Ms. Jen

Trauma-informed practice isn't just for youth. It's for families too. Parents who care about their kids are supposed to be dysregulated when loved ones aren't okay, especially if their children are unsafe. Please acknowledge these grounded-in-reality fears and offer support instead of judging folks.

Presenting tomorrow at 1:45 Eastern at @attachtraumanetwork's 2026 conference. My session is Are You Ready For It? Structuring Classrooms to Prevent Big Behavior. Our power to stop nervous system overwhelm is before it happens. Learn all about how to do that with youth of all ages in my session!

We don't provide enough opportunities for teachers to share their questions, curiosities, anxieties, fears, regrets, and wonderings about how we do this important work. Moments matter. Sharing them in a safe space matters too.

Let's stop playing hangman at school, please. The game is rooted in violence and murder. What's your favorite word-game alternative? Also, ICE doesn't belong in our communities or schools either.

Educators who support ICE aren't safe for any of our children.

Trauma-informed mental health professional and educator here. Letting you know that as people experiencing or witnessing the harm being unleashed on both children and adults, our bodies' don't need grounding, gentle movement, or a release of stress-induced energy as much as we need the harm to stop.

My January Substack gives you PD suggestions and sends you to this month's blog post about anger. Learn what anger is, why so many folks are feeling it right now, and what you can do as an educator to honor anger and the needs that go with it.

Here's the link!

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

One of my favorite things to do is stroll into an independent bookstore and listen to one of the booksellers give book recommendations to strangers! Also fun when it’s me, but either way, it’s a love language!

Reading Virginia Roberts Giuffre's Nobody's Girl. It's gut-wrenching and leaves me feeling an extreme tussle between sitting with her story and the beautiful, painful way she's telling it—wishing to honor her. And... Holding space for how many other children and adults carry stories of their own.

Last day to enter to win a great education book by donating to your local food shelf!

When health insurance companies take in billions each year by denying necessary care and then publicly make small-to-them donations of food or supplies to the same communities they're harming, we're being played. They get more palatable social media posts + huge profits while people suffer and die.

docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

Sad we need this and happy to put BUILDING TRAUMA-SENSITIVE SCHOOLS and DISRUPTING AND PREVENTING RACIAL TRAUMA USING UDL (co-authored with @fritztesha.bsky.social) with these great reads as prizes. Donate to your local food shelf. Then fill out the raffle form for a chance to win! #EduSky

Trauma on repeat can lead to helplessness. Positive change is possible, though, and more important than ever. It's why @fritztesha.bsky.social and I wrote DISRUPTING AND PREVENTING RACIAL TRAUMA USING UDL. Read it for tips that can make schools safer.
products.brookespublishing.com/Disrupting-a....

Working on some do-it-yourself projects, and I'm reminded of how hands-on, multi-sensory experiences can be good for the nervous system. Using a nail pry bar adjacent to all the horrors in the nation is therapeutic too! Side note: Feeding one another shouldn't be controversial.

Trainings & Events - Iowa Head Start Association See our upcoming training and events through Iowa Head Start Association.

I'm presenting at Iowa Head Start's conference on Nov. 5, 2025. If you're concerned about big behavior in early childhood settings, we'll unpack what works and why! It's a hands-on, interactive day-long session. Leave with tools you can use right away. :-)

www.iowaheadstart.org/events/

Trauma-Sensitive Support for Families You've asked for suggestions to help families, and I'm answering.

The year is rolling, and if you need to communicate with families about concerns or progress, I have trauma-sensitive tips to help you in this month's Substack! Please read and share. :-) msjenalexander.substack.com/p/trauma-sen...

Harm's Everywhere—What Can We Really Do? For starters? Lead daily check-ins and make a classroom or schoolwide mural!

Telling the truth about injustice matters more than ever, and educators are worried about what they can and can't say at school. I've got trauma-sensitive tips, new check-ins that are easy to implement, and a free lesson plan too. Check it out! open.substack.com/pub/msjenale...

There's so much to be stressed about these days, and... It's still the best feeling in the world to run into a former student or their fam and hear about their grown-up lives—all while picturing a little one in your mind.

Start-of-the-Year Trauma-Sensitive Tips for Teachers by Ms. Jen Alexander, M.A., NCC, SB-RPT Some educators eagerly prepare for the start of the school year. Picture them setting up their classrooms and

In case you missed it, I created a *free* game that families and educators can use to help learners process how the start of the year is going on. Find it over on the Institute of Child Psychology's blog.

instituteofchildpsychology.com/start-of-the...

If we're trauma-informed *enough* to teach the hand model of the brain but aren't reckoning with the consequences of unchecked injustice, we haven't mastered the material. People who suffer don't usually cause harm, and trauma on repeat without accountability is bound to escalate violence in groups.

While there is no quick fix for shame, I do think it can help a smidge sometimes to imagine a friendly dog noticing your presence and excitedly running toward you—even when you feel awful. That’s how worthy you are of connection. Also, get a real dog if you want to and can.

Big thanks to Wilson Elementary! It was evident from the start the trauma-informed practices you have already put into place. Thank you for what you do for students!

It was great to see familiar faces at Titan Nation! Thank you for your openness and commitment to students and families. See you soon!

Children shouldn’t be shot, and they also shouldn’t be interviewed by the press after shootings.

A great big thanks to Deckerville Schools for having us be a part of your back to school professional development. We appreciate your engagement and questions as you grapple with new paradigms. Have a wonderful start to the year and we look forward to working with you again this fall!

Thank you Capital Area Head Start for your participation, deep thinking, openness, and questions. This is how we create change in our systems!

Trauma-Sensitive Suggestions for Setting Up Your Classroom Bring in Nature!

Educators, instead of saying *my* classroom (or office), say *our* space because it's not only yours. Learn why this word change is important. Plus, get tips for trauma-sensitivity as you prepare for a new year—all in my August Substack! #EduSky

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

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...