Meet Your Instructor

Dr. Charles Flowers is a 32-year veteran of Georgia public education, a two-time state championship coach, and one of the most recognized advocates for student success in the state. He is the first coach in Georgia history inducted into the Georgia Athletic Coaches Hall of Fame for two sports, football and baseball, and has spent decades proving that relationships, not programs, change the trajectory of young people's lives.

In 2016, Dr. Flowers and his wife Cheryl co-founded A Second Chance W.O.R.K.S., a restorative justice mentorship program now serving students and families across multiple Georgia school districts. That work became the foundation for the THIS W.O.R.K.S. Trauma-Informed Curriculum — a system built from more than three decades of watching what actually reaches students who have been written off, overlooked, or failed by traditional approaches.

Dr. Flowers is not a researcher who studies at-risk youth from a distance. He has coached them, mentored them, and shown up for their families. This curriculum is the result of that lived experience translated into a framework any classroom teacher can use.

Trauma-Informed Middle School Curriculum

Classroom Teacher Edition

  • 1

    Module 1: What is Trauma

    • Teacher Overview: What is Trauma?

    • Grounding Practices

    • Key Terms and Trauma-Sensitive Language

    • Why This Matters

    • Scenario 1 Facilitation Guide: Sophie

    • Scenario 2 Facilitation Guide: Jose

    • Scenario 3 Facilitation Guide: Matthew

    • Closing the Lesson with Reflection

    • SEL Connection
  • 2

    Module 2: How Trauma Affects Thoughts, Feelings, and Behaviors

    • Teacher Overview: How Trauma Affects Thoughts, Feelings, and Behaviors

    • Grounding Practices

    • Key Terms and Trauma-Sensitive Language

    • Why This Matters

    • The Thoughts-Feelings-Behaviors Framework

    • Scenario 1 Facilitation Guide: Sam

    • Scenario 2 Facilitation Guide: Max

    • Closing the Lesson with Reflection

    • SEL Connection
  • 3

    Module 3: Social Emotional Intelligence

    • Teacher Overview: Social Emotional Intelligence

    • Grounding Practices

    • Key Terms and Trauma-Sensitive Language

    • Why This Matters

    • The Five Elements of Emotional Intelligence in Action

    • Scenario 1 Facilitation Guide: Ashley

    • Scenario 2 Facilitation Guide: Joy and Zach

    • Closing the Lesson with Reflection

    • SEL Connection
  • 4

    Module 4: Resilience

    • Teacher Overview: Resilience

    • Grounding Practices

    • Key Terms and Trauma-Sensitive Language

    • Why This Matters

    • The 5 G's of Resilience

    • Scenario 1 Facilitation Guide: Maria

    • Scenario 2 Facilitation Guide: Ramon

    • Scenario 3 Facilitation Guide: Nicole

    • Closing the Lesson with Reflection

    • SEL Connection
  • 5

    Module 5: Self Management

    • Teacher Overview: Self-Management

    • Grounding Practices

    • Key Terms and Trauma-Sensitive Language

    • Why This Matters

    • Self-Management in Action

    • Scenario 1 Facilitation Guide: Sam

    • Scenario 2 Facilitation Guide: Mike and Kevin

    • Scenario 3 Facilitation Guide: John

    • Closing the Lesson with Reflection

    • SEL Connection
  • 6

    Module 6: Depression and Anxiety

    • Teacher Overview: Depression and Anxiety

    • Grounding Practices

    • Key Terms and Trauma-Sensitive Language

    • Why This Matters

    • Understanding Depression and Anxiety

    • Scenario 1 Facilitation Guide: Carol and Maya

    • Scenario 2 Facilitation Guide: John and Derek

    • Scenario 3 Facilitation Guide: Vanessa

    • Closing the Lesson with Reflection

    • SEL Connection
  • 7

