Teaching in Times of National Racial Trauma: What Can Faculty Do?
by: Aaliyah El-Amin
The United States is in the midst of racial turmoil—and the impact of that context affects students and faculty members in higher education just as it does all teachers and learners in the nation’s schools. Ongoing police killings of unarmed Black adults and children have garnered significant national attention and community protest. Simultaneously, discourse in our election process is laced with racial tension. Whether or not we are prepared for it, these events are likely to be on students’ minds. This is especially true immediately after these tragedies occur. Even for students who are not members of targeted groups, acts of racial violence can produce high levels of stress, anxiety and fear or vicarious trauma (Honos-Webb, Sunwolf, Hart & Scalise, 2006) and interfere with a person’s ability to engage in class (Liverant, Hoffman & Litz, 2004).... Read more about Teaching in Times of National Racial Trauma: What Can Faculty Do?
'Design thinking' refers to the collection of practices and mindsets that enables creative, collaborative problem-solving across domains. The term was popularized within design consultancy and has since demonstrated value across a variety of organizations and contexts, including the classroom. Design thinking differs from previous problem-solving approaches in its prioritization of the user experience and its reliance on continuous feedback and iteration.... 
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