What is Trauma-Informed School Approach

This chapter focuses on how the stress of teaching can lead to compassion fatigue. It will examine the general stressors of teaching which have led to the current teacher shortage with a special focus on the unique stress of teaching students who have experienced trauma. In addition, it will offer a snapshot of how trauma presents itself in the classroom and some of the challenges that educators experience. This chapter will share one school's experience with helping their teachers cope with compassion fatigue through a professional development series covering these topics: defining compassion fatigue and its impact, coping strategies, and the importance of self-care. Data will be presented to show the effectiveness of this intervention at this author's school.