Ms. Jen
@msjenalexander.bsky.social
Human. Truth teller. Mom. Educator. Trauma expert. Author. Speaker. Leader who's relentless for school change and social justice. Forever choosing the life of Voltaire's Good Brahmin. Also usually up for cheesecake. Searching for beauty—hoping you are too!
Pinned
Disrupting and Preventing Racial Trauma Using UDL
products.brookespublishing.com
Trauma on repeat can lead to helplessness. Positive change is possible, though, and more important than ever. It's why @fritztesha.bsky.social and I wrote DISRUPTING AND PREVENTING RACIAL TRAUMA USING UDL. Read it for tips that can make schools safer.
products.brookespublishing.com/Disrupting-a....
products.brookespublishing.com/Disrupting-a....
Last day to enter to win a great education book by donating to your local food shelf!
Sad we need this and happy to put BUILDING TRAUMA-SENSITIVE SCHOOLS and DISRUPTING AND PREVENTING RACIAL TRAUMA USING UDL (co-authored with @fritztesha.bsky.social) with these great reads as prizes. Donate to your local food shelf. Then fill out the raffle form for a chance to win! #EduSky
Education community, let's show everyone what we really mean by community care. Please participate, repost, and share with your networks! #EduSky
bit.ly/EdBooksAgain...
bit.ly/EdBooksAgain...
November 16, 2025 at 5:14 PM
Last day to enter to win a great education book by donating to your local food shelf!
When health insurance companies take in billions each year by denying necessary care and then publicly make small-to-them donations of food or supplies to the same communities they're harming, we're being played. They get more palatable social media posts + huge profits while people suffer and die.
November 9, 2025 at 5:43 PM
When health insurance companies take in billions each year by denying necessary care and then publicly make small-to-them donations of food or supplies to the same communities they're harming, we're being played. They get more palatable social media posts + huge profits while people suffer and die.
Sad we need this and happy to put BUILDING TRAUMA-SENSITIVE SCHOOLS and DISRUPTING AND PREVENTING RACIAL TRAUMA USING UDL (co-authored with @fritztesha.bsky.social) with these great reads as prizes. Donate to your local food shelf. Then fill out the raffle form for a chance to win! #EduSky
Education community, let's show everyone what we really mean by community care. Please participate, repost, and share with your networks! #EduSky
bit.ly/EdBooksAgain...
bit.ly/EdBooksAgain...
October 31, 2025 at 1:08 AM
Sad we need this and happy to put BUILDING TRAUMA-SENSITIVE SCHOOLS and DISRUPTING AND PREVENTING RACIAL TRAUMA USING UDL (co-authored with @fritztesha.bsky.social) with these great reads as prizes. Donate to your local food shelf. Then fill out the raffle form for a chance to win! #EduSky
Trauma on repeat can lead to helplessness. Positive change is possible, though, and more important than ever. It's why @fritztesha.bsky.social and I wrote DISRUPTING AND PREVENTING RACIAL TRAUMA USING UDL. Read it for tips that can make schools safer.
products.brookespublishing.com/Disrupting-a....
products.brookespublishing.com/Disrupting-a....
Disrupting and Preventing Racial Trauma Using UDL
products.brookespublishing.com
October 30, 2025 at 1:26 AM
Trauma on repeat can lead to helplessness. Positive change is possible, though, and more important than ever. It's why @fritztesha.bsky.social and I wrote DISRUPTING AND PREVENTING RACIAL TRAUMA USING UDL. Read it for tips that can make schools safer.
products.brookespublishing.com/Disrupting-a....
products.brookespublishing.com/Disrupting-a....
Working on some do-it-yourself projects, and I'm reminded of how hands-on, multi-sensory experiences can be good for the nervous system. Using a nail pry bar adjacent to all the horrors in the nation is therapeutic too! Side note: Feeding one another shouldn't be controversial.
October 27, 2025 at 12:56 PM
Working on some do-it-yourself projects, and I'm reminded of how hands-on, multi-sensory experiences can be good for the nervous system. Using a nail pry bar adjacent to all the horrors in the nation is therapeutic too! Side note: Feeding one another shouldn't be controversial.
I'm presenting at Iowa Head Start's conference on Nov. 5, 2025. If you're concerned about big behavior in early childhood settings, we'll unpack what works and why! It's a hands-on, interactive day-long session. Leave with tools you can use right away. :-)
www.iowaheadstart.org/events/
www.iowaheadstart.org/events/
Trainings & Events - Iowa Head Start Association
See our upcoming training and events through Iowa Head Start Association.
www.iowaheadstart.org
October 19, 2025 at 1:08 PM
I'm presenting at Iowa Head Start's conference on Nov. 5, 2025. If you're concerned about big behavior in early childhood settings, we'll unpack what works and why! It's a hands-on, interactive day-long session. Leave with tools you can use right away. :-)
www.iowaheadstart.org/events/
www.iowaheadstart.org/events/
The year is rolling, and if you need to communicate with families about concerns or progress, I have trauma-sensitive tips to help you in this month's Substack! Please read and share. :-) msjenalexander.substack.com/p/trauma-sen...
