One of the things that any instructor can assume is that there’s a good chance that at least one of their students will be dealing with the effects of a traumatic experience. This is important to remember because trauma has tangible – and often invisible – effects on students’ learning. Trauma-responsive teaching acknowledges and seeks to mitigate the impact trauma has on students’ learning.
The Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration defines trauma as “an event, series of events, or set of circumstances that is experienced by an individual as physically or emotionally harmful or threatening and that has lasting adverse effects on the individual’s functioning and physical, social, emotional, or spiritual well-being.” Trauma can affect some students’ ability to fully engage and might result in:
- Increased dropout rates
- Difficulty focusing in class
- Discomfort with ambiguity
- Challenges with emotional regulation
- Inability to recognize progress
- Withdrawal and isolation
- Anxiety about deadlines, exams, group work, or public speaking
Trauma-responsive teaching strategies
There are many ways instructors can help students learn, even as they are struggling with trauma, but most align around a few guiding principles: promoting well-being and belonging, valuing different perspectives, and responding to student needs. Besides designing courses that are inclusive and learner-centered, instructors might consider designing for and implementing one or more of the following strategies.
- Consider how challenging course content might impact students. Research confirms that references to (among other things): sexual assault; abuse; animal cruelty; self-harm/suicide; and discrimination (e.g., transphobia, homophobia, racism, sexism, ableism) can cause physiological and psychological symptoms among people with post-traumatic stress disorder. As this guide from the University of Michigan notes, “warning students of challenging material can help their engagement by giving them the ability to take charge of their own health and learning.”
- Create community agreements. Put aside time during the first week of class to discuss and adopt community agreements for your course. These will help set the foundation for a supportive classroom community and are particularly useful when engaging challenging course content.
- Offer a “right to pass.” Not all participation needs to be vocal and public. Consider offering students a “right to pass” on activities so they can take a moment if they need a break in the course for any reason. This can be especially helpful to students who suffer from PTSD.
- Reflect on your positionality. Your positionality may make it challenging for you to recognize or understand students’ traumatic experiences, and yet these experiences have a significant impact on students’ learning. Take time to reflect on how your background and training have shaped your approach to teaching. As Ko Niitsu, assistant professor at UW Bothell’s School of Nursing and Health Studies notes, “When I enter the classroom, I recall myself what my intention to teach is because I understand my intention shapes my thoughts, words, and actions toward my students.”
- Acknowledge that many students grapple with fear, stress, and trauma. Particularly when discussing challenging topics, acknowledging that these things are common can help reassure students that they belong in the class.
- Avoid making comparisons. It’s important not to compare or judge one student’s experience or reactions to that of another student. Observe and listen actively in order to fully and authentically connect with students as individuals.
- Deepen relevancy. Create opportunities for students to share their experiences as part of their learning. Empowering them to make connections between course concepts and their lived experiences is an inclusive practice that supports students and helps them build confidence.
- Provide resources for students. Become familiar with campus resources and use your syllabus to raise students’ awareness about them, especially UW’s disability accommodations (Seattle, Bothell, Tacoma) and student well-being resources. Sometimes even directly connecting a student to a resource (e.g., by walking with them to the counseling center) can be very impactful.
- Build trust through transparency. Clearly communicate your expectations to students so they know what to expect in the course. Be sure to explain the reasoning behind any changes you make to the syllabus or assignments right away. This helps build trust, normalizes the act of making mistakes or changing directions, and creates stability and predictability which help students struggling with trauma engage and feel safe.
- Clearly communicate when students can expect a response to emails. Even if you are unable to respond to their question in depth at the moment, consider letting them know you’re there for them and will respond more fully soon.
- Make space for students to talk with you about their experience in the course. Consider starting the quarter with a form to get to know your students that asks, “What should I know to help teach you, or help you be successful in this course?” Consider also using short anonymous surveys and/or reframing your office hours as “Student Hours” to capture the voices of students who may not feel comfortable sharing or need more support.
Resources to Support Students
- Counseling Services
- Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
- Disability Resources