Teaching. Learning and Trauma

Alverno College is hosting a forum on teaching, learning and trauma, and the best ways for educators to respond to students who bring experiences of trauma, family difficulty and community violence into the classroom. Often times these challenges impede a child’s ability to learn, and teachers want to help children learn to respond to society’s challenges with resilience. Our panelists will explore multiple perspectives on the current state of trauma-informed education and specific strategies educators can use to respond. An experienced school leader, a school psychologist, a nurse, and a nonprofit leader will also present how they view trauma and education and what they think teachers can and should do in response.

Panelists include:

· Desiree Pointer Mace, associate dean of graduate programs, Alverno College School of Education (facilitator)

· Patricia Luebke, interim dean, Alverno College School of Education, with 40 years of experience in teaching and school leadership

· Kenya Patterson-Brown, Boys and Girls Club of Greater Milwaukee

· Dena Radtke, Coordinator - School Social Work, School to Work and Community Services at Milwaukee Public Schools

· Peg Rauschenberger, interim dean, Alverno College JoAnn McGrath School of Nursing and a trauma nurse with 23 years of experience with incarcerated adolescents

· Anna Silberg, director of instruction & research at Growing Minds, experienced educator in secondary education and at the university level, and a leader in mindfulness practices

The Alverno Forum series seeks to join community leaders in discussing cutting-edge topics that have a daily impact on the lives of people in our community and beyond. The next discussion in this year’s series takes place on Thursday, October 29 at 6:00 p.m. in the Sister Joel Read Conference Center. The Alverno Forum series is free and open to the public. For more details, please visit our website at http://www.alverno.edu/forum/.

About Alverno College

Alverno College, a four-year independent, Catholic, liberal arts college for women, exists to promote the personal and professional development of its students. The college has earned accolades and respect internationally for its highly effective ability-based, assessment-as-learning approach to education, and has consulted with three U.S. presidential administrations on accountability and outcomes in higher education. For the last six years, Alverno College was ranked one of the top five schools in the Midwest doing “the best job of educating undergrads” by U.S. News & World Report. Educators from throughout the world visit Alverno to learn about its proven, student-centered teaching methods.

Alverno offers more than 60 major areas of study, including graduate programs in education, nursing, community psychology and business that are open to women and men. For more information about Alverno, visit www.alverno.edu or call 414-382-6100.