OPINION: Trauma-informed teaching isn’t optional in New Mexico schools

On the first Monday of the school year, I was the outsider — a veteran teacher new to a large, unfamiliar school. I was still learning the layout of the building, much less my students’ names. The morning felt ordinary enough: crisp uniforms, squeaking cool new sneakers and the boisterous energy that always accompanies a new beginning.

Then everything shifted.

A small group of students entered my classroom who were not on my roster. They were out of sync with the bell schedule, and as I started to redirect them, I noticed one girl sobbing, tears streaming down her face. Another student gently asked, “Can we sit here? Is that OK?” I nodded.

They retreated to what my students call the “green corner," a small space with benches and a wall of houseplants I had designed to bring calm into the room. The hallway noise faded. The tears slowed. When I cautiously asked what was wrong, a fragmented story emerged of a crisis at home. I put on soft music and did the only thing I knew how to do at that moment: I held space. When they left, one student said simply, “Cool space. Thanks for letting us be.”

As fate would have it later that week, while skimming a routine email from the superintendent listing professional development opportunities, one phrase stood out: Strategies for the Trauma-Informed Classroom NM ECHO Program. I clicked without hesitation.

That decision led me to Project ECHO.

Project ECHO, based at the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, connects educators, health professionals and community providers through virtual learning sessions that combine expert guidance with peer discussion and mentorship. Project ECHO doesn’t just deliver information, it builds confidence, reduces isolation and helps participants apply evidence-based practices where they live and work.

Through ECHO’s trauma-informed education sessions, I began to grapple with hard questions: What is trauma, really? How does it show up in our classrooms? And what is our responsibility as educators when it does?

Making time for the sessions twice a month wasn’t easy. Like most teachers, I was already stretched thin. But the hour flew by. The learning was practical, the conversations honest, and the sense of shared purpose deeply grounding.

During one session, we were asked to create an action plan. Mine was simple: start each class with a 1-minute mindfulness pause, follow with a brief circle check-in and intentionally protect space in my classroom where students could regroup when needed.

One semester later, the impact is undeniable. Students remind me if I forget the mindfulness minute. Trust is growing, slowly and intentionally. The green corner has evolved into a book nook, art space and quiet reset zone.

I still have much to learn and I look forward to doing that with Project ECHO. New Mexico’s students are carrying more than we see. Our educators want to help, and we need access to programs like Project ECHO that equip us to do so well. We continue to be thankful for the support for ECHO Education, which ensures that teachers across our state can show up with compassion, confidence and the right tools when it matters most.

Our students deserve nothing less.

Gretchen Venkatesh is a teacher in Pecos.