Through The Eyes of Trauma

What do you do when a child has been through so much that they simply can’t function in a “normal” classroom? In this episode of Through the Eyes of Trauma, Dr. Salena Smith unpacks what it means to teach children who are still living in survival mode.  When behavior isn’t defiance, it’s protection. Through a real story of a foster student on the brink and the educators trying everything to reach her, Dr. Smith shares trauma-informed strategies to stabilize before you strategize, redefine success, support teachers, and reframe the environment so healing can finally begin.

Because you can’t teach a child who’s fighting to survive; you have to help them feel safe enough to learn.