{"id":29,"date":"2018-08-10T13:17:28","date_gmt":"2018-08-10T13:17:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.rollins.edu\/endeavor\/?p=29"},"modified":"2018-10-01T10:06:37","modified_gmt":"2018-10-01T10:06:37","slug":"teaching-in-difficult-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.rollins.edu\/endeavor\/2018\/08\/10\/teaching-in-difficult-times\/","title":{"rendered":"Teaching in Difficult Times"},"content":{"rendered":"
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photo by\u00a0Marcus for Sonnyvisions<\/a> Flickr via Compfight<\/a> cc<\/a><\/small><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As we prepare for a new academic year, two things are certain:\u00a0 1.<\/em> there will be times of difficulty for all of us, and 2.<\/em> our teaching and our students’ learning are affected by these difficulties.\u00a0 Whether the crisis is local (a neighborhood hit by a tornado, a death on campus) or beyond (e.g., a school shooting, a major political event), we may wonder what to do as we walk into the classroom and all eyes are on us.\u00a0 The last third of James Lang’s wonderful book\u00a0Small Teaching: Everyday Lessons from the Science of Learning<\/a><\/span>*\u00a0<\/em>(2016)\u00a0is devoted to<\/p>\n

“the fact that both learners and teachers are more than collections of neural networks, or receptacles of information, or practitioners of cognitive skills. They are fully realized human beings with emotions, attitudes, and other attributes that intersect with both teaching and learning” (p. 161).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The morning of September 11, 2001, was the first time I really thought about the fact that I was teaching at this “intersection,” that we were all “fully realized human beings.”\u00a0 (I wrote about it in a reflection published in Academic Exchange Quarterly<\/em><\/a><\/span>.)<\/p>\n

Guidance<\/h3>\n

Years later when I worked at Vanderbilt University, I updated an old guide on dealing with crises in class to reflect some of what we’ve learned about teaching in the wake of September 11.\u00a0 I’m sad to say that this guide, “Teaching in Times of Crisis<\/span><\/a>,”<\/strong> is my most shared online resource.\u00a0 After every school shooting, terrorist attack, major hurricane, even the death of a beloved celebrity, my social media accounts fire up with colleagues eager for such guidance. Here’s the key:<\/p>\n

A 2007 survey by Therese A. Huston and Michele DiPietro (2007) reveals that “from the students\u2019 perspective,\u00a0it is best to do something<\/em>”\u00a0(p. 219).<\/strong><\/p>\n

I then explain a few possible responses, such as taking a moment of silence, minding the cognitive load, assigning relevant activities or materials, or facilitating a discussion about the situation.\u00a0 You can read more about each in the guide<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n

Rollins Resources<\/h3>\n

Rollins College is a rare campus–in my experience–in the range and quality of resources available for such moments.\u00a0 I reached out to\u00a0Penelope Strater (Director of Student and Family Care in the office of the Dean of Students) for the following:<\/p>\n