What to expect from the course

This free course was designed by qualified teachers from the IRC’s UK Education Team in conjunction with IRC staff from around the globe. Built on decades of research and field-testing, the Healing Classrooms programme has been utilised in more than 20 countries both in conflict-affected zones and in resettlement countries to enable children and young people to heal from trauma and toxic stress.

The course begins with the key topics of trauma and toxic stress before moving on to the 3-step Healing Classrooms Approach, which you are encouraged to implement in your own classrooms by trialling your chosen techniques as you work through each unit of the course.

This is an interactive course with a range of activities for you to engage with, including reflections on your current practice as an educator, learning from others who have taken part in Healing Classrooms workshops led by IRC staff, and taking away key techniques to trial in your own classroom.

You are encouraged to fully engage with all activities, keep a learning journal throughout the course, and to use what you learn each week to adapt and improve your practice in your daily work in school.

Each unit will begin with a poem, written by a refugee or about refugees, which will highlight the key themes and concepts coming up. These poems, which have audio for listening, are a great resource to use in class.

You will read a series of case studies, based on real students and teachers, to gain a better understanding of the key issues students may be dealing with, the assets they may bring with them into the classroom and key theories which will enable you to better support them.

In Units 1 and 2, you will learn the basics of trauma, toxic stress, trauma-informed care and identity-informed care – theories which are each crucial to understanding the experiences of many refugees which will enable you to better support your students.

In Units 3, 4 and 5, you will learn about key concepts within the Healing Classrooms Approach – IRC’s global trauma-informed approach to educating refugee students. In the final three units, you will review case studies, recommended strategies, videos and create a bespoke, personalised action plan for you to utilise in your workplace.

In Unit 3, you will learn how to Prepare a Safe Place to Land, learning which strategies can help to build a sense of control for newcomer refugee students. In Unit 4, you will learn how to Build a Community for Learning, exploring concepts such as cultural competence and cultural humility and reviewing recommended strategies to utilise in your school.

Finally, in Unit 5, you will learn how to Foster Academic Success with your students, covering pedagogical theories such as Culturally Responsive Pedagogy and Translanguaging to help adapt your teaching and learning style to fit the needs of your students best.