Teaching with care: classroom strategies for students and educators in times of despair Teaching Forum

In this teaching forum we will explore coping strategies for teaching upsetting and difficult content. We will consider ways to build an inclusive classroom with the aim of facilitating challenging discussions; how to manage content that might be triggering; and what it means to prioritise staff and student wellbeing in our classrooms.

Drawing on work from anthropology, feminist studies, disability studies and the arts, this session will be relevant to anyone teaching a wide range of topics including war, conflict and genocide, human rights, disability, and the climate crisis. We hope that this session will offer people a space to learn strategies for teaching with care, but also to discuss the structural factors and inequalities that influence our capacity to care as educators.

Dr Bridget Bradley is a Lecturer in Social Anthropology, who does research on disability and mental health in Britain. In connection to her research on body-focused repetitive behaviours (BFRBs), she is co-founder and Chair of the charity, BFRB UK & Ireland. She is the recent recipient of two teaching awards, one for Outstanding Commitment for Academic Inclusivity.