Edited by Kate Blackham, Tuesday, 12 Nov 2024, 14:41
Interesting article on Wonkhe this morning about getting a better understanding on students' sense of belonging and how to understand it. Several useful articles linked for me to follow up when I'm not so busy marking regarding qualitative research methods and their use in assessing students' wellbeing and belonging.
For me, a massive light bulb moment was hearing Dr Brene Brown (of the vulnerability TED talk fame) explain that belonging is the exact opposite of fitting in. Belonging requires transparency and authenticity and vulnerability. Which are the antithesis of the things we do when we are seeking to fit in with those around us. When we belong we are free to seek to find common ground, when we are trying to fit in we are hiding those parts of ourselves that we fear won't be accepted.
And I keep thinking about the need to encourage belongingness as opposed to fitting in when it comes to my students. I'm thinking about the intersection of belonging and trauma-informed practice. About the need to promote safety and trustworthiness and empowerment and collaboration. Over the 3 and a bit years I've been here I've had many students who have disclosed PTSD and complex PTSD, autism (which as I mentioned before is highly associated with PTSD) and depression and anxiety. Given that a significant proportion of my students have some level of trauma before they begin with the OU, and those are just the ones that reveal that to me implementing better trauma-informed practices into my teaching and interaction with my students has got to be the right thing to do.
Thinking again about belonging
Interesting article on Wonkhe this morning about getting a better understanding on students' sense of belonging and how to understand it. Several useful articles linked for me to follow up when I'm not so busy marking regarding qualitative research methods and their use in assessing students' wellbeing and belonging.
For me, a massive light bulb moment was hearing Dr Brene Brown (of the vulnerability TED talk fame) explain that belonging is the exact opposite of fitting in. Belonging requires transparency and authenticity and vulnerability. Which are the antithesis of the things we do when we are seeking to fit in with those around us. When we belong we are free to seek to find common ground, when we are trying to fit in we are hiding those parts of ourselves that we fear won't be accepted.
And I keep thinking about the need to encourage belongingness as opposed to fitting in when it comes to my students. I'm thinking about the intersection of belonging and trauma-informed practice. About the need to promote safety and trustworthiness and empowerment and collaboration. Over the 3 and a bit years I've been here I've had many students who have disclosed PTSD and complex PTSD, autism (which as I mentioned before is highly associated with PTSD) and depression and anxiety. Given that a significant proportion of my students have some level of trauma before they begin with the OU, and those are just the ones that reveal that to me implementing better trauma-informed practices into my teaching and interaction with my students has got to be the right thing to do.
Anyway, on following up the references in a previously read paper, I've found a publication called Trauma-Informed Practices for Postsecondary Education: A Guide so lots for me to think about and act on.