ACS Summer Virtual Working Group Q&A
In a recent Chronicle article, Beth McMurtrie describes the “stunning level of student disconnection” instructors are witnessing in their classrooms. For many students, this disconnection is a response to the chronic stress and isolation of the last three pandemic years, or to other traumatic events in their lives.
Trauma-Informed Pedagogy is a set of practices designed to help students learn amid these stressors. Rather than asking instructors to step in as therapists, trauma-informed pedagogical practices allow students to connect with others and learn course content, under conditions that support their agency, autonomy, and safety.