Carello and Butler remind us that many instructors falsely believe that
intense emotional responses and retraumatizations are signs of effective teach-
ing of critical content (p. 159) and that students’ ability to work through and
resolve the experience is a pedagogical success (cf. Felman, 1991). Further, stu-
dents often believe that papers and discussions recounting traumatic or highly
emotional events earn the highest grades (cf. Swartzlander et al., 1993). These
damaging beliefs exemplify a severe lack of understanding concerning trauma
and retraumatization: “We know of no evidence to indicate that experiencing
fear, horror, and helplessness are precursors to effective learning or that the
development of PTSD symptoms is evidence of effective teaching” (Carello &
Butler, 2014, p. 160).
Carello & Butler, 2014:
“teaching trauma is not the same as trauma-informed teaching,”
“We know of no evidence to indicate that experiencing
fear, horror, and helplessness are precursors to effective learning or that the development of PTSD symptoms is evidence of effective teaching”
#PREACH