[Vwoolf] Trigger warnings

[Jeannette Smyth]

This is very discerning. Woolfians will recall Virginia herself wrote that writing the Septimus scenes made her mind squirt, or squint, so badly she had to go very carefully to avoid further mental illness. it speaks to both her courage and her artistry.
We know what Virginia would have us do.
Thank you.
Jeannette

On May 19, 2014, at 8:03 AM, Lorena Russell wrote:

> Hi Jim et al.,
> I actually had a student triggered in my class last semester while teaching Mrs. Dalloway. He was an Afghanistan war veteran with PTSD and became distressed during a discussion of “Shell Shock” and WW I. He became agitated had to leave the class abruptly and I made the mistake of asking him to return and stay. It was only later in conversation I came to understand the depth of his distress and the context of his actions. I will of course continue to teach the text, but will (as I have done in the past with literature that contains potentially disturbing sexual violence) make a point of including a reminder for students of the potential for triggering events on my syllabus, and work to find ways of minimizing trauma and maximizing engagement. With a recent study noting 1 in 4 female college students experiences sexual violence and an increasing number of veterans, I think the issue of triggers in the classroom needs to be taken seriously here in the US. I don’t think it calls for a drastic change in curriculum or pedagogy, though.
> Best,
> Lorena
>  
> =======================================
> Lorena Russell, Ph.D.
> Director of UNC Asheville’s QEP, the Inquiry ARC
> Associate Professor, Dept. Literature & Language
> CPO #2130, Karpen Hall
> University of North Carolina
> One University Heights
> Asheville, NC 28804
> 828-251-6594 | lrussell at unca.edu
> ========================================
>  
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