Limitations & Warnings

If you are exploring trauma-informed and trauma-responsive pedagogy, it is very likely that you are a caring, empathetic educator. Yet, research shows that even those who are well-meaning and informed may unintentionally create scenarios which reactivate or trigger memories of students' former traumatic experiences and even PTSD flashbacks. We should try as much as possible to avoid activities in the classroom that may trigger these reactions in students because:

"Stimuli that recall the original trauma cause a spike in brain activity specific to the trauma causing a flashback. Flashbacks trigger the amygdala--the part of the brain responsible for detecting fear--thus impeding concentration and speech centres in the brain" (Wilson, 2022, p.1).  As you may recall from, Impacts of Trauma on the Brain and Learning , an activated amygdala results in the learner feeling hyper-vigilant or "on edge", making it extremely difficult for them to settle into the learning activity or concentrate on the task at hand.

To prevent this, avoid:

  • Directly asking students about their traumatic experiences
    • To be an effective support, you do not need to know the details of students' trauma (Daniels, 2022; Wilson, 2022)
  • Diminishing students' experiences or insisting on "toxic" positivity: "Show some grit!" "Be positive!" (Casimir & Baker, 2023, p.6)
  • Requiring writing assignments that ask learners to rehash traumatic experiences such as their migration story
  • Completing vocabulary activities with separated body parts
  • Lining up students to travel or complete group activities
  • Requiring students to complete family tree assignments
  • Sharing graphic stories with the whole class
  • Working in rooms without windows (Kostouros, Scarff, Millar & Crossman, 2022)

Beyond activity choice, educators can also avoid retraumatization of their students by following the research advice to avoid slipping into the role of a therapist without the proper training:

"Staying in the role of teacher versus taking on a role such a counselor will reduce the likelihood that the learner will become retraumatized...Without appropriate training in relation to trauma healing, a teacher could inadvertently increase a traumatic reaction that may be difficult to contain. Instead, the teacher can have boundaries and be transparent and let the learner know that their training is to teach, and they will assist in finding the appropriate resources for the learner" (Kostouros, Scarff, Millar & Crossman, 2022, p.187).

Clearly, there is a line between trauma-informed/trauma-responsive teaching and therapy: we may create opportunities and support students' post-traumatic growth, empower, and validate their experiences, but we should not attempt to "fix" trauma in the classroom.

 

In the case that your student does experience a trauma trigger or PTSD flashback in the classroom, there are resources available to support you. Consult the supplemental page, Supporting Students in Distress for more information.