The researchers examined the narratives of Ukrainian teacher candidates about an international conflict, which they perceived as an extreme event that could affect them. Discourse analysis revealed social variation in students' psychological processes used for understanding and explaining the same crisis. Gender differences in students' narratives demonstrated the need for enhanced instruction in teacher education. Students and teachers must recognize the effects of socialization on their analysis and response to an extreme social situation. After a description of our research in a Ukrainian university, we provide recommendations for teaching prospective teachers about extreme social events.