Drawing on the experiences of teaching Beloved in an elite, college preparatory context, the following research paper works towards alternative approaches to teaching trauma and difficult histories. After exploring some of the limitations and applications of the education as séance approach, this paper constructs a framework for teaching difficult…

Discussions of trauma-informed practices tend to focus on student behaviors and strategies for managing those behaviors, rather than the circumstances students are experiencing. Critical educators have expressed concern that a focus on trauma-informed practices lead teachers to view students from marginalized backgrounds with a deficit lens,…

The gap in the research this study sought to fill was concerned with elementary education teachers' experiences teaching students with trauma to learn how to hope using children's literature. It provided a needed opportunity for elementary teachers to reflect and to describe their social and emotional learning goals for those students as…

Previous research indicates pandemics have a traumatic effect on individuals. The COVID-19 pandemic has been traumatic for all students of all races and socioeconomic households. The pandemic has, however, intensified racial trauma by exacerbating racial disparities already existing in American society. Racial trauma has been linked to poor…

Drawing from our experiences facilitating an FYE faculty development program, we highlight how we have practiced elements of trauma-informed pedagogy to work with first-year students and faculty. We discuss how both students and faculty can benefit from a more complex process of cultivating relationships through mindfulness. Practices of…

The COVID-19 pandemic has provided leadership educators with a unique and perilous opportunity. The events of 2020 were profoundly impactful and traumatic for our students, but they also illustrate a level of visceral engagement with various leadership topics that is incredibly useful. In this article, we outline some of the pedagogical…

The problem addressed in this study was that teachers feel ill-equipped to handle students who have been impacted by trauma. The purpose of this study was to examine the teachers' experiences in implementing a trauma informed schools (TIS) approach to classroom management in rural Tennessee. The theoretical framework used is Bronfenbrenner's…

Traumatic events can alter the brain structure, affecting cognitive capacities and academic performance. Educators at all grade levels are responsible for supporting students through trauma-informed approaches. Previous trauma-informed research focused on K-12 education levels. Graduate-level occupational therapy educators' experiences and…

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to investigate the use of mindfulness strategies by four teachers in four separate public school settings in Oklahoma. Data were collected through interviews of each participant to better understand their experiences with implementing mindfulness strategies in their classroom. The Collaborative for…

With a challenge to conceptualize an environmental/sustainability education that employs imaginaries and praxis for learning our way through and beyond our planetary crisis, we consider how posthuman creativity articulates into pedagogical practice. We share insights from our researcher/practitioner experience in two different educational…

Trauma-informed instruction helps create a safe and supportive environment where students can heal, learn, and thrive. This Spotlight will help readers implement teacher-approved trauma-informed strategies; learn about the role schools play in helping students heal from racial trauma; examine five tips to support students' mental health; assess…

This paper explores the evolving role of trauma in history education, particularly within the context of the Council of Europe's vision of 'understanding the past as vital for a shared future'. The rise of memory studies and remembrance culture in Europe has shifted the focus from impersonal historical events to more personal microhistories and…

This case study explores a seven-year-old child's fears of gun violence expressed through drawings and writings during two literacy lessons in a public American school. The child's artwork and writing revealed a profound fear of attending school due to the possibility of being killed. This study raises critical questions: Should children's…

Refugee children are a significant part of contemporary Canadian classrooms. Children who have fled their homes as refugees have experienced trauma and bear the effects of it socially, emotionally and academically. My study identifies trauma-sensitive strategies that music educators in Ontario are using to support refugee students from…

While Southeast Asian countries are gearing up toward being internationally recognizable in their economics, tourism, education, and their English proficiency competitiveness, refugee-background populations are often minoritized. Traumatic past and forced migration make refugee-background students different from traditional students. It is vital…