Adapting to Student Needs
Teachers acknowledge a need to know their students well before bringing up subjects of national trauma. In many instances, students from disparate background inhabit the same space, so how do teachers adapt to respond to the needs of all students?
Trigger Warnings
A teacher explains what she sees as the benefit of trigger warnings in the classroom. While she notes no student has ever chosen to opt-out of material in her class, it does give students a feeling of security and trust to know they can avoid possibly traumatic material.
Though teachers may have an idea of what materials and topics they would like to bring into the classroom, educators must also take into account the myriad ways in which students can respond. The question of “trigger warnings” or warning to students about possibly disturbing materials is one facet of the discussion around student’s emotional response. Should teachers warn students that the course literature or discussion contains possibly traumatic themes? Do teachers have the ability to offer their students the option to opt out of assignments that include distressing material?
Teachers must also take into account the fact that students possess varied knowledge of current events. In some households, families discuss controversial national issues, while in others they may not. Similarly, students may only be exposed to one side of a conversation outside of the classroom. An educator cannot expect all students to bring the same level of understanding and therefore must identify and adapt lessons to ensure students possess enough background information about an issue to participate.
Meeting Students Where They Are
How do you incorporate national events into your curriculum if students do not follow the news or discuss it at home? This teacher explains the importance of connecting literature to national events, but also how she approaches teaching students with varied knowledge of current events.
Many teachers noted that this process takes the form of a lecture at the beginning of a unit or an article that presents students with the facts of a particular event. By doing this, teachers can ensure that students create their own informed opinions about an issue.
Addressing School Violence
When teachers do not have training on dealing with an unexpected increase of school violence, they must quickly learn the best tactics to respond to student fears. Having a personal connection with her students, one teacher speaks frankly that while she does not know what they would do in the event of an active shooter, she would protect her students any way possible.
The U.S. Department of Education suggest the “Listen, Protect and Connect,” model to parents and teachers as a form of “psychological first aid” (U.S. Department of Education) for school violence, either near or distant. This model encourages teachers to model calm and optimistic behavior in order to signal to students that they are secure in their environments. The Morningside Center and Teaching for Tolerance suggest lessons and resources for educators to talk about school shootings and the politics that surrounds them. These models are but some of the resources available to teachers following events of school violence.
How do teachers respond when they are faced with the ever-present reality of violence within school? Students are exposed the tragedy of school shootings on the news and social media. Whether or not the violence occurs in their own communities, students and teachers alike are privy to the same feelings of fear and insecurity that violence will enter into their own classroom. So how are teachers meant to address anxiety about local manifestations of national trauma?
