1. Prioritize your own self-care and practice self-compassion. This can take the form of setting due times for your assignments as 9pm, rather than midnight (which is the default in Canvas). This sends the message to students that you will not reply to their emails or requests after a certain time.
2. Call back to the present moment. This can go a long way towards a more attentive and stress-free classroom environment. An effective way to implement this is by doing a short (2-minute) deep-breathing exercise. This activity especially helps before an exam.
3. Include accessible humor. There is no better way to bring the whole class together and create a shared moment. It also serves as an excellent way to cut through the tension of a serious lecture. However, while it is a very effective strategy it is also very hard to execute. Another approach is to plan commercial breaks during class in which you can share funny pictures of your favorite furry friends.
4. Tell stories, share experiences. Stories provide context, add emotional drama and color, and make us seem more human to our students. Stories that disclose a shortcoming or setback are especially powerful. When you talk about yourself to your students, you signal to them that you trust them and see them as worthy confidants. That, in turn, encourages students to feel more at ease, to open up themselves and commit more fully to the class. – David Gooblar, Pedagogy Unbound
5. Portray interest and optimism. Make eye contact with students across the classroom, lean forward, smile often, use gestures, and move around the classroom if possible. Students are more likely to be happy and productive if you demonstrate that you are happy to be in the classroom and are optimistic about their future careers.
6. Be caring and confident. Showing that you care gives students permission to be vulnerable. It also sends the message that you are daring enough to cut through their hard exterior shells. Caring can be demonstrated in several ways such as doing periodic check-ins for understanding during class, actively listening to student comments and questions, and following up with struggling students.
7. Provide encouraging feedback. This bolsters students’ perceptions of themselves, which then makes them more likely to ask questions in class, be supportive of their peers, and be more engaged overall.
8. Be authentic. This may mean expressing your disappointment in their performance on an assessment. While it is counter to the earlier tip on giving encouraging feedback, it is important to convey genuine interest and concern about their learning. It sends the message that we expect them to utilize the resources we provide them, and that we hold them accountable.
    

Upcoming Events and Opportunities