MSU Denver Teaches Future Educators How To Build Equitable, Culturally Responsive and Trauma-Informed Classrooms

By Stephanie Daniel

This article  originally appeared on KUNC.org and is reprinted with permission.

At East Elementary school in Littleton, a group of fifth graders is seated in a semi-circle around student teacher Stephanie Shufelt for their morning meeting.

“Yesterday we talked about resiliency. Can someone remind me of what that actually meant?” she asks.

“To keep trying,” 10-year-old Brisaida Velasco replies.

“To keep trying, right,” Shufelt says. “When tough times hit, you’re able to bounce back.”

Four days a week, time is set aside for teachers to focus on social-emotional learning and teaching students self-regulation skills. At this meeting, Shufelt discusses strategies that can help them be resilient.