Addressing Social Unrest and Hate-Based and Traumatic Events
High-profile events that happen outside the classroom, including hate-based and traumatic events, are bound to make their way to classroom environments, even if they do not seem directly related to your course content. Research into the effect of trauma on learning informs us that trauma greatly decreases people’s ability to learn. Students may experience a lack of focus, become disengaged or withdrawn, or struggle to retain new information due to trauma. It’s also important to note that tragedies and disasters have a strong emotional and cognitive impact on students, even if the students are not directly affected by the catastrophe.
Research into instructor’s responses to traumatic events tells us that, generally, instructors feel confused about their role and have difficulty deciding which events warrant a response, and what that response should be. Some instructors feel a strong urge to do something but may feel ill equipped to determine what is appropriate and advisable. Others are worried about saying the wrong thing and retraumatizing students or simply want to move on with course content so that students can focus on their studies. We recognize and validate these concerns and offer this resource as a means by which instructors can begin to craft a plan for responding to events.
Table of Contents
Research on responding to hate-based or traumatic events
How do I decide which events to respond to?
What factors should I consider when deciding how to respond?
What options for responding do I have?
What guidance is suggested for having a class discussion?
Research on responding to hate-based or traumatic events
Research into students’ perceptions of their instructor’s responses after catastrophic events indicates that students generally appreciate it when their instructors at least acknowledge traumatic events. Students convey frustration, disappointment, or apathy when faculty don’t respond, and few convey that “doing nothing” is helpful or even appropriate.
“Even an email or a Canvas update, like ’thinking of you during this time; I’m always a resource to you; these are the resources I recommend; reach out if you need flexibility or extensions’–anything like that helps me feel supported and as though the instructor does care and is conscious of what’s going on.” – CTRL Student Partner
Unfortunately, evidence-based guidance on how best to respond is limited, with much of the research focused on responses after nationally-recognized events, such as 9/11. Yet, students and instructors are all increasingly exposed to instances of police brutality, racism, islamophobia, antisemitism, homophobia, transphobia, mass shootings, and other hate-based events, and it can be tiring and exhausting to our students to continually discuss them. This is especially true for our most marginalized students, and those who identify with the victims of these horrific events. In these cases, students may prefer not to discuss the event, but they would likely appreciate recognition of what occurred and some support around it.
“I feel like sometimes, even though instructors’ intentions are good, discussing it kinda does more harm than good if they’re forcing [students] to [discuss] in class. Because some students don’t want to be thinking about it…Instead, I think it’s really important to acknowledge people’s feelings and acknowledge the things that can be on people’s minds, like disruptions to being fully present in class.” – CTRL Student Partner
In the sections below, we offer a few factors to consider when deciding which events to respond to, considering both the event and your teaching context. We then provide options for instructors to remain cognizant of events and acknowledge them in class, but not force students to have a discussion. Finally, we end with options for activities to use when discussing events in class, and how to structure discussions to be respectful and generative. As you read through these sections, remember, how you respond should always be in discussion and consultation with your students.
How do I decide which events to respond to?
Because each individual instructor, student, and course is different, we cannot offer prescriptive guidance on which events one should address in class, and which shouldn’t be addressed or discussed. Below, you will find factors associated with an event that can guide your choice of whether or not to respond to a given traumatic event. CTRL teaching & learning specialists are always available to consult with interested instructors who need assistance determining an appropriate response.
Proximity
- Did the event occur on campus, in the town/city, or in a space where most students would be aware of it?
- Closer events may feel more necessary to respond to, but every close event doesn’t warrant a response; similarly, not all events that occur away from campus can be ignored.
Magnitude
- Is it a world-wide event? Do you and your students feel impacted by the event, even indirectly?
- Bigger events may be more necessary to respond to, but that doesn’t mean that a relatively “small” event shouldn’t be acknowledged or that every “big” event needs to be discussed.
Timeliness
- When did the event occur? How soon after the event will you connect with your students?
- Have similar events occurred frequently?
- Keep in mind student and instructor burnout, in that folks may not want to discuss an event if similar ones keep happening. However, you can still acknowledge the event and offer flexibility to students without addressing and discussing it in class.