Trauma-Sensitive Support for Families
You've asked for suggestions to help families, and I'm answering.
msjenalexander.substack.com
October 13, 2025 at 4:49 PM
The year is rolling, and if you need to communicate with families about concerns or progress, I have trauma-sensitive tips to help you in this month's Substack! Please read and share. :-) msjenalexander.substack.com/p/trauma-sen...
Telling the truth about injustice matters more than ever, and educators are worried about what they can and can't say at school. I've got trauma-sensitive tips, new check-ins that are easy to implement, and a free lesson plan too. Check it out! open.substack.com/pub/msjenale...
Harm's Everywhere—What Can We Really Do?
For starters? Lead daily check-ins and make a classroom or schoolwide mural!
open.substack.com
September 25, 2025 at 7:24 PM
Telling the truth about injustice matters more than ever, and educators are worried about what they can and can't say at school. I've got trauma-sensitive tips, new check-ins that are easy to implement, and a free lesson plan too. Check it out! open.substack.com/pub/msjenale...
There's so much to be stressed about these days, and... It's still the best feeling in the world to run into a former student or their fam and hear about their grown-up lives—all while picturing a little one in your mind.
September 25, 2025 at 4:16 AM
There's so much to be stressed about these days, and... It's still the best feeling in the world to run into a former student or their fam and hear about their grown-up lives—all while picturing a little one in your mind.
In case you missed it, I created a *free* game that families and educators can use to help learners process how the start of the year is going on. Find it over on the Institute of Child Psychology's blog.
instituteofchildpsychology.com/start-of-the...
instituteofchildpsychology.com/start-of-the...
Start-of-the-Year Trauma-Sensitive Tips for Teachers
by Ms. Jen Alexander, M.A., NCC, SB-RPT Some educators eagerly prepare for the start of the school year. Picture them setting up their classrooms and
instituteofchildpsychology.com
September 18, 2025 at 1:31 PM
In case you missed it, I created a *free* game that families and educators can use to help learners process how the start of the year is going on. Find it over on the Institute of Child Psychology's blog.
instituteofchildpsychology.com/start-of-the...
instituteofchildpsychology.com/start-of-the...
If we're trauma-informed *enough* to teach the hand model of the brain but aren't reckoning with the consequences of unchecked injustice, we haven't mastered the material. People who suffer don't usually cause harm, and trauma on repeat without accountability is bound to escalate violence in groups.
September 11, 2025 at 7:54 PM
If we're trauma-informed *enough* to teach the hand model of the brain but aren't reckoning with the consequences of unchecked injustice, we haven't mastered the material. People who suffer don't usually cause harm, and trauma on repeat without accountability is bound to escalate violence in groups.
While there is no quick fix for shame, I do think it can help a smidge sometimes to imagine a friendly dog noticing your presence and excitedly running toward you—even when you feel awful. That’s how worthy you are of connection. Also, get a real dog if you want to and can.
September 10, 2025 at 4:30 AM
While there is no quick fix for shame, I do think it can help a smidge sometimes to imagine a friendly dog noticing your presence and excitedly running toward you—even when you feel awful. That’s how worthy you are of connection. Also, get a real dog if you want to and can.
Big thanks to Wilson Elementary! It was evident from the start the trauma-informed practices you have already put into place. Thank you for what you do for students!
August 29, 2025 at 10:57 AM
Big thanks to Wilson Elementary! It was evident from the start the trauma-informed practices you have already put into place. Thank you for what you do for students!
It was great to see familiar faces at Titan Nation! Thank you for your openness and commitment to students and families. See you soon!
August 28, 2025 at 6:34 PM
It was great to see familiar faces at Titan Nation! Thank you for your openness and commitment to students and families. See you soon!
Children shouldn’t be shot, and they also shouldn’t be interviewed by the press after shootings.
August 28, 2025 at 1:53 AM
Children shouldn’t be shot, and they also shouldn’t be interviewed by the press after shootings.
A great big thanks to Deckerville Schools for having us be a part of your back to school professional development. We appreciate your engagement and questions as you grapple with new paradigms. Have a wonderful start to the year and we look forward to working with you again this fall!
August 27, 2025 at 2:55 AM
A great big thanks to Deckerville Schools for having us be a part of your back to school professional development. We appreciate your engagement and questions as you grapple with new paradigms. Have a wonderful start to the year and we look forward to working with you again this fall!
