Ms. Jen

Don't say stressed brains can't learn. Stressed brains learn who's safer and who isn't. Who comes towards and who pulls away. Even who makes things harder instead of easier. Plus, reading, studying, or working on a project in your class may be the break from personal overwhelm that a learner needs!

Great news! My online course Becoming a Trauma-Sensitive Educator is available for credit at Northwest Nazarene University. Please share with other educators. :-)

pdlearn.nnu.edu/modules/shop...

Educators, the new year will bring stress, especially as trauma unfolds in big ways and resources may be more constrained. One thing you can do for your own health is to prioritize completing your stress cycle (Nagoski & Nagoski, 2020) on the daily (think big muscle movement or creative expression).

Healthy relationships are about connection and separation. Focus on both in your SEL lessons and discussions with learners! For example, when do we need space? Why is it important to be ourselves even if that's different from others we care about? Learn more in Building Trauma-Sensitive Schools!

Love a good read aloud in our crew meetings. We're never too mature for this. It can bring us to the present moment, reflect self or get us outside ourselves, and strengthen attachments between us. Read alouds also help stop the rush, reminding us that pausing together with shared attention matters.

Big thanks to Iowa Association of Play Therapy and Lindsey Swales for including me in their conference! What a great day-your clinicians asked important questions!

Relationships-First: Ms. Jen's New *Free* Guide for Educators and More! Yes, today let's explore how you can better support anxious learners!

My new Substack gives you a *free* back-to-school guide that can help you and other educators put relationships first. Don't miss it! #EduSky

open.substack.com/pub/msjenale...

Enjoying meandering days this summer. Whether a day, half day, or 15 minutes, it's time without an agenda to move from one place to the next, trusting yourself to make spontaneous choices. Listening to your nervous system as much as you can is healthy! Today I meandered at the pool. How about you?

What a great group of leaders we worked with in Des Moines Public Schools. I appreciated your questions and willingness to dive deeply into new ideas—even when it means letting go of some traditional things you've always done.

Thank you School Board of Niagara for your hospitality, engagement, and deep thinking. We love working with you and can't wait to connect with you soon!

Trauma surrounds us. In between feeling and doing something about it, I'm going to give mixed media collage a try. Will keep you posted. I'm a little worried it'll be like my childhood aspirations of making art with Bob Ross. ;-)

Join us for Let’s Get Regulated: Trauma-Informed Play Therapy Interventions to Improve Regulation on June 20, 2025. Boost your own skills and learn to support youth and the adults caring for them to get regulated—playfully! To register, go to: iowaassociationforplaytherapy.regfox.com/lets-get-reg...

Just finished NEEDY LITTLE THINGS by @elledesamours.bsky.social. Good read! I'd love to know how you came up with the idea of a main character who perceives people's needs—to the point of being a bit haunted by it. This book offers an opportunity explore *appease* responses with teens as they read!

While stopped at a light this week, I took a few bites of an ice cream cone as my elder pup (who does what she wants these days) reached skillfully toward my treat—putting her face next to mine to catch a drip. I glanced the other way to see a couple next to us laughing! Shared joy is lovely! :-)

Building Trauma Sensitive Schools with Jen Alexander Child Psych Podcast Episode #131 Hello everyone, and welcome to the Institute of Child Psychology's 2025 Spring Child Parenting and Children's Mental

Have you had big behaviors in your classroom this year? If so, bookmark this link so you can come back to it on a rainy summer day. I speak with the Institute of Child Psych. on their podcast. Listen in—we’ll help you start next year off right. #EduSky
instituteofchildpsychology.com/building-tra...

As schools move into the end-of-the-year, here's a reminder that public countdowns aren't helpful for everybody (and not just youth who may be affected by trauma). Countdowns can increase anxiety or lead to daily grief reminders. It's okay to feel any feeling, but daily reminders can be too much.

It's been one heck of a week of big stress. Thankful my schedule now offers some flexibility when I'm not traveling. Other times in life have not allowed for listening to my body after intense overwhelm. If you're pushing through because you can't slow down, I wish you ease wherever you can find it.

Speaking of vulnerable people, today is a good day to remind folks that there’s no good reason to refer to anyone as a “psych” patient. It discredits, dehumanizes, and welcomes ridicule. Patient. Human with psychiatric needs. Disabled, when appropriate. Not “psych” patient.

Every person, including those who are disabled, deserve to be treated with dignity and honored for who they are. Listen to and protect autistic people. Same for every other vulnerable group. Hate language is being followed by a trampling of rights. None of us have rights when one of us doesn’t.

Can Trauma-Sensitive Practices Help Us Help Kids Who Aren't Traumatized? Yes, today let's explore how you can better support anxious learners!

Thank you to Jessica Sinarski and Becky Lins, President of the Iowa School Counselor Association, for joining us on tonight's "Now What?" show! Such great conversation on the topic of anxiety. Check out my new Substack for links and *free* resources.

open.substack.com/pub/msjenale...

Love it when I travel to speak at conferences and connect with not only educators all over, which is great, but also, Iowans! Thanks for coming up to chat at the Innovative Schools Summit about trauma-sensitive schools!

It's spring break, which takes me back to 5 years ago when things were shutting down due to COVID-19. I was to speak at the NEA Leadership Summit; it was canceled. I felt thankful for their safe decision. Acknowledging these anniversaries matters. What do you remember from this time five years ago?

Feelings and needs are at the heart of trauma-sensitivity. To creatively explore feelings, invite folks to draw a line that shows their feelings. My line would be all over the place. Working with educators is hopeful, and the state of the U. S. is very troubling. What would your line show? #EduSky

This is a de facto genocide of disabled Americans.

Excited for this today, who is joining us? #EduSky

After a Student Flips Their Lid: Trauma-Sensitive Steps for Groups - Ms. Jen Alexander Youth will get dysregulated at school. Ms. Jen offers ideas to help your group get regulated after a student flips their lid.

Learn more in my February 2025 blog post: msjenalexander.com/after_a_stud... #EduSky

Here are 3 things ways to acknowledge changes in the U.S. now, but they also work to speak truth about behavioral crises when they occur in your classroom. "What a big surprise!" "That was a lot." 'It happened so fast." None break confidentiality, and they honor the experience of the group. #EduSky

Excited to present with @msjenalexander.bsky.social today at the Creating Trauma Sensitive Schools Conference in #ATL #edusky #Blackedusky
"The Power of Trauma Sensitive Practices to Disrupt Racial Trauma at School"

“Mental incarceration is worse than physical incarceration.” Disrupt. Anashay Wright #TSS2025ATN #EduSky

Excited to be at #TSS2025ATN! Join me at... 1) 10:00 AM for a showcase about my consulting, 2) 11:30 with @fritztesha.bsky.social as we present about the importance of anti-racism in trauma-sensitive practice, and 3) 2:00 for my session re: the importance of non-certified staff in systemwide change!