Cultural Competency Resources

According to the website, Call to Mind is an initiative by MPR to inform and generate conversations about mental health. This podcast explores the impact of childhood trauma on mental health and suggests ways to build resilience in children. The impact of childhood trauma on adults is applicable to ABE practitioners.

From the article: "Whether you’re a teacher, paraprofessional, counselor, or school resource officer, every staff member cares deeply about students. And that means being exposed to the traumas students bring into school every day, including poverty, grief, family problems, racism, drug abuse. Even if they have not endured trauma themselves, educators can begin exhibiting symptoms similar to those of their students – withdrawal, anxiety, depression, and chronic fatigue."

This MN Department of Health website contains descriptions of trainings on refugee resettlement offered by the MN DHS, as well as links to informational resources on refugee resettlement in Minnesota and the U.S.

The authors explain, "The purpose of this paper is to develop a working concept of trauma and a trauma-informed approach and to develop a shared understanding of these concepts that would be acceptable and appropriate across an array of service systems and stakeholder groups.... The desired goal is to build a framework that helps systems 'talk' to each other, to understand better the connections between trauma and behavioral health issues, and to guide systems to become trauma-informed."

Educators, counselors, and other support staff who work with students exposed to trauma are at risk of being indirectly traumatized as a result of hearing about their students’ experiences and witnessing the negative effects. In the first section of this packet, learn about secondary traumatic stress and related conditions; in the second section, use the tools and strategies provided to help you create individual and schoolwide plans to promote staff self-care and resilience.

This infographic provides teachers with concrete examples of ways that they can incorporate self-care in the areas of psychological, physical, spiritual, personal, professional, and emotional.

Teachers recognize the value of their classrooms as safe venues for adults to practice healthy coping skills and to develop supports, but they are not always comfortable knowing how to respond to the emotional needs of students. While teachers are not therapists, they can be educated in approaches that promote emotional and psychological well-being, and incorporate strategies into the classroom that help students to learn more efficiently.

This checklist outlines the three basic aspects of self-care – awareness, balance, and connection – and offers a list of ideas for self-care strategies to use after a difficult event. As the resource indicates, "There are several ways you can find balance, be aware of your needs, and make connections. Use this list to help you decide which self-care strategies will work for you."

This virtual workshop is provided by PANDA - Minnesota ABE Disability Specialists. Workshop participants will reflect on questions regarding teaching ABE students of all levels about mental health and common mental health concerns. Participants will also review "What is Mental Health?" and "Common Mental Health Concerns" lesson plans and resources to consider uses within their own contexts.

Exposure to potentially traumatic events, which can have a significant impact on brain mechanisms for language learning, is high in adult ELL classrooms. This article outlines strategies that target attention and memory networks which may make it easier for adults to learn.

To do our work well, educators need to be aware of our own implicit biases, students' possible experiences stemming from trauma in a myriad of forms, as well as implications for teaching and learning. In this study circle, a lens of trauma-informed instruction is used to deepen our best practices in working with adult learners in ways that are inclusive and culturally responsive. Emphasis is on reading, reflection, and discussion. The Trauma-Informed Practices Facilitator Guide provides step-by-step suggestions for conducting a study circle no matter where your program is based. 

According to the website: "The Trauma-Sensitive Schools Training Package offers school and district administrators and staff a framework and roadmap for adopting a trauma-sensitive approach school- or districtwide. The Training Package includes a variety of resources for educating school staff about trauma and trauma-sensitive practices and for providing school leaders with a step-by-step process for implementing a universal, trauma-informed approach using package materials."

Trauma can affect a refugee child on an individual, classroom, school, and family level. The considerations and recommendations in this handout can easily be applied to an ABE perspective.

This short video reframes trauma in the classroom in terms of "learning brain" versus "survival brain" as a way to make it easier for teachers think and talk about trauma with students.

Trauma in students’ lives takes an emotional and physical toll on teachers as well. In this article, experts weigh in on the best ways to cope.