Strategies for Supporting Our Students

As we contemplate re-entering the classroom after a critical incident, we are likely still grappling with our own reactions to the event. At the same time, many of us are wondering how best to support students who are directly impacted by and/or experiencing challenging emotions related to the event. uncertainty and fear in the aftermath of violence. There is no perfect way to teach during a crisis, but it is important to explicitly acknowledge what has happened and adjust your teaching accordingly. How you adjust will depend on your relationships to students, the size and nature of your class, the nature of the incident, and the types of interventions you feel equipped to make. These might range from a simple moment of silence and a reduced workload to a more structured debrief and discussion.

Below, trauma therapist Carolyn Schuyler offers specific pointers for responding to a critical incident, along with general strategies for signalizing compassion and care that are relevant for all of us.

We strongly suggest that you check in with a colleague or two to share and finetune your approach for returning to class and offer each other emotional support if needed. We hope the strategies listed below will support you as you prepare to engage with students in the days following a critical incident.

Debriefing after a critical incident

from Carolyn Schuyler, LCSW, Visiting Scholar

While it is necessary to acknowledge a critical incident and create space for connecting with the emotions and needs of students, we recognize not everyone feels equipped for this work or is inclined to go there for a variety of reasons. We hope this information provides enough suggestions to help you arrive at an approach that works for you.

Being prepared to meet students where they are is worth the time and thought. Points to consider:

• When possible, contact students ahead of class to acknowledge the event. Below is a sample email-- you will notice that it is highly personal; students can relate to us better when they see us as human beings, people trying to do their best to be there for them. It normalizes the fact that our initial individual responses will vary and that feelings will fluctuate over time.

• In times of turmoil, predictability and structure are vitally important. Students will benefit from the structure and predictability you provide. It may be wise to send an email to your students to let them know what to expect when they return to class. A Google Form, such as this example, may be adequate to assess the needs of the class before sending a proposed class agenda. You may make clear that the plan is subject to change based on the evolving input and needs of the class.

• Sharing feelings and discussing the tragic events may be too overwhelming for some students, so it is important to make clear students have choice in how they participate. Opting out is perfectly acceptable. Welcome and invite direct feedback.

• You may be concerned students will be overwhelmed if every class includes processing, but it is better to err on the side of providing support than to overlook student needs. At minimum, it is important to acknowledge the event, even if others instructors will do the same.

Below you will find a suggestion for the first class back and a list of alternative approaches for acknowledging the critical incident. All suggestions may be adapted for office hour meetings or for classes.

First Class Back: Normalize Feelings

It is natural to experience a wide range of fluctuating emotions in response to the events of the last few days. Some students may present as highly emotional and distressed, while others may appear shut down and numb. Many will question why they are not feeling strong emotion at all. Normalizing all reactions paves the way for open sharing and the healing power of community.

In greeting students when they come back to class, you might begin by acknowledging the event and allowing for a moment of silence.

After allowing for a moment of silence, briefly share how you have been processing the news. This gives permission for the students to reflect on their own experiences and shows that you have their needs in mind.

"I have been holding all of you in my thoughts in the last few days. I notice that I have been very upset by the recent event, and I find myself reflecting on how it may be impacting you as well."

Secondly, take a moment to validate and normalize feelings. Make explicit your understanding of the wide range of reactions students may be experiencing.

"Whatever you are feeling, you can be sure you are not alone in that experience. There are others who are traveling this path right along with you. We can expect a range of reactions from outrage to anxiety to numbness. You may feel a wide range of feelings at different points and in different contexts. To process this experience, it is vital to connect with others and seek support as needed."

After this introduction, you may give the students the option for a 1) quiet moment of reflection or 2) time to journal for five minutes. Suggest a clear prompt such as: "I am _____."  This sentence stem gives permission to go in any direction while centering the writing on the self.

Following the reflection time or journal writing, ask a few volunteers to read excerpts of their work or to share their thoughts. In large classes, you may invite students to share with a partner. Ask that comments not be made after reading or listening to each other, but rather suggest that gratitude be expressed for the opportunity to connect. 

"Thank you for the gift of your words."

To wrap up the experience, speak to the power of sharing our stories to build strong networks of social support. Mention your hope that students will continue to share deeply with each other.

"Our ability to speak to our experience connects us in meaningful ways. Knowing and caring for each other is what makes healing possible."

Our job is simple but profound. It is to be present with what students are experiencing with genuine openness, concern, and curiosity. To do this, we may take a moment to ground ourselves and set an intention to be relaxed and open in our demeanor. There is deep cultural conditioning to try to move away from distress, but it is the ability to stay with feelings without judgment or agenda that offers the strongest emotional support.

