By JOSIE RUSH

I was in sixth grade math class when the September 11th attacks occurred. I remember my teacher pulled open the folding walls that separated our classroom from the one next to us — the only classroom with a working television in the wing. We watched the chaos unfold on a tiny screen as both instructors cried, and throughout the day many students’ parents arrived to take them home.

When we returned to classes the next day, there were more American flags around the school, several prayer circles around the flagpole, but no mention of what we had just watched happen or how the world had changed.  

I don’t know what a “good” lesson would have looked like on Sept. 12, 2001, but in a world that feels increasingly marked by conflict, I do find myself questioning the role education should play. What are effective strategies for teaching during times of conflict? What sort of learning is possible for our students and ourselves? This brief article offers general suggestions and considerations for facilitating learning in difficult times.

Design with inclusion and equity in mind

Many strategies for teaching during conflict overlap with strategies for inclusive and equitable teaching, drawing from frameworks like trauma-informed pedagogies and intercultural pedagogies.

Starting the semester by collaboratively creating participation guidelines with students, for instance, or integrating opportunities for student choice in assignments helps transparently signal that you value and respect students’ experiences, while also giving you more chances to get to know your students and their needs. Center instructional practices that help you build relationships in the classroom and make learning more accessible.

Balance consistency with flexibility

When individuals are impacted by war, violence and other types of conflict, they may have difficulty concentrating or retaining information, increased anxiety, or even struggle to find motivation for daily activities. Maintain consistency with things like due dates, where assignments are posted, and how students can communicate with you outside of class to cultivate a sense of stability and allow them to use their mental energy to demonstrate learning, not track down information on Canvas.

Simultaneously, designing for flexibility, through mechanisms like deadline windows or by posting recordings of lectures to Canvas, demonstrates empathy and offers students more opportunities for success during uncertain and challenging times.

Determine needs and capacity

How we teach during conflict, and how/if we decide to directly address conflict in our classroom can depend on a range of factors, including our own positionalities and context. We might decide we need to learn more about a conflict before addressing it with the class, or we might determine there’s not enough time in class to discuss the conflict thoughtfully and thoroughly (though, in this case, it’s still a good idea to acknowledge the conflict and the potential impact it may have on individuals).

Check in with your students to gauge their willingness to engage around the topic. If you do decide to discuss the conflict, consider having students do some learning beforehand about the conflict’s history and systemic nature, and ask them to come to class with questions. Remind students of communication guidelines or invite them to add to those guidelines for the conversation. Be clear about the best ways for students to exit the classroom if they feel the need and point out campus and community resources that individuals can go to for support.

Have clear and transparent goals for activities

Share what you hope students will learn by addressing the conflict, and find out what students hope they’ll learn, too. When students understand that they’re meant to be gaining knowledge about a place or group via discussion, for example, as opposed to “winning” a debate, they’re better able to make effective decisions that help them meet their learning goals.

Additionally, when we keep the goals of activities in mind, we can make room for student-choice and increase accessibility. If you want students to engage in reflection, for example, can they still demonstrate that skill if they reflect through an audio recording instead of by writing a paragraph? If students aim to practice sharing their experiences with others, can they still do this if they have a choice between speaking in front of the class or sharing their thoughts asynchronously on Canvas?

Connect and collaborate

Connect with students during and after the activity to encourage reflection and get feedback. What did students learn? Are there remaining questions? Do students have any suggestions for how to structure a similar activity in the future?

Additionally, consider reaching out to colleagues to learn about their own approaches to teaching during conflict, including strategies they use to care for their own well-being.

Teaching during conflict is an ongoing process that requires community, and here at the Center for Teaching and Learning, we’re always happy to work with you and support your efforts. Check out our Teaching in a Time of Conflict page for more information or schedule a consultation with us.

Josie Rush is a senior teaching consultant in the University Center for Teaching and Learning.