Strategies for Instructors
There are many ways in which instructors can implement and provide content and trigger warnings for sensitive material to their students. Bugeja provides several suggestions below and shares additional strategies.
- Provide warnings and additional resources in your syllabus.
- The instructor can provide an overarching warning about some of the assigned material in the syllabus before the schedule is listed (Bugeja, 2021).
- Next to the listed material that may be sensitive alternative resources can be available for those who choose it.
- Give warnings before class each week.
- When sensitive or triggering material must be shown in class, an email can be sent prior to in order to give a warning to students (Bugeja, 2021).
- Within these emails instructors could state the date on which sensitive material will be shown or assigned and what specific sensitive material or topic will be addressed.
- Be flexible with attendance when material is shown.
- Instructors can offer adjusted attendance policies with alternative venues available. This can allow students to watch certain material outside of class homework, where they can take breaks, not have others observing their behavior, and have other supports in place.
- Instructors can also offer and utilize study guides for students who do not wish to view triggering material during class or at all, thus not obliging those to temporarily leave class and out themselves (Bugeja, 2021).
- This flexibility also allows for student agency, which aids in forming a learning atmosphere that appreciates all students’ lives and experiences (Bugeja, 2021).
- Written descriptions for all video format material.
- When appropriate, written descriptions of videos and images that contain sensitive material could be provided as a substitute for actually having to view the specific content (Trigger Warnings, 2021).
- Transparency about learning objectives.
- Instructors can explain how course materials will support specific learning objectives.
- Frequent and transparent communication is foundational for a learning and teaching environment that adequately supports all students (Difficult Conversations in…, 2022).
- Instructors can work toward transparency in many ways: sending an email, being thorough in the syllabus, and telling students a few days in advance during class as well as the day of, in case some students were not present for the first warnings.
- If the course frequently visits and utilizes sensitive material throughout the semester, instructors may offer explanations to students on why this material will be shown and why studying such topics is necessary (Difficult Conversations in…, 2022).