Abstract

This dissertation proposed to investigate the modes of violence (Zizek, 2008) used against teachers in Colombia, what the teachers’ understanding of violence is, and how they interact with or resist it. Through conversaciones, a qualitative method that aligns with oral history methodology, the teachers who participated in this research (hereinafter, research collaborators) and I reflected on their contexts of teaching and living, their understanding of violence, their experiences with violence, and their preparedness for violence. We reflected on practices and knowledge that have the potential to inform the structuring of trauma-sensitive pedagogies for teachers. Moreover, the conversaciones enclose oral histories of what it means to teach and live in conditions of duress, such as those experienced in some regions of Colombia. The research collaborators also elaborated on practices to deal with forms of violence. Such practices are presented as recommendations for teachers and education stakeholders, hoping to be adapted by teachers in other challenging contexts.