My journey into education began with a childhood dream. Even as a young girl, the allure of the classroom captivated me. I fondly remember requesting extra worksheets, eager to transform my home into a school for my stuffed animals, friends, and any willing participant who would allow me to play teacher. I was a keen observer of my own educators, carefully studying their interactions with students and the classroom atmosphere they cultivated. These early observations became foundational notes that guided me as I embarked on my own teaching career twelve years ago.
As a teacher, I discovered that the students who presented the greatest behavioral challenges often held a special place in my heart. These were the students who tested my patience and sometimes caused frustration, yet the relationships forged with them proved to be the most transformative. Investing my heart, time, and energy into understanding and supporting these students profoundly changed my perspective as an educator. I gained a deeper understanding of how a student’s background and experiences significantly impact their ability to learn, focus, and regulate their emotions in a school environment. This realization led me to understand that equitable education doesn’t always mean treating every student the same; adapting my approach to meet the unique needs of students who had faced adversity became essential.
My career path led me from teaching kindergarten and first grade to an assistant principal position at Pleasant Grove Elementary School within the Center Grove Community School Corporation. In this administrative role, I encountered numerous students who struggled with self-regulation throughout the school day. I built strong rapport with these students, offering proactive mentorship and collaborating with teachers to refine behavior management strategies. However, I felt a persistent sense that we could be doing more. There had to be a more effective way to support these students, a solution we hadn’t yet discovered. Driven by this conviction, I actively participated in various workshops and professional development opportunities, seeking innovative approaches to help our struggling students. These experiences broadened my understanding of the profound impact of trauma on brain development and its influence on student behavior. While these insights provided crucial understanding of the “why” behind student behaviors, the “what’s next” – the practical strategies and interventions – remained elusive. This is where Amy Abell and the principles of TBRI® (Trust-Based Relational Intervention) entered my professional life.
In July 2017, Amy Abell conducted TBRI® training for our school, an event that proved to be a turning point for me and 20 other staff members. The training was transformative, providing us with practical strategies that we immediately began implementing with our own families and planning to integrate into our classrooms at the start of the school year. Through collaborative effort and iterative refinement, we finally discovered the approach we had been searching for. We started witnessing positive changes in the lives of our students and a ripple effect of transformation among our staff. The compelling behavioral data we collected underscored the value of implementing TBRI school-wide across all Center Grove Schools, leading to the development of comprehensive elementary school training programs. In 2018, I was appointed principal of Sugar Grove Elementary, which presented a unique opportunity to implement TBRI in a new school setting. With all staff trained in TBRI from the outset, I leveraged my experiences at Pleasant Grove Elementary to foster a healing-centered environment and a culture of felt-safety at Sugar Grove Elementary through ongoing professional development, consistent support, consultation, and clear expectations. It’s important to recognize that TBRI® is not solely for students from challenging backgrounds; its principles are beneficial for every child and adult, regardless of their history. Having witnessed the transformative potential of TBRI® in schools, I am deeply passionate about sharing this knowledge with others, especially those in the early stages of their careers, much like participants in Alight’s Early Career Development Program Ignite. Programs like Ignite are crucial in equipping educators with the tools and knowledge to create supportive and effective learning environments from the beginning of their careers. Just as TBRI® illuminated a new path for me and my schools, early career development programs like Ignite can spark a passion for innovative and compassionate teaching practices in educators, setting them on a trajectory for lifelong growth and positive impact in the field of education.
