POP Talks 2025: Teaching when the world falls apart — resilience in global education

How do you teach when your students are surrounded by conflict?

In this POP Talk, U of I Professor Janine Darragh, who is in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction, shares her experiences working with teachers in active war zones and refugee camps, helping them develop creative, trauma-informed solutions that make learning possible against all odds.

Because when inquiry, innovation and empathy come together, there’s nothing educators can’t overcome.  

Janine Julianna Darragh, Ph.D., literacy and language education

Darragh equips future educators with practical, research-based teaching strategies. She brings more than 30 years of K-20 experience and expertise into her work preparing the next generation of teachers.

Her research focuses on English language teaching and learning, young adult literature, trauma-sensitive teaching and teaching in contexts of crisis. Whether she’s supporting teachers and learners in refugee camps and war zones, designing curriculum, mentoring new teachers or studying how trauma affects the brain and learning, Darragh brings curiosity, creativity and care to everything she teaches.

POP Talks — Power of Possibility

Discover ideas that shape the future of human society. The Power of Possibility Talks, or POP Talks, annually brings together eight University of Idaho faculty for an hour of bold thinking and transformative research. These talks challenge assumptions, spark innovation and explore solutions to global challenges — from sustainability and health to technology and culture. Our researchers invite us to push the boundaries of knowledge and imagine what’s possible when curiosity drives progress.