When considering and enacting asset pedagogies, such as open pedagogy and culturally sustaining pedagogy (CSP), we often focus on single classrooms rather than systems/structures. CSP acknowledges and addresses “communities who have been and continue to be damaged and erased through schooling” (Paris & Alim). Equity-centered trauma-informed education, as conceived by Alex Shevrin Venet, recognizes that schooling plays a role “in causing and worsening trauma because of the role of schools in perpetuating oppression.” After reading “Defining Trauma-Informed Education” (sent by email), reflect on the following questions in the comments field below:
- How might engaging with systems/structures identified in CSP and trauma-informed education influence what we do in our classrooms with our students?
- How might engaging with these systems/structures influence the design of your open pedagogy assignments?
- What practices at BMCC and/or in our departments and classes possibly replicate/cause trauma?
6 thoughts on “Equity-centered Trauma-informed Education”
1. Engaging with systems and structures identified in CSP and trauma-informed education might help us consider ways to support students and be the reliable, nurturing adults that may have been missing. We might consider making more opportunities for small group work, for team-building, and finding ways to include all points of view in our class discussions.
If we think about a traditional classroom, it already reflects a them and us mentality. With an instructor at the front and all students facing forward, the physical layout supports the viewpoint that the instructor is leading rather than facilitating learning. The students who sit at the front put themselves in the position to be more involved, while those who sit at the back put themselves in a position to scroll on their phones, text their friends, watch movies, or even nod off.
Changing the structure of the classroom, for at least part of the lesson, so that small groups can interact, creates a more equitable environment, and fosters community.
By the time students attend college, they have been indoctrinated into a system whereby they sit at desks for the majority of the day, and then take more work home, leaving little time for personal interests, friendships, and family. Homework interferes with family-building time, and exploration of individual goals.
Even if college affords students more freedom, students have to unlearn the policy of “speak when spoken to,” or “be seen and not heard.” If we think about the natural world, the world of work, the world of community, the world of family, the world of physical activity, the world of art, the world of adventure, none of these have a 3-dimensional role in traditional schools. Learning from screens or even from books does not put people in touch with their whole selves. Students could justifiably see their position as the prisoners in Plato’s Cave.
In college, it may be possible to adjust the structure to make it more culturally sustainable. In my opinion, the K-12 system is broken and needs to be thrown out and replaced with an entirely new system.
2. I would like to include students’ identities and preferences in my open pedagogy assignments. I would make the assignments count in the real world, and count for the students’ peers, family, and community. I would include more flexibility of platform and content, more opportunities for team-building, and team support, expanding the idea of peer critique to encourage students to compliment, acknowledge and praise all individuals, recognizing the unique qualities of all.
3. Students frequently tell me they are stressed by deadlines and grading. BMCC classes could potentially replicate or cause trauma by being stringent with standardized requirements or by using grading criteria that are somehow biased according to culture or identity.
I struggle with the idea of “rigor” in relation to education, because I believe that having high expectations of students and giving them encouragement to reach high standards is one way of combating trauma. In practice, however, I almost always take the “too soft” route. I extend deadlines, grade too generously, and make too many allowances. Even then, there are usually some students who fail and ask to be bailed out on the last day, or even after the last day.
I would like to find a way to show compassion while also practicing rigor. A perfect example of an instructor who demonstrates high expectations and also exercises humor when pointing out students’ shortcomings is Dr. Yau, in the BMCC Music Department. She makes her expectations clear, points out when students aren’t meeting expectations, and finally acknowledges the process, and praises the end result even when it is imperfect. This takes a particular set of skills and personality. If it could be taught, I would wish to use this model.
By creating a Sense of Belonging and Community Building: many of our students are in college for the first time. It takes a lot of energy to get used to belonging in a new environment sometimes. With all the support available on campus, it is difficult to navigate how to access and make use of them all. The classroom is a great location where besides the regular course content, instructors can open up sections of their teachings to create learning environments and learning resources that will be of value to students such as instruction to build a supportive environment addressing the course content and the many traumas that students experience and how the current course syllabus content can address some of these. Most importantly, the assignment that will be created for my Intro to Business course will be ongoing throughout the semester and students will be able to add components to their weekly BB responses and feedback to their colleague’s posts on BB and through personal reflections as they think of starting their businesses and organizations and how to address any employee or client issues. The course assignment and structure are still in their development stages and will be fine-tuned on a regular basis by inviting students to co-create content as they see fit to their learning goals.
