Recently, there has been significant growth in research exploring the effects of incorporating social and emotional learning (SEL) programs in schools. A broad range of studies point to the worth of schools incorporating SEL programs in their curriculum. Findings suggest that not only does SEL result in pro-social growth for students, such as motivation to learn and improved relationships with peers, it also offers effective protection from negative outcomes, such as reducing emotional distress and conduct problems. SEL programs can resource schools to provide children and educators with opportunities to develop their social competence through practicing social interactions and navigating social challenges, learning, and practicing behavioural social skills, navigating cultural differences and further developing their emotional literacy and emotion regulation skill building.

In 2022, the Kimberley SPACE program was delivered to 6 regional and remote primary schools across the East and West Kimberley education districts in Western Australia. It was a collaboration between the Australian Childhood Foundation (ACF) and the WA Department of Education. It was a pilot study that implemented a culturally responsive program to promote social competence and emotional maturity (regulation) capabilities in primary school aged students, including those with diverse learning needs.

The program had links to a pre-existing ACF school support program, ‘Making Space for Learning” , a resource for schools to better understand and meet the needs of children who have experienced trauma, significant disruption, or
disadvantage. ‘Making Space for Learning’ draws on neurobiological evidence related to trauma and considers principles and strategies to support students to learn and manage social and emotional relationships at school.

Kimberley SPACE translated and expanded this framework into an accessible, child friendly, whole of school program of activities for students, that allowed cultural contexts to be easily included into the curriculum. The program invited primary school students to learn more about their social and emotional selves with the central concepts of social competence and emotional regulation explored throughout the eight-week program. The program embraced and integrated the concepts of social and emotional wellbeing as defined within an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspective. The concepts of social competence and emotional regulation were considered in relation to the experience of children with experiential and developmental vulnerabilities such as FASD, neurodevelopmental delays and the experience of trauma.

Findings from the program’s learning and evaluation report will be shared as well as insights into the program’s set up, co-design and delivery.

Brain Breaks are more than just giving the brain a break. They are about providing brief, structured breaks for nervous system regulation and positively priming the brain and body for learning. In this 45-minute workshop, participants will explore the what, the why and the how of implementing “Brain Breaks” in the classroom and other settings.
The implementation of Brain Breaks in the school setting is not only trauma-informed, but mental health promoting and inclusive of neurodivergence and individuals with learning differences and other needs.
Research indicates the use of breaks in the classroom has a positive effect on learning across numerous domains, including cognitive functioning; increased positive emotion; student engagement and motivation; supporting executive functioning; self-awareness; stamina; learning consolidation; and more of which will be reviewed. We also explore how brain breaks are grounded in neuroscience, many of which offer activation of the parasympathetic nervous system and vagus nerve, provide rhythmic and repetitive regulation, support sensory and hemispheric brain integration, and offer predictability and routine – which we know brains LOVE! Brain breaks also offer co-regulation activities, and can assist students to develop their own capacity for self-regulation. And an important note: brain breaks benefit educators too!
Within this workshop, numerous interactive activities will be incorporated to explore various types of brain breaks, including through concept of down-regulating and up-regulating breaks.
Participants will walk away with inspired creativity, alongside a bank of brain breaks that they can implement immediately in the classroom and other settings. During our workshop we will explore brain breaks that use movement, social connection, mental stimulation, mindfulness, relaxation, focused attention, emotion regulation, rhythm, and sensory activities which support brains to learn at their best.
Finally, this workshop will offer participants key considerations as to how brain breaks can be effectively implemented; individually, in groups and whole class; and across varying contexts not just the classroom. We are reminded that different brains need different kinds of breaks, at different times. As such, differentiation and adapting to individual and developmental needs will be discussed, as well as upskilling students themselves to learn about the purpose of brain breaks, and increase their capacity for self-awareness and self-regulation by supporting them to implement and adjust brain breaks as they require. A key take away message from this workshop is that brain breaks are a right, not a reward. They are a need, not an extra. So give ‘em a break!

Increased recognition of the prevalence of childhood trauma (Scott & Mathews, 2023) has seen the need for teachers to be trauma-informed. The impacts of trauma on student development, relationships, behaviour and learning are well documented (Chafouleas et al., 2021; Kavanaugh et al., 2017; Porche et al., 2016), with significant implications for the school and classroom. Despite recommendations and guidelines for the implementation of trauma-informed practices (TIP) in schools (Howard et al., 2022; Martin et al., 2023) there is limited understanding of whether teachers are implementing trauma-informed practices in their classrooms and what is predicting this use. This study of New South Wales (NSW) primary school classroom teachers (N=226), sought to examine the predictors of teacher TIP use including their trauma literacy, self-efficacy, professional learning and teaching experiences. The teacher’s use of TIP was most strongly predicted by their level of trauma literacy, closely followed by the amount of trauma-related professional learning, and their experience of teaching a student with a trauma diagnosis in their classroom. Significant differences were identified between teachers who used TIP and those who did not use TIP in their classroom. Those who used TIP reported significantly higher trauma literacy, self-efficacy, hours of trauma professional learning and experiences of teaching a child with a trauma diagnosis. The findings indicate that modest levels of trauma literacy and relatively small amounts of professional learning support inclusive trauma-informed practices in the classroom. Specifically, these findings indicate that teacher trauma literacy is a critical factor to consider when seeking to develop teacher practice in the classroom.