Trauma-Informed Teaching and the Holocaust
Canadian students come from diverse backgrounds and bring a wide range of experiences into our classrooms. When teaching about heavy subjects like the Holocaust, it is important that we do so with a trauma-informed approach to best support all of our students.
Take a moment to think about your first memory of learning about the Holocaust. Where were you? How old were you? What resources were used? How did you feel?
Perhaps you remember hearing a Holocaust survivor speak at school, or maybe a particular book or film stands out in your memory. Keep in mind that you may be someone’s first memory of learning about the Holocaust. This is no small responsibility, and we recognize that this places a certain amount of pressure on you as an educator. We are here to help, and we hope that with these strategies and resources, you can be proactive in your planning to support every student in your classroom.
What is trauma?
Since we are educators and not therapists, it’s important to define the term “trauma.” Trauma is any event or situation that exceeds one’s ability to cope.
Trauma can impact students physiologically, cognitively, emotionally and behaviourally.
So what does this mean for the classroom? Simply put, when a student is in a traumatic state, learning shuts down.
What does it mean to be trauma-informed?
Trauma-informed practice means there is a shared understanding and common language about how to create welcoming, caring, respectful and safe schools. Understanding the effects of trauma can help educators avoid situations where a student may feel unsafe. Safe environments encourage students to learn healthy ways to handle emotions and relate to others.
Why is trauma-informed teaching relevant to Holocaust education?
The Holocaust is a challenging subject that covers a variety of difficult themes. It is nearly impossible to teach about the Holocaust without coming across some or all of these themes:
- inadequate housing
- food disparity
- education restrictions and limitations
- illness/disease
- racism and discrimination
- brutality
- violence and abuse (physical and emotional)
- death/murder
- escaping dangerous situations
- losing loved ones
- war
- other significant personal traumas or current events
When you look at the list above, try to consider how many of these topics are current and relevant issues in the lives of Canadian families. This is why it is important to consider the students in our classrooms and their lived, witnessed, shared, family and community experiences. It’s important that we incorporate trauma-informed teaching strategies into the foundation of lesson and unit planning.
How can I use trauma-informed strategies in my teaching of the Holocaust?
Many of the strategies below are considered best practices in teaching. You may already be doing some of these in your classroom! These strategies are easy to implement, and most only require small tweaks to your existing program. For more information, check out the additional resources here.
Know Your Students
As much as possible, try to get to know your students on a personal level. We don’t suggest teaching a unit on the Holocaust in September because it’s unlikely that you know your students well enough at this point in the school year. Keep open lines of communication with them and their families, and work in partnership with students’ support systems. When you have a good sense of a student’s baseline behaviour in the classroom, you’ll be able to notice if they are acting in a way that’s outside their norm. This will help you be more aware of students who may require additional support or a check-in during your Holocaust unit.
Establish a Safe Space
In any school or classroom, students should feel comfortable to express opinions, feelings or ask questions. At the beginning of your Holocaust unit, set explicit expectations around the use of respectful language, active listening, acceptance and support of one another. The Facing History & Ourselves strategy of contracting is a great tool to use here, and their lesson titled “Untitled Poem by Beth Strano” can act as a wonderful, authentic opener for tough conversations.
Choose Appropriate Content and Methodology
Ensure that the topics, themes and strategies for teaching are age-appropriate and align with current best practices in Holocaust education. Be cautious of choosing visuals or anecdotes that are explicit or graphic in nature. You want to provide students with a solid foundation of learning while understanding the developmental stage they are in.
Be Present, Available and Observant
Watch for changes in students’ behaviour or signs of distress. Whether it’s a monitored journal, a quick one-on-one or a short chat in small groups, ensure that you check in with students frequently throughout your unit on the Holocaust. Actively listen to student conversations and be available for any follow-up conversations. Avoid leaving work from this unit for substitute teachers.
Foster Opportunities for Choice and Connection
Students can and should be empowered to make choices about their own learning. While you don’t want students roaming freely on Google, you can still provide a space for independence within safe learning boundaries. For example, if students are using our digital resource Re:Collection, you might assign them four or five themes to choose from. Providing the space for choice within safe boundaries allows students to feel supported and empowered to dive in as deeply as they want and to take steps back as needed.
Be Prepared
Ensure that you’ve taken the time to inform your administration, school mental health professionals and students’ families about the upcoming unit on the Holocaust. Have a plan in place for if and when a student needs additional support. Partner with other staff members in your school so they can prepare themselves to support you as needed.
Avoid Assumptions
You never want to make assumptions about your students and their experiences. While you may not think you have someone who is personally connected to the Holocaust in your class, it’s important to always err on the side of sensitivity and empower students to share their stories.
Safely In, Safely Out
Stemming from Echoes & Reflections, this strategy focuses on how you bring students in and out of Holocaust content in a safe way. When beginning a unit on the Holocaust, you should scaffold the learning in a structured and supported way. Re-establish safe spaces and contract agreements with your students at the start of each class. When you are concluding your unit, it’s important that you don’t stop the learning at a point of darkness but extend beyond survivors’ liberation to include stories of humanity, resilience and the contributions of survivors. In addition, set aside five or ten minutes at the end of each lesson for students to write in a journal, debrief in a small group or as a whole class. This gives them the opportunity to emotionally come out of the content before they move on to another subject or period at school.
If you incorporate some or all of these strategies into the planning of your Holocaust unit, you will be taking great steps toward supporting your students through this challenging subject.
If you need additional support, we are always here to help — send us an email!