I am now watching the recorded sessions from the CAST UDL Symposium. On Friday, I spoke to CAST staff about continuing coursework. I am excited about “going beyond the basics.” Dr. Carrie Awadzi from Delaware State University presented the recorded session entitled “Trauma and the impact of Teaching and Learning on Minority students.”Awadzi teaches in the College of Business. They started with a cartoon of a student carrying huge books with titles such as “co-op, join clubs, finals, get a job, student loans…” The next activity was responding to the prompt: “what does trauma mean to you?” Next, Awadzi defined trauma as “any experience in which a person’s internal resources are not adequate to cope with external stressors,” citing Hoch, Stewart, Webb, & Wyandt-Hiebert, 2015. Awadzi noted that most students come with some level of trauma. Common trauma triggers include unpredictability, changes in the routine, sensory overload, feeling vulnerable, and frustration. Awadzi explained that most students need to take 6-7 courses for financial aid requirements. Further, the impact of trauma on teaching-learning outcomes is affected by interactions between students and faculty. Awadzi shared data that African American students are more likely to experience trauma. They also shared three traumatic events on their campus affecting African American students. Awadzi shared data that 87% of GenZ adults (ages 18-23) report academics as a significant source of stress. Importantly, trauma impacts student-professor relationships. Awadzi discussed Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and the Theory of Motivation: the pyramid graphic started with physiological needs at the base, safety, love/belonging, esteem, and self-actualization at the top. Trauma impacts student services, too. Awadzi emphasized that our role as educators is to support students by:
- empowering students by offering choices for participation
- checking in with students to identify “what’s going on?”
- prepare for significant anniversaries
- be sensitive to family structures
- avoid romanticizing trauma narratives in subject content
- identify mentors and other support systems
Awadzi also expressed the importance of training faculty to be trauma-informed. Awadzi ended by inviting viewers to think about something they could do. Two suggestions Awadzi shared were to lead with mercy and have grace with deadlines. Awadzi had beautiful slides too!
