«PEDAGOGY OF THE WOUNDED HEART»: THE ART OF COMMUNICATING TEACHERS WITH STUDENTS IN WAR CONDITIONS

Abstract

This article presents the results of an analysis of the nature of the «wounded heart» among students, the need for specific forms of interaction between faculty and students in wartime conditions, and ways and means of managing stress in communication during lectures and practical classes, as well as organizing various forms of extracurricular activities in higher education institutions. The focus is on the readiness of higher education faculty to choose the optimal style of professional and pedagogical communication with students who have experienced the psychological pain of loss and are constantly under emotional strain. The paper justifies the need to introduce the concept of «Pedagogy of the Wounded Heart» into the thesaurus of contemporary psychological and pedagogical science, and identifies the key methodological, didactic, and scientific-practical principles of this conceptual, yet so necessary in the current realities of the Russian-Ukrainian war, a psychological and pedagogical sub discipline related to understanding the ability to influence the intellect, will, and feelings of students whose hearts are «wounded» as a result of the war. It has been proven that for higher education faculty, mastering the art of communicating with students-particularly techniques for emotional stabilization and psycho education during martial law-is not merely a necessity, but a defining feature of high-level pedagogical mastery-the ability to organize the educational process under difficult socio-political conditions while preserving the mental health of future Ukrainians. This paper describes the factors contributing to a young person’s «wounded heart» that educators should take into account when interacting with students, as well as the need for mentors and educators to understand a specific set of steps that effectively serves as a guide for communicating with students who have mental and psychological issues. It has been determined that modern higher education institutions in Ukraine need to develop educational and qualification programs, syllabi, and other documents related to «Pedagogy of the Wounded Heart» aimed at humanizing and sensitizing domestic psychological and pedagogical science, and recognizing that higher education faculty will have to spend a long time interacting with students whose hearts are «wounded» as a result of the war. Consequently, mastering the art of communication must become a priority in the psychological and pedagogical training of future teachers within the framework of master’s programs and professional development systems.