Session 3H
Tracks
Track 8
| Friday, October 30, 2026 |
| 2:00 PM - 3:35 PM |
| Meeting room P11, Plaza Level |
Overview
Meeting room P11
Speaker
Mrs Kate Lose
Senior Education Consultant
Berry Street Yooralla
Conversations That Count: When Student Voice Leads Change
2:00 PM - 2:45 PMAbstract
Aim
When connection comes first, change follows. Conversations That Count explores how student voice can reshape wellbeing through trauma-informed, strengths-based ways of working. Drawing on practitioner insight, the session moves beyond theory to lay foundations for sustainable, future-focused practice.
Background/Context
This presentation highlights a case study from a South Australian school in a low-socio-economic community. Aligned with the Berry Street Education Model, this school focused on building safety through connection, predictable processes, and relational repair - positioning students as active contributors shaping a school culture underpinned by empathy, equity and shared responsibility. Central to this work are co-designed repair conversations that strengthen relationships and support behaviour change.
Relevance
Repair conversations are a core trauma-informed practice within BSEM, recognising behaviour as communication, prioritising dignity and safety. When educators model unconditional positive regard and share power, students develop self-regulation, agency and belonging.
Contribution
This session demonstrates how authentic student agency, supported by emerging digital technology resources, strengthens relationships, sustains behaviour growth and enhances whole-school culture.
Description
This workshop provides practical examples of a school enacting the Eucalypt Way pathways of learn, apply, and sustain, with a focus on translating professional learning into sustained, measurable practice. This includes:
• The establishment of Wellbeing Agents as leaders of connection and belonging
• The development of a de‑escalation pathway titled ‘Re‑Set Road’
• Repair conversations grounded in shared language
Engagement
Participants engage with reflective prompts and scenarios to explore how student voice can be embedded within trauma-informed practice at their site.
When connection comes first, change follows. Conversations That Count explores how student voice can reshape wellbeing through trauma-informed, strengths-based ways of working. Drawing on practitioner insight, the session moves beyond theory to lay foundations for sustainable, future-focused practice.
Background/Context
This presentation highlights a case study from a South Australian school in a low-socio-economic community. Aligned with the Berry Street Education Model, this school focused on building safety through connection, predictable processes, and relational repair - positioning students as active contributors shaping a school culture underpinned by empathy, equity and shared responsibility. Central to this work are co-designed repair conversations that strengthen relationships and support behaviour change.
Relevance
Repair conversations are a core trauma-informed practice within BSEM, recognising behaviour as communication, prioritising dignity and safety. When educators model unconditional positive regard and share power, students develop self-regulation, agency and belonging.
Contribution
This session demonstrates how authentic student agency, supported by emerging digital technology resources, strengthens relationships, sustains behaviour growth and enhances whole-school culture.
Description
This workshop provides practical examples of a school enacting the Eucalypt Way pathways of learn, apply, and sustain, with a focus on translating professional learning into sustained, measurable practice. This includes:
• The establishment of Wellbeing Agents as leaders of connection and belonging
• The development of a de‑escalation pathway titled ‘Re‑Set Road’
• Repair conversations grounded in shared language
Engagement
Participants engage with reflective prompts and scenarios to explore how student voice can be embedded within trauma-informed practice at their site.
Biography
Kate is a passionate educational leader with over 20 years of experience in varied contexts across primary and secondary settings, including working with multi-cultural communities and leading professional learning for overseas teachers.
Drawing on positive psychology research, trauma-informed education, and restorative practice, Kate implemented pro-active, whole-school wellbeing approaches to support student learning and growth and created a podcast series for teachers, students, and parents to educate and strengthen partnerships across the school community.
Kate loves making connections in the BSEM training room, bringing laughter, joy, and a love of learning. She is passionate about equipping educators and students with tools and strategies for personal and academic growth and supporting school communities to flourish and thrive.
Bachelor of Education (Junior Primary/Primary)|Certificate in Positive Education| Graduate Diploma in Religious Education
Mr Jack Greig
Senior Advisor Leadership And Research
Berry Street Education Model
We need to talk about pedagogy: Integrating trauma-informed instructional practices to enhance learning
2:50 PM - 3:35 PMAbstract
Aim:
A trauma-informed perspective on instructional practices asks educators to plan for the impacts that adversity and childhood trauma can have on young peoples’ development and readiness to learn.
Background/Context:
The developmental impacts of trauma can disrupt students’ ability to engage in learning and challenge educators’ capacity to teach effectively. From an attachment theory perspective, early experiences of safety or threat shape how students perceive relationships and learning environments (Ogden, 2021). When stress levels are high, cognitive processes such as working memory and executive functioning are compromised (Tomoda et al., 2025). In classroom settings, students affected by trauma may interpret learning demands as unsafe, activating survival responses and leading to avoidant or disengaged behaviours (Beloyianni & Touloumakos, 2025).
Contribution:
Educators can proactively plan and carefully structure instructional practices to meet young people's needs for physical, relational, and psychological safety while at the same time maximising classroom engagement for growth in learning. Trauma-informed instructional practices show promising results for increasing attentional capacity, empowering student confidence and autonomy, and supporting the retention of learning for all students, particularly for students with complex learning needs (Martín, 2024).
Engagement:
In this workshop, you will learn:
- how maintaining high expectations and a focus on trauma-informed instructional practices has helped the Berry Street School students feel and achieve success as learners
- how the Berry Street Education Model has integrated the sciences of learning, trauma-informed practice, and wellbeing sciences into instructional planning to support students and educators.
A trauma-informed perspective on instructional practices asks educators to plan for the impacts that adversity and childhood trauma can have on young peoples’ development and readiness to learn.
Background/Context:
The developmental impacts of trauma can disrupt students’ ability to engage in learning and challenge educators’ capacity to teach effectively. From an attachment theory perspective, early experiences of safety or threat shape how students perceive relationships and learning environments (Ogden, 2021). When stress levels are high, cognitive processes such as working memory and executive functioning are compromised (Tomoda et al., 2025). In classroom settings, students affected by trauma may interpret learning demands as unsafe, activating survival responses and leading to avoidant or disengaged behaviours (Beloyianni & Touloumakos, 2025).
Contribution:
Educators can proactively plan and carefully structure instructional practices to meet young people's needs for physical, relational, and psychological safety while at the same time maximising classroom engagement for growth in learning. Trauma-informed instructional practices show promising results for increasing attentional capacity, empowering student confidence and autonomy, and supporting the retention of learning for all students, particularly for students with complex learning needs (Martín, 2024).
Engagement:
In this workshop, you will learn:
- how maintaining high expectations and a focus on trauma-informed instructional practices has helped the Berry Street School students feel and achieve success as learners
- how the Berry Street Education Model has integrated the sciences of learning, trauma-informed practice, and wellbeing sciences into instructional planning to support students and educators.
Biography
Jack (he/him) is Senior Advisor - Leadership and Research in the Berry Street Education Model team and the Berry Street School. He works with teachers and school leaders across Australia to progress equity-based approaches to improving school engagement, learning and wellbeing.
Jack is an EdD candidate in the Faculty of Education, University of Melbourne and a member of the Melbourne Social Equity Institute Doctoral Academy. His research expands the field of trauma-informed educational leadership, with a focus on school systems and culture. With Professor Helen Stokes and Associate Professor Tom Brunzell, he is a co-author of the book, ‘Trauma-informed Educational Leadership: Developing Leadership Practices Towards Social Equity’, Emerald Publishing UK.
