Trauma-informed pedagogy

The double impact of social unrest and the pandemic have raised awareness to the impact of trauma from any source on all of our cognitive abilities, emotional resilience, and motivation. The policies, tone, and interactions we have with our students and peers can be informed by research on how to best support each other in traumatic circumstances.

While these strategies and techniques are suggestions for incorporating or adjusting what happens in the class, also remember that this is a community with various resources and experts.

URI has several resources (e.g, Counseling Center, Food Bank, Psychological Clinic) to support its community that we can share with students individually or in your syllabus.
Faculty Self-care is also important to recharge our capacity to be responsive and empathetic with others.

[As many of the topics in this area connect, you may also find relevant resources in difficult dialogue, fostering a sense of belonging and anti-racist & decolonizing pedagogy.]

Educators always hope students will enter an academic environment both academically ready to learn and emotionally ready to experience the enjoyment and excitement of discovery. However, many effects of trauma often block a student’s ability to learn in the classroom.

Shannon Davidson, Ph.D.

Explore & Consider

Explore & Consider contains short articles and videos that reflect on or summarize current thinking, research, or experiences related to the topic.

Adding Compassion to the Classroom

When reviewing and revising your course, consider where compassion and flexibility might be powerful additions to the plan.

Fearless Socio-Emotional Learning

Deena Simmons says - Our young people are growing up in an increasingly complex world-one where our own citizens commit terrorist acts against their fellow countrymen and women. Hate-fueled violence against black and Jewish Americans this past fall was a particularly terrifying reminder of our new reality.

Inclusivity Begins with Overcoming Bias

A recent Scholarly Teacher post speaks to how to work on our biases.

Leveraging the Neuroscience of Now

Mays Imad, neuroscientist and founding coordinator of the teaching and learning center at Pima Community College, shares seven strategies for trauma-informed pedagogy.

Pedagogies of Care

Open Resources for Student-Centered & Adaptive Strategies in the New Higher Ed Landscape from the contributing authors in the Teaching and Learning in Higher Education book series from West Virginia University Press.

Tea for Teaching Podcast: Trauma-informed Pedagogy

Karen Costa joins the podcast to define trauma and discuss its impact and how to approach it in the classroom.

Teaching in Turbulent Times Toolkit

From University of Oregon - how can we bring this context into our classes in a way that’s productive for our course goals, supportive of students and their learning, and mindful of our own time and well-being?

Trauma-Aware Teaching Checklist

Karen Costa (from the podcast) also maintains a practical checklist of strategies and techniques to implement in our teaching.