When our students experience trauma, it takes a toll on us too. The ‘toll it takes,’ also recognized as secondary trauma, is a product of the teacher-student relationship that serves as the foundation of teaching (Crosby, 2015). Educators are affected by secondary traumatic stress or compassion fatigue which consists of psychological distress and reactions such as avoidance, re-experiencing and hyperarousal directly related to working with students exposed to trauma. Exposure to secondary trauma can lead to physical, mental, social, emotional and spiritual consequences, such as expecting the worst, avoiding friends or colleagues, diminished self-care, difficulty sleeping, and feeling hopeless (Miller, & Flint-Stipp, 2019). This compromises not only our health but also the support we provide to students in their classrooms. 

Self-care is often defined and measured by different activities and domains that promote healthy functioning and enhance well-being (Salloum, Choi, & Stover, 2018). The different domains may include physical, emotional, psychological, leisure, and spiritual (i.e., personal self-care strategies). Self-care practices for those working with survivors of trauma should be from a trauma-informed care perspective. Trauma-informed self-care strategies in an educational setting recognize the impact of trauma on both educators and the students they teach and incorporate approaches beyond stress management practices (i.e., exercise, mediation, prayer, etc.)(Salloum, Choi, & Stover, 2018). A trauma-informed school recognizes the impact of trauma on students, as well as staff and all administrative personnel, and incorporates self-care strategies into the curriculum.