Thank you Capital Area Head Start for your participation, deep thinking, openness, and questions. This is how we create change in our systems!
August 18, 2025 at 6:18 PM
Thank you Capital Area Head Start for your participation, deep thinking, openness, and questions. This is how we create change in our systems!
Educators, instead of saying *my* classroom (or office), say *our* space because it's not only yours. Learn why this word change is important. Plus, get tips for trauma-sensitivity as you prepare for a new year—all in my August Substack! #EduSky
open.substack.com/pub/msjenale...
open.substack.com/pub/msjenale...
Trauma-Sensitive Suggestions for Setting Up Your Classroom
Bring in Nature!
open.substack.com
August 11, 2025 at 12:16 AM
Educators, instead of saying *my* classroom (or office), say *our* space because it's not only yours. Learn why this word change is important. Plus, get tips for trauma-sensitivity as you prepare for a new year—all in my August Substack! #EduSky
open.substack.com/pub/msjenale...
open.substack.com/pub/msjenale...
Don't say stressed brains can't learn. Stressed brains learn who's safer and who isn't. Who comes towards and who pulls away. Even who makes things harder instead of easier. Plus, reading, studying, or working on a project in your class may be the break from personal overwhelm that a learner needs!
August 7, 2025 at 3:55 PM
Don't say stressed brains can't learn. Stressed brains learn who's safer and who isn't. Who comes towards and who pulls away. Even who makes things harder instead of easier. Plus, reading, studying, or working on a project in your class may be the break from personal overwhelm that a learner needs!
Great news! My online course Becoming a Trauma-Sensitive Educator is available for credit at Northwest Nazarene University. Please share with other educators. :-)
pdlearn.nnu.edu/modules/shop...
pdlearn.nnu.edu/modules/shop...
EDMH50701 - Becoming a TraumaSensitive Educator
<p><strong>Becoming a Trauma-Sensitive Educator: The Online Course and Workbook for Creating Safe, Supportiv...
pdlearn.nnu.edu
August 4, 2025 at 1:47 PM
Great news! My online course Becoming a Trauma-Sensitive Educator is available for credit at Northwest Nazarene University. Please share with other educators. :-)
pdlearn.nnu.edu/modules/shop...
pdlearn.nnu.edu/modules/shop...
Educators, the new year will bring stress, especially as trauma unfolds in big ways and resources may be more constrained. One thing you can do for your own health is to prioritize completing your stress cycle (Nagoski & Nagoski, 2020) on the daily (think big muscle movement or creative expression).
July 31, 2025 at 6:30 PM
Educators, the new year will bring stress, especially as trauma unfolds in big ways and resources may be more constrained. One thing you can do for your own health is to prioritize completing your stress cycle (Nagoski & Nagoski, 2020) on the daily (think big muscle movement or creative expression).
Healthy relationships are about connection and separation. Focus on both in your SEL lessons and discussions with learners! For example, when do we need space? Why is it important to be ourselves even if that's different from others we care about? Learn more in Building Trauma-Sensitive Schools!
July 24, 2025 at 6:10 PM
Healthy relationships are about connection and separation. Focus on both in your SEL lessons and discussions with learners! For example, when do we need space? Why is it important to be ourselves even if that's different from others we care about? Learn more in Building Trauma-Sensitive Schools!
Love a good read aloud in our crew meetings. We're never too mature for this. It can bring us to the present moment, reflect self or get us outside ourselves, and strengthen attachments between us. Read alouds also help stop the rush, reminding us that pausing together with shared attention matters.
July 17, 2025 at 6:38 PM
Love a good read aloud in our crew meetings. We're never too mature for this. It can bring us to the present moment, reflect self or get us outside ourselves, and strengthen attachments between us. Read alouds also help stop the rush, reminding us that pausing together with shared attention matters.
Big thanks to Iowa Association of Play Therapy and Lindsey Swales for including me in their conference! What a great day-your clinicians asked important questions!
July 1, 2025 at 1:37 PM
Big thanks to Iowa Association of Play Therapy and Lindsey Swales for including me in their conference! What a great day-your clinicians asked important questions!
My new Substack gives you a *free* back-to-school guide that can help you and other educators put relationships first. Don't miss it! #EduSky
open.substack.com/pub/msjenale...
open.substack.com/pub/msjenale...
Relationships-First: Ms. Jen's New *Free* Guide for Educators and More!
Yes, today let's explore how you can better support anxious learners!
open.substack.com
June 30, 2025 at 2:31 PM
My new Substack gives you a *free* back-to-school guide that can help you and other educators put relationships first. Don't miss it! #EduSky
open.substack.com/pub/msjenale...
open.substack.com/pub/msjenale...