Six ways that faculty members can better support students without exhausting ourselves in the effort.
None of us has lived through a global coronavirus pandemic before. Our first- and second-year undergraduates have yet to experience a “normal” semester of college. Getting “back to normal” may not be a realistic or well-reasoned goal. But as faculty members, we have an opportunity to help: We can give grace and support to our students and ourselves through this uniquely taxing time.
Giving grace has been a go-to catchphrase since 2020. What it usually means is kindness and compassion. Indeed, many faculty members have already been giving grace by adapting our courses to be more flexible, incorporating wellness activities into class, and discussing mental health with students. Yet such efforts can be depleting and have not been equitably distributed among faculty members. As is often the case with advising and mentoring, women and faculty of color have shouldered disproportionately greater burdens in the pandemic, providing support and care to students. Likewise, untenured and contingent faculty members often teach large courses, for which the logistics of accommodating students’ needs can be significant and overwhelming.
… Drawing on motivation research in educational psychology, as well as principles from positive education and trauma-informed pedagogy, we share the following ideas for how to adapt your teaching to promote flexibility, develop a welcoming classroom climate, and foster a more supportive and inclusive culture. Consistent with a pedagogy of kindness, our position is that compassion and kindness are foundational to effective teaching. Some of these ideas are light lifts that could be used at any point, while others involve more effort and could be incorporated as you plan your semester.
Have a ready list of where they can find help.
Let students know you care.
Maximize the flexibility of your course policies.
Build a flexible course plan, too.
Reimagine classroom culture.
Leverage their values and goals.