    Module 7: Relationship Skills

    • Teacher Overview: Relationship Skills

    • Grounding Practices

    • Key Terms and Trauma-Sensitive Language

    • Why This Matters

    • Scenario 1 Facilitation Guide: Jennifer and Ashlee

    • Scenario 2 Facilitation Guide: Kevin

    • Scenario 3 Facilitation Guide: Sara

    • Closing Reflection

    • SEL Connection
  • 8

    Module 8: Self Awareness

    • Teacher Overview: Self-Awareness

    • Grounding Practices

    • Key Terms and Trauma-Sensitive Language

    • Why This Matters

    • Introduction Video

    • Scenario 1 Facilitation Guide: DeMarcus

    • Scenario 2 Facilitation Guide: Melissa

    • Closing Reflection + SEL Connection

    • SEL Connection
  • 9

    Module 9: Peer Pressure

    • Teacher Overview: Peer Pressure

    • Grounding Practices

    • Key Terms and Trauma-Sensitive Language

    • Why This Matters

    • Introduction Video + Discussion Questions

    • Interactive Video + Discussion Questions

    • Scenario 1 Facilitation Guide: Sam

    • Scenario 2 Facilitation Guide: Penelope

    • Scenario 3 Facilitation Guide: Kyle

    • Closing Reflection

    • SEL Connection
  • 10

    Module 10: Conflict Resolution

    • Teacher Overview: Conflict Resolution Through a Trauma-Informed Lens

    • Grounding Practices

    • Key Terms and Trauma-Sensitive Language for Teachers

    • Why This Matters

    • Scenario 1 Facilitation Guide: Justin, George, and Brian

    • Scenario 2 Facilitation Guide: Jackie and Ashley

    • Scenario 3 Facilitation Guide: David and Lisa

    • Closing the Lesson with Reflection

    • SEL Connection
  • 11

    Module 11: Healthy Living

    • Teacher Overview: Healthy Living

    • Grounding Practices

    • Key Terms and Trauma-Sensitive Language

    • Why This Matters

    • Introduction Video + Discussion Questions

    • Interactive Video + Discussion Questions

    • Scenario 1 Facilitation Guide: Will

    • Scenario 2 Facilitation Guide: Jane

    • Scenario 3: Denise

    • Closing Reflection

    • SEL Connection
  • 12

    Module 12: Communication

    • Teacher Overview: Communication

    • Grounding Practices

    • Key Terms and Trauma-Sensitive Language

    • Why This Matters

    • Introduction Video + Discussion Questions

    • Interactive Video 1 + Discussion Questions

    • Scenario 1 Facilitation Guide: Alena

    • Scenario 2: Madison + Interactive Video 2 + Discussion Questions

    • Scenario 3 + Closing Reflection

    • SEL Connection
  • 13

    Module 13: Advocate

    • Teacher Overview: Advocate

    • Grounding Practices

    • Key Terms and Trauma-Sensitive Language

    • Why This Matters

    • Advocacy in Action

    • Scenario 1 Facilitation Guide: Lisa

    • Scenario 2 Facilitation Guide: Samuel

    • Scenario 3 Facilitation Guide: Andre

    • Closing the Lesson with Reflection

    • SEL Connection
  • 14

    Module 14: Tolerance

    • Teacher Overview: Tolerance

    • Grounding Practices

    • Key Terms and Trauma-Sensitive Language

    • Why This Matters

    • Tolerance in Action

    • Scenario 1 Facilitation Guide: Margaret

    • Scenario 2 Facilitation Guide: Bryson

    • Scenario 3 Facilitation Guide: Kayla

    • Closing the Lesson with Reflection

    • SEL Connection
  • 15

    Module 15: Empathy

    • Teacher Overview: Empathy

    • Grounding Practices

    • Key Terms and Trauma-Sensitive Language

    • Why This Matters

    • Empathy in Action

    • Scenario 1 Facilitation Guide: Kevin and Carlos

    • Scenario 2 Facilitation Guide: Samantha and Shelby

    • Scenario 3 Facilitation Guide: Kirsten and Her Teacher

    • Closing the Lesson with Reflection

    • SEL Connection