Mindset Session 1 – Presentation 3

NATALIE KOURI-TOWE

Natalie Kouri-Towe (Concordia University) examined the origins and classroom use of trigger warnings, which signal potentially distressing content to help students prepare emotionally. She traced their development from media disclaimers to feminist digital spaces and into postsecondary education, emphasizing that the debate is often misrepresented as polarized. Drawing on a national research project, she argued that trigger warnings are most effective when embedded within broader pedagogical practices—such as framing, facilitation, and reflection. Emotional engagement, she concluded, should be embraced as part of meaningful learning rather than seen as a disruption.

KEY QUESTIONS
What strategies do you currently use to prepare for difficult material or a difficult discussion in your classes?

What do you usually do when something unexpected and challenging happens during class?

SUGGESTED RESOURCES:
Dyer, Hannah, Natalie Kouri-Towe, and Michelle Miller Stafford. 2024. “Reflections on the ‘Trigger Warning’ Debate: Divergent Strategies for Warnings in the Classroom.” Reading the Room: Lessons on Pedagogy and Curriculum from the Gender and Sexuality Studies Classroom. Ed. Natalie Kouri-Towe. Montreal: Concordia University Press.

Kouri-Towe, Natalie. 2023. Affective Pedagogies, and Pedagogies of Affect: Gender, Solidarity, and the Classroom in the Trigger Warning Debates. The Routledge Companion to Gender and Affect. Ed. Todd Reeser. London: Routledge.

Follow-up discussion

Questions focused on whether trigger warnings should be formally included in course syllabi, and how they might support student well-being without compromising pedagogical goals. Natalie advocated for collaborative classroom agreements and highlighted how poorly handled emotional disclosures can lead to student disengagement and even institutional complaints. Her answers underlined the need for proactive planning and open dialogue around sensitive topics.