Decentering Traditional Lenses of Trauma

Abstract

Historically, education systems and pedagogies in North America were created with the idea that students and teachers should orientate themselves around the system. However, society today demands the opposite: that education systems should orientate themselves around the students and teachers. This chapter focuses on trauma leadership in the classroom and the concepts of anti-colonial, anti-racist, and anti-oppressive perspectives, inviting readers to engage in the act of decentering harmful narratives that contribute to or perpetuate trauma. Offering practical strategies that can be adopted into classroom environments, this chapter deconstructs trauma and its effects and delivers practical advice on creating safe, inclusive learning environments, thus positively impacting students.