Jennifer Elkins
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jenniferelkins.bsky.social
Jennifer Elkins
@jenniferelkins.bsky.social
530 followers 1.6K following 16 posts
MSW program director & associate professor of social work at UGA w/focus on trauma, trauma informed care, & culturally sustaining practices. Views are my own.
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jenniferelkins.bsky.social
I’m teaching a PhD social work pedagogy class this fall & want my students to hear from experienced #SocialWorkAcademics. If this is you & you’re drawn to any of the below questions (all are optional & it’s anonymous) I’d be grateful for your added voice here: forms.gle/qQamVT1YYiM4...
Picture with following 10 questions: Good teaching is all about... One piece of advice I'd give to someone starting to teach in social work is… When my students talk about my class when they're out of my earshot I'd most like them to say… If I could turn back the clock and talk to myself on my first day of teaching I'd say… What’s a memorable teaching misstep or failure that taught you something important or helped you grow? Share the moment when you were closest to thinking or feeling "this is what teaching is all about!" or "this is why I teach!" What was it specifically that made this such a good moment? What’s a piece of teaching advice you received that turned out to be unhelpful or even harmful? What’s something you’ve learned from your students? What’s something you used to stress about in your early teaching that you’ve learned to let go of? What advice would you give about building authentic, affirming, respectful relationships with students in a social work classroom?
August 14, 2025 at 11:52 AM
jenniferelkins.bsky.social
“To refuse to participate in the shaping of our future is to give it up. Do not be misled into passivity either by false security (they don’t mean me) or by despair (there’s nothing we can do). Each of us must find our work and do it.”
~Audre Lorde, Sister Outsider
July 24, 2025 at 11:36 AM
jenniferelkins.bsky.social
I will always love crowd-sourced community syllabi based on popular media (ie, Sinners, Lemonade, Black Panther) & social justice issues (ie, Ferguson, Charleston). PhD pedagogy courses often have students create a syllabus. But why not offer something creative like this as an alternative? 🤔
May 3, 2025 at 2:23 PM
jenniferelkins.bsky.social
Congratulations to all #UGASSW graduates! You are the dreamers and doers the world needs…

Carry your imagination…
Root yourself in community…
Keep freedom dreaming…

The future is ours to build together. I have every confidence in you & can’t wait to see where your journey takes you next!
May 2, 2025 at 9:34 PM
jenniferelkins.bsky.social
#HigherEd #TeachLearnSky #AcademicSky colleagues: What book on teaching/learning/pedagogy has had the biggest impact on your teaching style? How has this book shaped your approach teaching?
a man in a suit stands in front of a chalkboard in a classroom
ALT: a man in a suit stands in front of a chalkboard in a classroom
media.tenor.com
April 22, 2025 at 12:05 AM
jenniferelkins.bsky.social
“What is your hope song? In this moment, what can you do to generate hope for others? How can we ensure that hope can thrive in our communities and beyond?”#LiberatEDSEL #FreedomDreaming #CollectiveLiberation
March 24, 2025 at 6:40 PM
Reposted by Jennifer Elkins
ugasocialwork.bsky.social
Come along as we take you on a tour of the UGA Social Work building, one of the most unique and historic locations on campus, from its accessible facilities and cozy common areas to its scenic classrooms and river deck.

youtu.be/mOGeN6kWZRI?...
Behind the Scenes at UGA’s School of Social Work: Virtual Tour
YouTube video by UGA SocialWork
youtu.be
February 6, 2025 at 4:05 PM
jenniferelkins.bsky.social
"Sometimes it seem like to tell the truth today is to run the risk of being killed. But if I fall, I'll fall five feet four inches forward in the fight for freedom. I'm not backing off” `
#FannieLouHamer #BlackHistoryMonth #FightingSpirit

[Artwork: "Fighting Spirt" by Leroy Campbell]
February 9, 2025 at 2:06 PM
Reposted by Jennifer Elkins
southernequality.bsky.social
For #BlackHistoryMonth, learn more about Bayard Rustin – a key player in the Civil Rights Movement, close advisor to MLK, staunch advocate for LGBTQ+ acceptance, & an out gay man. His words are especially inspiring to us today. Learn more: kinginstitute.stanford.edu/rustin-bayard
February 1, 2025 at 5:44 PM
jenniferelkins.bsky.social
Celebrating #BlackHistoryMonth with “A Hole in the Roof” by Kadir Nelson that he describes: opens the space for a conversation about the present moment while reminding us that no matter how tough times may seem, there is always light.
February 2, 2025 at 2:02 PM
Reposted by Jennifer Elkins
indigenia.bsky.social
In my head all day.
Photo of text states: Buffalo in herds, surround the most vulnerable to keep them safe from threat. The big bulls on the outside, horns pointed outward from the center. The matriarch females form another circle behind them. The youngest, the calves are in the center, protected on all sides. This is what was on my mind all day. Protecting the most vulnerable. Placing them at center. Circle up. Just thought I’d share that. 🦬
January 29, 2025 at 1:02 AM
Reposted by Jennifer Elkins
ugasocialwork.bsky.social
Let's dive into the heart of social work and uncover what makes it a unique and impactful profession. Hear from the faculty and staff at UGA's School of Social Work as they highlight the essence of social work: a steadfast commitment to social justice and economic equality. youtu.be/eZRmi7CEF6A?...
What Makes a Social Worker...a Social Worker?
YouTube video by UGA SocialWork
youtu.be
November 21, 2024 at 1:34 PM
jenniferelkins.bsky.social
What does trauma-informed care truly mean? How is it different from trauma-specific therapy? What does #SocialWork practice w/trauma impacted individuals & communities look like?

Join me for a new #UGASocialWork series for prospective & future social social workers!

Register: ow.ly/gSWA50U5qRi
Picture of UGA School of Social Work associate professor & MSW program director Jennifer Elkins on left with message introducing “Tuesday Talks Virtual Series” on trauma-informed vs trauma-specific practice on 12/3 at 6:30pm
November 20, 2024 at 12:23 PM
jenniferelkins.bsky.social
Self-soothing vs. individual, community, & structural care.

The Unspoken Complexity of “Self-Care” medium.com/@deanna/the-...
The Unspoken Complexity of “Self-Care”
Self-care is thrown around a lot as a magic bullet to solve all of your problems. I think it’s a lot more complicated than that.
medium.com
November 19, 2024 at 12:20 PM
jenniferelkins.bsky.social
If our work is not anchored in anti-racist, anti-oppressive, affirming, culturally sustaining, liberatory practices it can never truly be #TraumaInformed.
November 16, 2024 at 3:38 AM