Five Trauma-Informed De-escalation Tips for Teachers

themothercorp
Sep 1
3 min read

Supporting children with trauma in the classroom requires more than patience and kindness. It means leading with presence, understanding, and practical tools that help everyone reset and move forward—especially when emotions run high.

Here are five trauma-informed tips every educator can use to de-escalate challenging moments and build a classroom culture of care.

1. Keep Your Tone Calm and Steady

When tension rises, your voice becomes a powerful anchor. Speak slowly and softly, using simple, clear language. Even when you feel pressure, your steady tone provides safety that helps students begin to regulate their own feelings and behaviours.

2. Offer Predictable Choices

Trauma can leave children feeling powerless so it is especially useful for them to have decision making, empowerment, and autonomy. To support time to regulate offer two or three specific, appropriate choices. For example, “Would you like to draw for a few minutes, read one chapter of your book, or sit by the window for a few minutes?” This enables students to make decisions as they gain skills regulating.

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3. Use Simple Grounding Techniques

Help students reconnect with their bodies and the present moment when emotions run high. Invite them to put both feet on the floor, take three deep breaths, or quietly notice something they see, hear, and feel. Tangibly grounding helps shift the focus from feeling overwhelmed to feeling more present.

4. Validate Emotions and Set Gentle Limits

Acknowledge what the student is feeling (“This seems really hard right now”) without excusing any disruptive behaviour. Validation can lower defenses, provide words, and reinforces that emotions are real and manageable, even during tough moments. Setting calm, consistent boundaries communicates care.

5. Stay Nearby—Present Without Pressure

Sometimes a student needs space, but not removal or isolation. After offering support and options, give them physical room while staying close enough to show you’re available. Your presence, without hovering or judgment, reassures the student that they are not alone.

By integrating trauma-informed approaches, teachers have more skills to defuse immediate conflict and also lay a foundation of trust and resilience for every student. The key is consistent, compassionate action—meeting kids where they are, every day, and building a classroom where every learner can feel safe, capable, and seen.

Ready to deepen your trauma-informed skills? Explore our trauma-informed educational workshops for practical tools and strategies you can use right away.

Educational Workshops Topics we offer include:

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Gender-Based Violence, and
High-Conflict Divorce

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Chavisa Horemans, MES, CDC, CTRC

Chavisa Horemans is a trauma-informed Coach, Consultant, and Educator specializing in evidence-based, holistic support for individuals navigating complex challenges. As a consultant and educator, she advances trauma-informed practices in diverse workplaces through training and strategic guidance.

She holds an interdisciplinary Master’s degree in social sciences and a Graduate Diploma in adult education. Her areas of expertise include Gender-Based Violence, Hidden Abuse, Financial Abuse, and Post-Separation Abuse.

Chavisa is a Certified Divorce Coach (CDC, ABA, ICF), with a focus on supporting parents involved in high-conflict disputes. As a Certified Trauma Recovery Practitioner (CTRC), she helps individuals process and recover from trauma and deepens her approach through continuous professional development. She is currently working on certification for the Trauma of Money.

For secure communication, Chavisa can be reached at themothercorp@proton.me.

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