| dc.description.abstract | Childhood trauma is impacting children and teachers across the nation. According to attachment theory, when children do not form secure attachments with parents, they will seek out attachments from other adults. Teachers are acting as secondary attachment figures. In this study, seven prekindergarten teachers participated in semi-structured interviews about their experiences supporting students with trauma and their relationships with these students. Prekindergarten teachers are supporting students by teaching self-regulation skills and emotional coping strategies. Teachers are also building relationships with students by learning about their interests and developing relationships with students’ support systems (i.e., parents, colleagues, and administration). Teachers are struggling with practicing self-care, but they reason that self-care is important. The results of this study imply that parents, teachers, and administration need to continue to work together to support students with trauma. Teachers can more adequately support students if they feel supported and practice self-care strategies. | en_US |
