Recently, a student sent me a political news article with the comment “Things are falling apart.” I didn’t reply right away, because I sensed they were looking for reassurance—and deep down, I felt that no matter what I said, they wouldn’t believe me. It’s hard to ignore the widespread anxiety hanging over our classrooms, faculty spaces, and the broader world. Glance at the headlines, and you quickly see the depth of worry. Words like “division,” “apathy,” “uncertainty,” and “fear” feel almost insufficient to the moment we’re living in. Many of us are witnessing how this collective tension seeps into our students’ lives––and indeed, ours––affecting their well-being and engagement with learning. Whether we call it “trauma” or “distress,” there is an undeniable weight on our hearts and minds—both as educators and as human beings.