I’ve grown substantially in these areas as an educator since I started teaching 15 years ago. However, there is always a need to adapt to new situations. We have a special situation in public speaking class because students are often overwhelmed by new or altered learning situations; expectations and imperatives to tap into their thoughts, feelings, and memories; and the felt urgencies of public performance and presentation. In discussion, we discussed how transforming the classroom into a welcoming learning community helps … but every group is different, every person is different, and it’s hard if not impossible to predict which situations may unintentionally contribute to a negative pattern in somebody’s life. I think about this a lot, and I use a “harm-reduction” model insofar as I can. Mandatory office hours are also very helpful because it’s far easier to get a sense of a student’s current trajectory when you can converse with them.
I believe that all of this should be largely driven empirically, by staying aware of the effects of pedagogical decisions on the students. Any preconception can also be a soft form of oppression. I’ve heard it said that professors shouldn’t be social workers, but it seems to me that we should all do the best we can to listen and respond to the students we’re responsible for passing or failing.
As far as “trauma,” I do think there’s a problem in popular discourse because it’s a cluster concept that means something specific (PTSD, TBI) and also general/vernacular (“Roblox traumatized me”). We should remember that there’s always a possibility that folks we encounter have experienced some form of clinically-defined trauma in the past and that what psychoanalysis has called hysteria and neurosis is also a fact of daily life. People also process this differently; respond and present differently. What’s wrong with learning about mental health, as long as we take a multi-faceted and humble perspective on the subject? Students post-COVID are also very willing to discuss these topics. We should take their lead.
Apologies for posting late – my computer decided not to turn on until just now this morning!
I just wanted to quickly reflect on the second not of a “shift” that Venet calls for in the chapter that we read for today.
I especially found this to be an important reminder: to shift from a savior mentality (which is certainly one preponderant understanding of trauma-informed pedagogy) towards a asset-based approach, where the act of acknowledging the fact of trauma and the potential of the classroom itself to be a site of trauma as something to inform our teaching, while always striving to create caring and safe spaces for our student to realize themselves.
In a class like American Government, I believe it’s almost like my ethical responsibility as an instructor to emphasize the importance of incorporating students’ cultural backgrounds and experiences into the curriculum. Then, learning the responsibilities and rights of American citizenship becomes more relevant and engaging.
Focusing on trauma-informed practices helps create a safe and supportive classroom environment. Recognizing and addressing the impact of trauma on students (when it comes to discussing civil rights and the historical traumas or those cause by current contexts of inequity, for example) allows me to foster an environment that promotes emotional well-being and a sense of security. At the same time, as Virginyia mentioned earlier in our morning session today, we are not certified therapists, but we could acknowledge and value students’ contributions when it comes to sharing their traumas, histories, and vulnerabilities. Acknowledging and establishing positive relationships with students helps create a supportive atmosphere where they feel comfortable expressing themselves and seeking assistance when needed. This promotes inclusivity and accommodates various ways in which students engage with and process information. It also encourages student voice and agency, which is central to promoting a feeling of empowerment. That’s how we may foster a more democratic and inclusive learning environment.
To sum up, incorporating CSP and trauma-informed approaches into the classroom enhances the overall learning experience and promotes inclusivity and emotional well-being. Yet, this often requires ongoing professional development and collaboration among educators. I am grateful for the discussion we started earlier today in our seminar community and for the insights people shared. I hope this continues in a different setting and time.
I am a big advocate of teachers being connectors, not saviors. I like talking to my students and learning about their experiences. I like supporting them while they figure out a way to manage life and deal with trauma daily. I had a situation where a student had a miscarriage after trying for years to get pregnant in the middle of the semester. I was very disheartened when she shared that no one from her other professors acknowledged her loss when she came back to school with the medical letter from her hospitalization. I suggested different ways to deal with loss and encouraged her to try diverse tools for her grief since everyone is different. She was not ready to talk to a therapist. What I wish for her was that support to come from multiple sides and for other faculty to share their wisdom and understanding. The reading was powerful regarding the shifts in the system where trauma-informed teaching is a result of trauma-informed larger philosophy.