LIVED EXPERIENCES OF TRAUMA-TRAINED K-12 TEACHERS PRACTICING TRAUMA-INFORMED CARE APPROACHES WITHIN THEIR CLASSROOMS

Trauma-informed care has been the subject of numerous scholarly studies in various contexts for nearly four decades. Thus, TIC practices have been shown to reduce educators' stress (Jaycox et al., 2019), increase teacher awareness of student trauma experiences (Kuhn et al., 2019; McIntyre et al., 2019), and improve teachers' self-confidence in engaging with and helping students with trauma (Gruman et al., 2013). However, while most education research has focused on how school personnel can implement trauma-informed practices, no research supports the comprehension of the lived experiences of K-12 trauma-trained teachers who implement TIC intervention strategies in their classrooms. This study aimed to explore the lived experiences of trauma-trained K-12 teachers that have incorporated TIC intervention strategies within their classrooms to help understand their perceptions of the impact of trauma training and the use of TIC intervention strategies. The researcher used a purposive sampling and semi-structured interview format to investigate the experiences of six trauma-trained K-12 teachers using TIC intervention approaches in their classrooms. The results generated four major themes: The Impact of Training, Implemented TIC Strategies and Practices, Factors and Practices Contributing to Trauma-Informed Education, and Challenges. All the themes were fundamental to answering the research question related to lived experiences and perceptions of trauma-trained teachers. In an attempt to tackle ACE among K–12 students, this study provides implications and recommendations for future research that may improve the efficacy of TIC intervention strategies among teachers and school counselors.