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When the foundation started publishing memoirs,

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we realized that the teachers needed guidance in terms of

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how to bring the topic

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of the Holocaust into the classroom in a way

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that was both respectful to the history,

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but also mindful of the students

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that we have in our classrooms.

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It was very important to train teachers so

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that we could give them that support

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and help them feel confident in how to do

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that in a way that works for them.

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Today we're gonna talk a little bit about how

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to explore the Holocaust through a trauma-informed lens.

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The first thing that I really like

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to do when I'm training a group

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of teachers is help them feel comfortable

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that not having all the answers right away is okay.

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I like to make them feel that they're in a room of people

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who are there to support them,

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and we jump into talking about best practices

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in Holocaust education.

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I never make any assumptions about what people know

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or don't know, and so we speak very clearly about what

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to do and what not to do.

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Grade six students think they're ready

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for more than they are, so you are going to have a student

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who raises their hand in your class

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and says, Miss, I know or Mr.

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I know all about Auschwitz. Let's talk about that.

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And it's our responsibility as the educators to say, no.

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Our responsibility is not to that one child.

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Our responsibility is to the other 99% of our class

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who is not ready for that. When we teach about the Holocaust,

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incorporating a trauma-informed approach is something

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that is so helpful

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because it, it means

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that we are looking at the students we have in our

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classroom, and we are applying these strategies

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when we're planning our unit as opposed to

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after something has perhaps created

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a reaction in our students.

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And it allows them to just make a space

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that students feel comfortable learning in.