Helping Children Feel Safe to Feel: How Educators Can Support Emotional Expression in Trauma-Affected Students

When children grow up in environments where emotions are dismissed or punished, they learn to hide the most human parts of themselves. Here, we explore how educators can recognize when students come from emotionally unsafe homes and how trauma-informed classroom practices can help them feel seen, heard, and safe to express their feelings. With consistent relationships, reflection, and restorative care, schools can become the spaces where children learn that it’s safe to feel again.