Direct Impact
- Did the event, or could it have, directly impact your students? Could they have family, friends, or others in their lives who are connected to the event?
Identification with Victims
- Might your students identify with the victims, for example, if the event occurs on a college campus?
Community Resources
- Are there community- or university-based resources that could help you decide on a response?
- Are there community- or university-based resources that you could direct students to for support or advocacy?
Disciplinary Context
- Is the event related to your course content?
- Does your discipline have any valuable context or perspective? How might you incorporate this?
What factors should I consider when deciding how to respond?
Your response should be informed by you, your students, and your course context. As you grapple with crafting an appropriate response, we offer a preliminary, non-exhaustive list of questions to consider below.
Students’ Identities and Experiences
- Who are your students? What do you know about them and their backgrounds, race, ethnicity, genders, disabilities, socioeconomic status, connection to the event?
- Whose experience are you centering with your response? What impact will your response have on your marginalized students?
- Depending on the context of the event, it is important to center the experience and perspectives of those who are a part of the most affected community. For example, when considering how to respond to the murders of George Floyd or Tyre Nichols, instructors should strongly consider the impact their response has on their Black students, or in the case of the Pulse Nightclub shooting, instructors should strongly consider the impact their response would have on their queer/LGBTQ+ students.
- How will you demonstrate compassion and care for all of your students?
Instructors’ Identities and Experiences
- How does your positionality/identity show up in your response to these events?
- Do you identify with the impacted communities?
- In responding to traumatic events, we often consider the needs of our students first. However, it’s also important to think about what you as an individual feel capable of leading/facilitating/saying to your students. We recognize that people who identify with the impacted communities may need to prioritize taking their own space to process and protect themselves, outside of their role as an instructor. You should take your own mental health and emotional capacity into account when deciding on how in-depth of a response you would like to have.
- Have you facilitated emotionally charged discussions before?
- While experience facilitating is not required, as you can still center empathy and students’ lived experiences, it can be helpful to have a plan for your conversation or response before starting the conversation. Think about talking through your ideas with a trusted colleague or friend for advice and suggestions. CTRL Teaching & Learning staff members are also always available to consult with you and assist you with any of your responses.
- Have you taught your students, or are they familiar with, how to approach emotionally charged discussions?
Mental Health/Emotional Capacity
- Are you, and your students, in a comfortable emotional space to address or explore this topic?
- Is there a level of burnout?
- Do you get the sense that students would like to discuss, or are they feeling less open? Have you asked them what they’d prefer or what they need?
- Be aware that there will likely be conflicting needs: How can you be flexible when addressing those various needs?
Departmental Culture
- How has your department or university reacted to others who have spoken about events such as these?
- Do you feel supported in your role by your administrators?
- Can you ask a peer for their insight on addressing this topic in class?
- Can you brainstorm strategies or suggestions with colleagues?
Rank/Job Title
- Do you have job security? Are you on a short-term or long-term contract?
- Those in more contingent positions, such as adjunct faculty or faculty on short-term contracts, may need to keep in mind their more precarious position.
What options for responding do I have?
Flexibility with Assignments
- Offer extensions on assignments, if possible, and consider repeating key content.
- Due to the fact that trauma affects students’ ability to learn, focus, and retain information, students may require more time for assignments, or a review of important content. This is especially important with content was covered the day after the event in question.
Student Presence
- Advise students that they are allowed to step out of class, if needed, to avoid triggering content or if they need some space.
Support Outside of Class
- Extend the offer to talk with students privately, outside of class time.
Moment of Silence
- Offer students a moment of silence.
- While to many a moment of silence feels inadequate, sometimes that is what we can offer, given our own expertise and our course context. We also may consider that some students don’t want to discuss or have a longer conversation about a traumatic event. Therefore, a moment of silence can do the work of acknowledging and showing students you are supportive, without requiring them to engage.
- If you do decide to hold a moment of silence, ensure you are explicitly naming what occurred during the event, and not talking around the situation. For example, in the case of Tyre Nichols’ murder, it was important to use the word “murder” and not “situation” or “circumstances” so as not to downplay the severity.
