Getting adult learners back on track after a tragedy

Raz Widrich
2 min readMay 17, 2021

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Many articles have been written about how educators can help children cope after a tragedy, whether it is times of war, school shootings, or the death of a classmate. This one is dedicated to teachers in professional courses or higher education who face a similar situation, only with adult students.

Here are 7 things teachers can do in class to support adult students after experiencing a collective trauma.

Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash

Helping adult learners return to learning after tragic events ❤

#1 Read the room

Enter the class (physical or remote) a few minutes before it begins to see how students look and feel so you can adjust your energy levels.

#2 Don’t rush

It’s OK not to finish all the content you intended to teach. It will take time for your pace and energy levels, as well as the students’, to return to normal.

#3 Add breaks

Take more or longer breaks to help students regain concentration.

#4 Acknowledge the event

Address is right at the start and set expectations on how the class is going to go (e.g. at a slower pace than usual; that it’s OK to leave class early if someone needs to; that political opinions are not to be discussed).

#5 Act calm

Lead with confidence and don’t share your anxieties. Focus on the learning experience and class objectives. It’s important to share concerns with your peers, but not necessarily with students who are in need of reassurance.

#6 Listen

Pay close attention to questions and try to answer without judgment. Make it a safe environment to make mistakes.

#7 Lastly, take care of yourself

Practice mindfulness or share thoughts with colleagues.

Got other ideas on helping both students and teachers continue their learning routines after traumatic events? Leave them as comments ❤

From my @pedagogeeks blog on Instagram.

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