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Issues teachers must consider in a changing society
The Project
How does a teacher respond in the wake of a national tragedy? With moments of devastating trauma becoming ever-more present in the American consciousness, youth look to educators to help them understand unimaginable violence and unfamiliar emotional reactions. This project renders a variety of responses from educators based on how they address controversial issues and moments of national trauma in their classrooms.
Hover to see one example of the issues teachers face
Critical Issues
There are many factors teachers must take into account when addressing controversial topics in their classrooms. This resource aims to collect and present the issues educators face in moments of national trauma. By interviewing teachers, primarily in the humanities, this project renders a variety of approaches and tools for an informed pedagogical approach to discussions of national trauma in the classroom.
National Trauma
The term “national trauma” refers less to a specific event of violence and more to the affective response a historical moment evokes within students. Whether it be an act of terrorism targeted at the American identity or a crime perpetrated towards a specific group of people, the local quickly escalates to national awareness in an age of increasingly rapid media coverage and circulated information that magnifies students' sense of vulnerability.