Trauma-Informed and Healing-Centered Pedagogy

Trauma Aware teaching and Trauma-Informed pedagogy are educational practices that place emphasis on how student learning is often negatively impacted by traumas such as witnessing violent incidents, abuse, sexual violence, poverty, racism, or a global pandemic like the COVID-19 crisis. The readings selected here offer various perspectives on trauma-informed and -aware teaching:

• Yes, You Can Do Trauma-Informed Teaching Remotely (and You Really, Really Should)—Education Week (PDF)
• Trauma-Informed Practices for Post Secondary Education—A 28-Page Guide From Education Northwest (PDF)
• Trauma-Informed College Care (PDF)
• Feminist Pedagogy in a Time of Coronavirus Pandemic (PDF)

On healing-centered pedagogy:

• The Future of Healing: Shifting From Trauma-Informed Care to Healing-Centered Engagement by Shawn Ginwright

For more information on trauma-aware teaching and trauma-Informed pedagogy, we recommend:

• Dr. Cathy Davidson’s “The Single Most Essential Requirement in Designing a Fall Online Course”
• Reviewing the University of Buffalo School of Social Work’s website on Trauma Informed Teaching
• Watching this 16-minute TEDx talk by Dr. Meredith Fox on Trauma Informed Teaching
• Watching this panel discussion on Difficult Knowledge, Trauma-Informed Pedagogy, and Safe-ish Spaces at UC Berkeley
• Reading “Teaching With Trauma: Trigger Warnings, Feminism, and Disability Pedagogy” (PDF)