions for your outdoor “explorative” areas. Other great options for these areas are building blocks, oversized puzzles, large felt boards, collaborative games, houses and neighborhoods, inclusive dolls for use in houses and neighborhoods, dress up clothes, pretend play toys (kitchen, shopping, parenting toys), and any other “smaller space” group play activity. This is also a great space for collaborative and group art projects with the supervision of an adult. You want to keep in mind what ages will have access to this space and plan accordingly. Make sure outlets are safely covered, playthings are often gone through to remove broken pieces, small swallow-able toys are kept up or better yet out of the space altogether, and all ages can safely learn in the space.

    Explorative Learning Zones    

Explorative learning is your biggest form of play. This is running, jumping, climbing, rolling, cartwheels, and exercising just how loud your voice can go. Unless you are working out of a huge facility with indoor jungle gyms and trampolines, it is fair to assume that this form of learning will likely take place in an outdoor space. This learning can get loud, fast, and messy, all of which are totally acceptable and encouraged with the understanding that your kiddos are also practicing kindness and respect. This is the type of area where kiddos really get to test out their abilities physically, mentally, and emotionally. This space is where children can safely face fears and limitations, use up stored energy, act silly, and be spontaneous. This is also a space where children are really put to the test on things like how they treat others and taking turns without being told. There should absolutely always be an adult present when children are utilizing an explorative learning space, but this space is significantly larger than the other two spaces and an adult cannot reasonably (and shouldn’t) hover over every conversation and interaction. While a space should be arranged in a way that the supervising adult easily has eyes on everything happening, this space should provide an opportunity for children to learn to be trustworthy and independently good people. 

Children should have plenty of opportunities to explore in this environment, including their own abilities, emotions, senses, communication, and information about the world around them. There should be a vast collection of things to see, hear, feel, smell, touch, and do. I personally like the idea of incorporating some of the first two learning zones into exploration as well to really round a space out. Where you may have houses, dolls, and puppets provided for an indoor cooperative space, you might provide life-sized playhouses and buildings in your explorative space. Arts and crafts can be translated into your exploration space through sidewalk chalk, sensory tables, and gardening. If you are creating a space used in trauma-informed play, empowering stepping stones, a sensory walking path, or a labyrinth can be a great addition for reflective “big” play. Other explorative and “big” play ideas you might want to consider incorporating might be climbing structures, large play equipment, sitting areas, a small performance/teaching “amphitheater”, seating for outdoor picnics, projects, resting (for both adults and kiddos), pull-up bars and other exercise equipment, gardens with accents like fairy houses and toy car paths, riding toy paths, and storage for lots of outdoor playthings like balls, jump ropes, and hula hoops.

I hope that this post has been helpful in planning your own learning and teaching spaces. I purposefully didn’t include any photos as I don’t have any personal ones to share (a downside to predominantly working in confidencial spaces). If you have a learning space you would like to show off, I would love to add your photos to this post in its correct category and of course give credit where credit is due. Otherwise, please feel free to check out my Learning Space Inspiration Board on Pinterest for lots of ideas linked to the original posters. Don’t hesitate to comment or contact me with any questions, comments, or things you might like to know more about or elaborate on. Until next time…

Good Luck & Keep Fighting,

Jess ♥️

Tell-Me-Toss Game

        Let me first start off by saying that this is totally not an original idea. I did not come up with this in any way, shape, or form. I will gladly post some of my favorite blogs and sites that have utilized this idea on my Littles and Bigs Group Pinterest boards. If you haven’t yet, please check out The Trauma Teacher on Pinterest where I am always updating ideas for residential and support programs, learning spaces, and more!

Tell Me Toss or Tell Me Dice, depending on what you use or have on hand at the time, is an awesome game to keep in your back pocket should you need to fill a time gap. Every group I have ever played this game with has enjoyed it and the customization options are really limitless. If your group is old enough to stand, toss a ball, roll dice, follow directions, and read or comprehend simple pictures, this activity can absolutely work for you. What makes it fun is the mystery of not knowing what you will land on and what you will have to do. I have made adjustments to this game for nearly every lesson I’ve ever taught and it has fit beautifully into every single one. 

The first time I can remember encountering this activity was at a training as an icebreaker game. It was upon my return that I immediately went to work figuring out how to incorporate it into my group lessons. There isn’t much set up if you keep the right tools on hand so even if you have a full night of activities planned, you can still pull this one out should you finish everything else up early or just need to change gears. You can go online and buy professionally printed dice and balls but I have never had the funding nor saw the purpose when making your own keeps things so much more flexible. If you see that purchasing a printed version is best suited for your program, then more power to you. I have personally used a printed dice foldables (provided in this post!) and a small donated bounce ball for this game. Simply write the questions or actions you want to use on either one in sharpie. For a more durable dice option, you can check your local Dollar Tree education section to see if they have large dry erase play dice. I have been lucky enough to find them a few times. Another option is to use a cube shaped cardboard box. There is really no limit to what can be used to make this game work as long as it is light and not breakable. Regular dice could even be used with a numbered list! (Any fellow nerdy advocates could incorporate their D20 collection)

This can be just as much a social experiment as a fun game for the kids. I highly recommend that you pay close attention to make sure everyone is getting a turn. If you do notice over time that one or two people are consistently being left out of the game, stop everything immediately and address it. This game is just as much about sharing and inclusion as it is about teaching whatever lesson you have revolved it around. This game should never EVER be allowed to be used as means for bullying. Everyone has to get a turn, both in catching the ball or receiving whatever praise or nice comments are requested on a turn.

The game is simple. If you are using a ball, you toss to one person and whatever command their thumb lands on is what they are supposed to do. The command can be complimenting someone else in the circle, telling information about themselves, giving an example of a topic, or any number of other things. Then the player chooses another person to toss to. If you are using a die, it is the same idea but they roll the die on the floor and then hand off to another person after they’re done their command. At the end of the post, you will find a much more detailed instruction card for how to play as well as photos and links to others who have used this activity with their classes or groups. If you like this activity and opt to use it in your own advocacy, I would love to hear about it. Comment down below and tell me how it went with a picture of what you used to play!

    As always, I hope you have a blast with this activity and thank you for all that you do in helping children heal. You are amazing and an inspiration, don’t ever forget it!

Good Luck and Keep Fighting,

♥️Jess