By Jessica Edwards, NC Center for Resilience & Learning Coordinator
As I sat in on a resilience team meeting at Greene Early College High School, the quote by Mary Catherine Bateson came to my mind, “We are not what we know, but what we are willing to learn.” During the meeting, I was impressed by the passion and concerns shared by the team members. I heard shared laughter, vulnerability, and honest reflection. Mr. Taylor Moore, the principal, participated in the meeting with humility, and the seven staff members of GEC respected each other. Stacey Craig, one of our coaches at the Center for Resilience and Learning, facilitated with understanding and wisdom, making the 90-minute meeting feel sacred.
Located on the campus of Lenoir Community College in Snow Hill, NC, Greene Early College High School stands out as a unique educational institution. It’s not just a school but a close-knit community that offers students the opportunity to graduate with an associate’s degree and a high school diploma. With a small student body of approximately 150, the school fosters a familial atmosphere where staff and students know each other by name. This sense of familiarity and belonging is vital to the school’s success.
During the academic year of 2023-2024, Ms. Craig was invited to lead a group of eight administrative and student support staff through a 10-week introductory course on building trauma-informed school environments. At the end of the course, the group was excited to start a long-term partnership with the Center. The partnership includes sharing research and resources with the whole staff, and begin choosing and implementing resilience-building strategies school-wide. After offering initial training to the whole staff, Ms. Craig led the original group in its first tasks as a Resilience Team – a steering committee to determine and coordinate the school’s bespoke process of integrating trauma-informed practice. This team, currently comprising seven passionate staff members and looking forward to recruiting broader representation from across the school next year, is committed to educating others about the benefits of a trauma-informed school environment. Their enthusiasm for learning, sharing insights, and integrating trauma-informed practices into their work is commendable.
To offer staff an opportunity to experience resilience-building practices firsthand, Ms. Craig starts each meeting with a brief opening circle, where the use of a “talking piece” offers each participant a turn to share their response to a question or prompt while others listen. Over time, this builds a foundation of greater trust and openness among team members and models a strategy for doing the same among their students. During this particular meeting, Ms. Craig asked each person to share one good thing (inspired by the “three good things” practice) that occurred in the last week and their involvement in making it happen. This activity set the stage for a comfortable and friendly conversation. The resilience team reflected on their priorities and passions, which include building relationships, accountability, and staff education surrounding ACEs.
Next, it was time to share, “What is going well?” and “Where do you see gaps?” This was an insightful practice because it encouraged positivity and accountability. Many staff members shared how they noticed students asking more questions, engaging in conversation, and better class attendance. The staff unanimously agreed that this school year saw fewer behavior issues.
One team member shared, “Because we have built relationships, students know that even if we can’t help them right at the moment, we will get back to them or find the help they need.”
The second question, “Where do you see gaps?” could cause the room to grow silent, but not with this team! The team not only shared the gaps they saw but also provided solutions to fill them. It is evident that because the principal leads respectfully, the staff members feel safe sharing.
Mr. Moore shared, “We have to know what it feels like to be uncomfortable in order to support students in things that are uncomfortable.”
The GEC resilience team is prepared to help their school become more trauma-informed by focusing initially on the needs of their staff and creating a plan for exchanging resilience-building resources and reflective feedback with their colleagues in August 2024. One team member shared, “I believe in hope and taking the risk with vulnerability.” The result of a trauma-informed environment is beautiful to consider. There will be accessible data that shows the positive outcomes and unidentifiable data that lies in the hearts and minds of staff, students, and families who will experience a safe and grounded atmosphere at school that elevates their sense of success and possibility. However, it is a process to get there, and this team recognizes that the benefits far outweigh the risks.
Implementing new practices and prioritizing staff communication and reflection time will undoubtedly be challenging. However, the resilience team at GEC is not deterred. They are willing to take risks and step out of their comfort zone to create a trauma-informed environment. As Mary Catherine Bateson said, “We are not what we know, but what we are willing to learn.” The team’s wisdom and passion light the path on their journey; because of this, their future is bright!