Tom Brunzell

Tom Brunzell

Director of Education at Berry Street, Honorary Fellow at University of Melbourne Graduate School of Education

Dr Tom Brunzell is the Director of Education at Berry Street, and an Honorary Fellow at the University of Melbourne’s School of Education. Dr Brunzell’s experience includes teaching and leading schools in the Bronx and Harlem, and working in New York schools following 9/11 to support communities through collective trauma impacts. Drawing from his experience working with schools in communities of systemic disadvantage, he has authored the publication: Creating Trauma-Informed, Strength-Based Classrooms: Teacher Strategies for Nurturing Students' Healing, Growth, and Learning. Dr Brunzell has masters degrees in teaching and in school leadership, and a PhD from University of Melbourne in the areas of trauma-informed practices and wellbeing.

4 total results
Student re-engagement and attendance for the new year
Student re-engagement and attendance for the new year
Feb 15,2023

‘[The start of the school year can] mean a challenging transition for those who struggle with stressors about returning to the classroom.’ Dr Tom Brunzell, Director of Education at Victoria’s Berry Street School, discusses lessons learned on student re-engagement and attendance that could be helpful to other schools.
attendance, student welfare, effective teaching methods, reader submission, short articles, student engagement
Helping teachers and students reset for 2022
Helping teachers and students reset for 2022
Jan 25,2022

'As we approach the third year of the pandemic, it’s crucial that teachers and students have the opportunity to reset for the school year ahead.' In our latest reader submission, Dr Tom Brunzell shares tools and strategies from trauma-informed and strengths-based practice that can be used to support teacher wellbeing and ensure students are ready to learn.
teacher welfare, student welfare, school leaders, learning activities, reader submission, short articles
Teacher’s bookshelf: A balanced approach to student regulation
Teacher’s bookshelf: A balanced approach to student regulation
Aug 24,2021

In Creating Trauma-Informed, Strengths-Based Classrooms, Dr Tom Brunzell and Dr Jacolyn Norrish share what they’ve learned about working with students who present unmet learning needs in the classroom, including research, theory and lots of practical tools and strategies for educators to use and adapt to their own context.
student welfare, evidence-based practice, effective teaching methods, short articles, student engagement
Therapeutic practice in the classroom
Therapeutic practice in the classroom
Oct 13,2014

Tom Brunzell discusses integrating therapeutic practice into the classroom, and how doing so creates a setting of healing and growth for disengaged students.
student welfare, effective teaching methods, philanthropic foundations, long reads, reader submission, student engagement