To do this work, it is vital to have had the space and time to honor and attend to your own needs. Have you had the time to have your own voice heard?  Have you given yourself the rest, nourishment, and space for the internal reflection you need in order to be present for others?

Additional Ways to Support Students

The shared purpose of all the strategies below is to honor the students’ emotional experience, provide a holding space for connecting on a deep level, and invite hope for moving forward. Gestures of connection and care restore a sense of safety and allow for a renewed sense of community to emerge.

Offer nurturance. Often the first step in assisting people in crisis is to offer a blanket, some water, and food to eat. While this is not the response called for in our circumstance, the ability to offer gestures of support and care for one another is essential. You might bring tea or coffee to class, flowers to share with each student, or an invitation for a meal at your home. Once the basic need for nurturance is met, healing truly begins. If none of these concrete suggestions fit, consider taking a moment to directly express you care for the students.

"I want to take a moment to say to you directly that I care deeply about what you have experienced since the event. I have found myself imagining what your days have been like with a hope that you are finding the kindness, gentleness, and care we all need right now.  I am hoping that you can feel this from me even though we don’t have adequate space and time to do all that is truly called for in this circumstance."

Name the feelings. "I’d like to share with you some of the experiences you may notice in yourself and your friends. It is expected that you may have difficulty concentrating. You may experience waves of anger, sadness, fear, and anxiety. Some of you may notice a strong sense of compassion and tenderness and a desire to connect with others to honor those affected. At times, you may also notice a sense of disorientation and unease given the disruption of life on our campus. You may also notice painful associations from earlier in your life. Some of you may feel a need to 'move on' or a sense of unease with the feeling that violence has become expected and, in some ways, normalized."

To transition the conversation, take a moment to acknowledge their willingness to share.

"I want to thank you for your willingness to share the truth of your experience. I am now inviting all of us to take two minutes in silence to honor one another, the larger community, and those most impacted by the tragic loss on Sunday. If you would like to reflect in writing, drawing, or movement, please feel free to do that."

If it feels right, you may move towards brainstorming ways of coping that promote mental wellness. 

"There is wisdom in this room. This is not the first hardship you have faced, although it may feel very different. Many of you have found ways of coping and even thriving through challenging times. I want to invite a period of sharing concrete mindsets and strategies that are in your toolboxes or that you feel the need to create now. I will record the ideas on the white board. You’ll be invited to take a picture of the white board for further reflection. Sometimes we need a chance to reflect on unhelpful approaches that we want to discontinue and space to consider new strategies. I hope this time will give you that opportunity."

Again, thank the students.

Affirm community. Ask students how they want to affirm community in the days ahead.

"At some point in our processing of the events of the last few days, we may start to wonder what we can actually do that will be meaningful and genuinely helpful. Without a doubt, cultivating a strong sense of community is powerfully important. We are social beings and healing happens together, never alone. I want to invite you to reflect on what you believe builds community in your own life and on campus. Please find two other classmates to spend five minutes discussing what builds connectedness in this time and beyond. For example, you might point to the importance of slowing down to greet people when walking or having longer, leisurely meals with friends to intentionally check in with each other. You may have larger ideas having to do, for example, with how spaces are configured or how information is communicated. Once we have had time to talk in small groups, we will reconvene for idea sharing."

Please note: You may broaden this discussion to suggest reflection on actions on a societal level. This will open discourse on our political climate, on race, and other critical issues that students may have a pressing need to discuss. If you go this direction, it is critical to set ground rules or review already established expectations for difficult conversations.

Seek connection. Ask students to interview each other about works of art and literature (books, paintings, poems, music, and films) that have helped them in hard times before.

"Artists, musicians, writers, and poets have always been guides and supports in deepening our understanding of what it means to be human, particularly in times of suffering.  As a means of coming together as a class today, I would like to invite you to gather in groups of three to discuss the art and literature that has been most nourishing to you. Please reflect on what it may mean to you now. To set the stage, I would like to briefly share with you (a piece of music, a painting, a short reading) that has been meaningful to me. I hope it will be of support to you as well."

Encourage students to plan times outside of class to share these sources of meaning and inspiration with each other. Remind them of the power of nature on campus to offer solace.

"Thank you for taking the time to share with each other the power of your experiences with art and literature. I encourage you to continue having these discussions and invite you to seek out new sources of beauty, wisdom, and understanding. The natural world on our campus, like a piece of art, may serve as a source of solace and strength as well. I hope you will have time to linger in spaces you enjoy."

Thank you again for your thoughtful work preparing to meet with students. As is often the case, your presence and genuine concern will be what the students remember, rather than the actual words spoken. Please let us know if we can help in any way. Email us at cte-uva@virginia.edu to provide feedback on your experience implementing any of these strategies. We hope to learn from you.