Trauma-Informed Research-Practice Partnership Building to Support Early Childhood Educators in an Appalachian Community

Authors

  • Lori Caudle The University of Tennessee
  • Cathy Grist Western Carolina University
  • Hannah Thompson University of Tennessee

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3776/tpre.2023.v13n2p51-75

Keywords:

Early childhood workforce, Professional development, Rural early childhood education, Trauma-informed research-practice partnerships, Social-emotional interventions

Abstract

Trauma-informed initiatives that prioritize educator well-being through equitable research-practice partnership (RPP) building are necessary to advance trauma-informed education and care for young children in rural Appalachian communities. Early stages of partnership building that consider dimensions identified by Henrick et al. (2017) foster trusting relationships, address the goals of partnering organizations, and work toward capacity building. Burnout, secondary traumatic stress, and compassion fatigue are common problems faced by early childhood professionals who may be exposed to high levels of stress and trauma in their work with young children. Thus, any initiatives with early childhood educators should include short- and long-term strategies to address the status of the workforce. Recognizing how trauma and social determinants of health impact the rural early childhood workforce and their ability to implement trauma-informed practices in the classroom is a first step toward holistic professional development. The purpose of this article is to highlight how the early stages of a partnership study with a rural Appalachian pre-kindergarten (pre-K) program and two universities provided a foundation for future research, practice, and partnership activities. Often, trauma-informed professional learning relies on classroom strategies and swift problem-solving techniques that do not consider the primary and secondary trauma faced by early childhood educators and how these traumas directly impact educators’ ability to improve classroom practices.

Author Biographies

Lori Caudle, The University of Tennessee

Lori A. Caudle, Ph.D., is an assistant professor in the Department of Child and Family Studies at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Before this position, she was an assistant and associate professor of Birth–Kindergarten education at Western Carolina University from 2010–2019. Her main scholarship activities are rooted in a community-engaged, implementation science perspective and involve identifying ways to support and strengthen practices of the early care and education workforce through accessible preservice and in-service professional learning experiences. She prioritizes working with urban and rural early childhood educators from marginalized groups and centers her work in the areas of STEM and trauma-informed education.

Cathy Grist, Western Carolina University

Cathy L. Grist, Ph.D., is a professor and director of the Birth–Kindergarten Program at Western Carolina University. She has particular expertise in early childhood assessment, trauma, social-emotional interventions, and interventions for young children with disabilities. Her research interests include preschool personality, assessment, social-emotional competence in young children, challenging behaviors, trauma in early childhood, and trauma experienced by early childhood professionals. She also provides psychological and behavioral assessments for preschool-age children in a local school system.

Hannah Thompson, University of Tennessee

Hannah R. Thompson, M.A.Ed., is a third-year doctoral student at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville in the Department of Child and Family Studies. Her research interests include barriers to the early care and education workforce, trauma-informed care, educators’ lived experiences, adverse childhood experiences, and early childhood educators’ capacity to support children’s development of social emotional, and self-regulation skills. Specifically, Hannah's work supports educators through the use of Infant Early Childhood Mental Health and multi-tiered systems of support practices.

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Published

2023-10-27

How to Cite

Caudle, L., Grist, C., & Thompson, H. (2023). Trauma-Informed Research-Practice Partnership Building to Support Early Childhood Educators in an Appalachian Community. Theory & Practice in Rural Education, 13(2), 51–75. https://doi.org/10.3776/tpre.2023.v13n2p51-75

Issue

Vol. 13 No. 2 (2023): Transformative Trauma-Informed Practices in Rural Schools

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Practice Forum

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