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Fostering Connections & Helping Students Feel Seen

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Fostering Connections & Helping Students Feel Seen

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During challenging times, I support my students by providing resources for mental health and accessibility support. One of the ways to accommodate their learning is to ease their anxiety by setting flexible deadlines so they don't feel overwhelmed and have the opportunity to balance my course with the demands of other courses and life. Creating a question box is a strategy that we used to ask life questions anonymously and get feedback from each other. Support for learning can only go so far if students don't have the support for life skills and building healthy and positive relationships. In the past, I have made a connection with their families early in the course and have them virtually cheer their child on through online coursework that is shared through their blogs/podcasts. Students feel more inclined to show up and are ready to learn when they know their teacher cares about them as individuals and are available to support their learning. TikTok and Instagram were also used by my department as a way to connect with Gen Z students, informing them of content, learning strategies, mental health care and forming a virtual school spirit where everyone is connected.

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I think striking a balance in many areas is really important for students.

For example, I have certainly noticed over the past few years that students crave more and more regular validation or affirmation that they are 'on the right track'. On one hand it is important to be sensitive to this (ie: their comfort zone) and I think in mathematics it is often beneficial for students to get this feedback regularly. Setting up quick online quizzes (that are marked automatically) or using desmos or other activities where success is required to move forward will be useful in an online environment.

On the other hand, I feel it is essential to push them to be more independent and cultivate an environment where they are willing to take risks. I find this particularly relevant in mathematics where students really benefit from an experience where mistakes are encouraged and 'forgiven' (ie: those 'high fliers' don't need to fear making little mistakes as they strive for those top marks). A phrase I like to use is that our classroom is "challenging but forgiving".

Steve Patterson

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Being authentic is truly key. I want to incorporate as much relevance through the content I teach, as well as the tools I use, without 'overdoing it' and it not being true to me as a teacher. Keeping a sense of humour and encouraging the students to enjoy the course, embracing their new learning, finding connections between their course content and real-world applications and enjoying connections with fellow students are all ways of supporting them to achieve success, both in-person and online.

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When teaching online, I hope to include as many familiar tools as possible in assessment and class activities/tasks, to help lighten students' cognitive load. Learning in a new environment (to many of them), and then also having to learn many different tools, can be a lot to take in at once, so using tools that students already likely have experience with will help reduce stress, but will also allow students to focus on the quality of their work, vs. learning an online tool. I hope to use tools such as Twitter, Kahoots, Instagram, and the GSuite to allow students to show their learning in a way that is accessible to them.

- Bailey Coyle

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I have also tried to value the process as much as the final product when it comes to assessments. Students often feel pressure when their grades come from one demonstration of learning (essay, presentation, etc.), but assessing their planning products and the conversations I have with them along the way to creating a final product takes some of that pressure off. It also values the thinking processes being done, instead of only what they turn it at the end of a project or assessment.

- Bailey Coyle

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Adapting to student needs and individuality has been at the core of my teaching over the last couple of years. When we were online during COVID, students were coming from all different home and family situations that in some way, shape or form impacted their learning (either for the better or in more challenging ways), and recognizing that students all had different lives and contexts outside of school was really eye opening for realizing how adaptable we need to be. When students leave our classrooms, they all face different things that affect their ability to complete work successfully at home. Being adaptable to student requests and learning needs has been integral so that students feel seen, heard and supported.

While this is not able to be done in online learning environments, I have also tried to support my students by keeping work contained to the classroom as much as possible. When students have large amounts of assignments or homework to be done outside of the classroom, it can lead to feelings of anxiety, stress and burn-out, so making many assignments "in-class" assignments where possible, has also been one way I have tried to support them.

-Bailey Coyle

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I believe that both teachers and students are facing a changing world with technique updating everyday.
There is a Chinese saying says ""Wherever three people walk, there must be one among them from whom I can learn." In my class, I always have the awareness that my students can be also my teachers in some ways, no matter knowledge base or technique base. One of the ways to create a comfortable online setting is students know we can learn from each other. They not only can share but also can teach each other including the teacher.
- Rebecca

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One of the questions that almost everyone asks when they first hear about what I teach is: "Do people even use Latin anymore?" While students often self-select into my course and have a genuine interest in the topic to begin with, it's essential that I provide clear and compelling evidence of why the work we do is relevant to modern experiences. The majority of activities I create incorporate some element of connection, whether its between ancient/modern, Latin/modern language, or cross-curricular.  As most of my students won't go on to study Latin in university, let alone use it as the foundation of their careers, what matters most to me is that they can recognize how humanistic learning, ancient history, and linguistic understanding can enrich their lives.

I also strive to centre instruction on extending learning skills and strategies that can be applied beyond the Latin classroom. I try to make as much time as I can for explicit discussion of routines for critical thinking, organization, study strategies, note-taking, and growth mindset/emotional resilience. My classroom is not a space where things need to be perfect - indeed, I am very clear from Day 1 that taking risks is necessary in the language classroom. I also try to encourage more experimentation by allowing student agency/choice wherever possible. When students are genuinely curious and interested in the material, they are more motivated to learn and more willing to push through a challenge. I'm hoping to continue exploring more opportunities for PBL units and co-creation of assessments.

- Gillian Scott

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Recognize that students may have different circumstances and varying levels of access to technology, resources, or support systems. Be flexible in accommodating their needs, offering alternative options when possible, and considering individual circumstances when assessing student performance. Be compassionate and understanding when it comes to certain situations.

- Deanna Bernardi

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To create an online environment that is comfortable and welcoming for students, it's important to leverage the tools and platforms that they are already using. This might involve using social media platforms to connect with students, such as creating a class Instagram or Tik Tok page, where teachers can post resources and compile a class collection of student work. Most students know and enjoy making Tik Toks or Instagram posts, therefore, centring our online classes around these platforms will harness student creativity. Moreover, using these platforms creates opportunities for students to connect with one another and form virtual communities, which can help foster a sense of belonging and support.

- Kayla Furlan

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I have been empathetic with students. Simply recognizing the challenges they have gone through these past few years and expressing empathy for them demonstrates that I see and hear my students and either understand or am working to better understand their struggles.

Moreover, I have made resources for mental health and well-being within my school and the community accessible to my students.

- Kayla Furlan