Post-crisis education must shift to trauma-informed teaching

THE EDITOR, Madam:

The recent passage of Hurricane Melissa did more than disrupt infrastructure, it caused trauma. As educators, we might feel the urge to rush to ‘catch up’ on the curriculum, but this moment calls for us to critically re-evaluate teaching methods.

To navigate this major crisis effectively, we need to shift to a trauma-informed teaching and learning model. This means prioritising students’ immediate emotional well-being over content delivery.

This shift is an urgent call to humanise our practice as educators. It means moving beyond the strict focus on traditional instruction and embracing student-centred learning. This speaks to:

• Building trusting relationships with students

• Valuing their different experiences and the unique challenges they face

• Fostering a genuine sense of community and belonging in the classroom.

Both students and faculty face varying levels of trauma and logistical challenges following this disaster. Therefore, teaching should integrate psychosocial support directly into the teaching and learning framework.

This framework relies on a caring and supportive classroom. It requires instruction to be flexible and tailored to meet diverse needs. We must provide accessible delivery methods by using asynchronous digital content alongside optional synchronous virtual or in-person sessions. This will help students dealing with power outages, displacement, or severe resource limitations.

School policies should include:

• Flexible attendance

• Forgiving deadlines

• Alternative submission methods for assignments.

There’s a need to teach from the heart, not just from the head. Philosopher Aristotle said that educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all. Educating in a crisis should start with the educator’s willingness to share their own experiences before moving on to content. Sharing personal experiences about trauma can be a powerful tool that helps turn crisis and disruption into relevant and engaging learning opportunities.

Whenever possible, teaching and learning in a crisis should actively embrace problem-based learning. We can use the crisis as a real-world case study to examine our shared experiences. This approach brings the harsh reality of the crisis into an academic context, making the curriculum immediately culturally responsive and relevant.

Ultimately, we must focus on a ‘we care’ agenda. By being aware of each other’s feelings, educators can create a resilient and supportive teaching and learning environment. This essentially will be the true meaning of humanising our practice and supporting a trauma-informed pedagogy. This is essential if we genuinely believe in rebuilding the education system after the hurricane.

HOPE MAYNE

Acting AVP Teaching and

Learning University of

Technology, Jamaica