Ep. 62: Trauma Informed Schools with Jim Sporleder from Paper Tigers

You might have met Jim Sporleder in the groundbreaking documentary Paper Tigers.  Jim is the former principal of Lincoln High School in Walla Walla, Washington, where he led his team and ultimately his students on the journey of becoming a trauma-informed school.  

The work Jim, his team, and his students did was so phenomenal that it inspired the documentary Paper Tigers.  If you haven’t seen Paper Tigers, I highly recommend it.  It is absolutely worth your time!  

A New Lens on Behavior

Jim was inspired to shift toward a trauma-informed lens because he knew his school and his students needed something different.  He attended a trauma and toxic stress conference in 2010 where he was exposed to a completely new paradigm on behavior.

“I always believed behavior was a choice,” Jim said.  

He left that conference in 2010 with a new – and radically different - understanding of behavior.  He said it felt like he was hit by a bolt of lightning; he knew immediately that his approach to discipline needed to change. 

Connect with Jim
Watch Paper Tigers on iTunes by CLICKING HERE.
Watch Paper Tigers on Amazon by CLICKING HERE.
Watch Paper Tigers on You Tube by CLICKING HERE.
Find Jim’s consulting services by CLICKING HERE.
Jim is the co-author (with Heather Forbes) of The Trauma Informed School.  You can find that by CLICKING HERE.

Read a summary of this episode and access the full show notes at: RobynGobbel.com/PaperTigers

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