Digital Learning Blog

Book Bytes Lessons From the Pandemic: Trauma Informed Approaches to College, Crisis, Change

June 08, 2022  / Digital Learning  / Tags: Vlog, Bookbytes

 

Lessons From the Pandemic:  Trauma Informed Approaches to College, Crisis, Change 
Edited by Janice Carello and Phyllis Thompson

 

What is the topic?

Trauma informed pedagogy begins with an awareness of the trauma students may have experienced or be experiencing (in many possible shapes and forms), and a commitment to enacting teaching strategies to support and nurture students in their learning journeys.

Lessons from the Pandemic is a collection of essays from instructors all over the country who detail their challenges and solutions teaching during the pandemic.  It’s about compassion, empathy, grit, and innovation.

Why is the topic important?

One it is important because during the pandemic, many instructors were unable to share their experiences and felt very isolated.  This book is cathartic in that way.  Two, the issues faced during the pandemic have always been with us and are still with us now.  Issues like student mental health, SES inequities, certain university assumptions that marginalize or penalize students, and the extraordinary expectations put on instructors.  The book gives some practical solutions to these challenges.

Who can use this information?

• Online instructors/faculty
• Instructional Designers

Top three takeaways

The book is organized into ways of knowing: Theoretical, Scientific, Experiential, Reflective, and Collaborative. 

1. Having compassion and Empathy doesn’t mean losing rigor in your course.
2. The importance of transparency for both emotions and pedagogy. Students and teachers.
3. Must take time to be thankful/grateful. It is what we build happiness on.