Share Resources
- Mention campus resources students may find helpful, such as AU’s Center for Well-Being Programs and Psychological Services.
Share Opportunities
- Share with students ways they can help.
- Donation opportunities for the families/communities affected
- Donations for families
- Local mutual aid organizations
- Volunteer opportunities
- Such as blood donations, working for the Red Cross, or other organizations, depending on the event
- Donation opportunities for the families/communities affected
Hear from Students
- Ask your students what they need.
- Students may not know what they need or may have difficulty deciding or voicing what they want to do during the moment. Still, co-constructing a response that centers students is key to developing an anti-racist and equitable classroom environment. You may use an anonymous poll to gather information about what students need and whether they are open to an activity or conversation for processing a particular event.
What guidance is suggested for having a class discussion?
If you decide that discussing the event in class is the proper way forward, it’s okay if you don’t feel like an expert on the issue that you are addressing. You can refer to the lived experience of a group if you are not part of it, honoring their experiences by pointing to already available statements or anecdotes from those who have directly experienced the issue you are discussing. You may also model an empathetic approach to students: though you do not have the experience being discussed, you can use empathy to understand and humanize the experience on some level. For more detailed advice about discussing contentious topics in class constructively, review CTRL’s resource on Constructive Dialogue.
During your discussion, emphasize respect, dialogue, reflection, and listening skills to your students. Understand that a resolution is not likely and be prepared to step in if things get heated, offensive, or even tense (HOT). See this resource on preparing for “HOT” moments from Columbia’s CTL to help you prepare. Remind students that respectful behavior is a scholarly expectation for the course, and that students are accountable not only to you for the impact of their statements, but also (and perhaps more importantly) to their classmates.
If a student does make an ignorant or hurtful comment during the discussion, try ‘calling in’ before resorting to ‘calling out.’ By calling in, you try to pull the positive intentions of a student’s statement, and offer them more thoughtful wording or framing, which invites them to correct themselves and learn from the experience. You may use phrasing such as, “I think I hear what you’re saying, correct me if I’m wrong…” or “I would encourage you to use other wording,” and then offer more respectful language for their expression.
Importantly, during discussions around traumatic events, ensure that you are not requiring students to participate or speak. Students need different types of support, and while some may welcome the opportunity to process this event with their peers, others simply want to get back to course content. Offer students the option to participate in the discussion in a way that works for them, even if that means not participating or leaving the classroom for the duration of the discussion.
What activities can I use to support my class discussion?
There are a variety of ways to ensure a more equitable discussion, including incorporating writing moments and opportunities to talk in small groups, as described below.
Anonymous Activities
- Write and toss: Students write down what they are feeling on a piece of paper, crumple it up, and throw it into a pile in the center of the room; students then select a random crumpled-up paper and read the message aloud. You can also forgo the reading aloud portion, and have students tear up their papers, or otherwise cathartically destroy them.
- Word cloud: Students respond to a prompt with a single word and software, such as Polleverywhere or Mentimeter, collates the responses into a word cloud. This can help to get a broad idea of how your students are feeling or processing a given event.
- Google doc: Students respond to questions via an anonymous google doc or share ideas in response to a prompt.
- Polls
Identifying, but Doesn’t Require Commentary
- Students arrange themselves on a spectrum from ‘agree’ to ‘disagree’ depending on their perspective on an issue.
- Students prepare and distribute resources to one another.
- Free writing in response to a prompt (sharing their free-write with you can be optional).
Identifying with Commentary
- Open discussion, either in a large or small group format.
- Students submit a reflection on the issue.
- Students express their reactions creatively (they can select the format that works for them: journal, drawing, poem, recording, etc.).
Finally, if it aligns with your course objectives and you work with students to create guidelines that facilitate substantive discussion, discussing high-profile events in the classroom can improve engagement and allow students the opportunity to share their valuable perspectives. Check out this piece in CTRL’s publication The Beat where Sahil Mathur discusses how he incorporated real-time analysis of the Russian invasion of Ukraine into his course. However, you should also consider the effect that intellectualizing traumatic events can have on your most marginalized students. Check out Jane Palmer’s reflections on discussing racism as a white professor and how they center the experiences of their Black students.
