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Teaching

On this page we offer a range of ideas and practices to nurture belonging in the classroom through student centred teaching and learning strategies. We consider ways to design in socialisation and relationship building to nurture supportive emotional learning climates and compassionate cultures.

We advocate slowing down and making space to share our humanity and emotional connectedness with and between students in our teaching. Rather than trying to do more, we can try to do things differently. Fostering belonging isn’t about providing extra support or additional interventions. As Prof. Terrell Strayhorn highlights, what is needed is a focus on how our interactions and teaching approaches can help students feel that they matter. We view this as an embodied practice where we enact personally meaningful expressions of care, community and connection.

We explore this notion in four ways:

1. Getting to know students through community building activities

2. Hearing and valuing all voices through the taught curriculum and redistributing power

3. Using micro-affirmations to demonstrate belief that all students matter

4. Embedding radical empathy and compassion into group work.

Wooden piece with red soft material on white stand.

Community building activities

By creating space for socialising within teaching sessions we can develop trust and community. We can do this by helping students to get to know us, each other, themselves and our interconnectedness. Student belonging waxes and wanes over time, so there is value in integrating activities throughout student journeys. This could be discussions about culture, creative icebreakers such as ‘what’s in my bag’ self-portrait and activities that check-in on students’ moods.

You can find an incredible array of community building activities to set a caring tone on the One HE Equity Unbound site: https://onehe.org/equity-unbound/

We recognise the challenges of getting to know students with large cohort sizes, but remembering names can make a big difference to a student feeling seen and valued. Some useful strategies and activities for remembering names can be found here: https://magoosh.com/praxis/becoming-a-teacher/15-tips-remember-students-names/

Image: Jewellery by Scott Armstrong, Undergraduate course guide 2018 – 2019, BA Jewellery Design, Central Saint Martins, UAL Photo by Scott Armstrong.

Round fabric wall hanging in blue, pink and yellow.

Hearing and valuing all voices

What happens when we bring in diverse knowledges to our teaching spaces? Do we design opportunities for students to speak about and explore their own opinions and identities? Are we warm and welcoming to all our students?

Power imbalances promote a culture of students assimilating to norms to ‘fit in’ to notions of valued knowledges rather than being accepted for their authentic selves. As john a. powell reinforces, it is by co-creating new norms, rather than abiding by established rules, that we support sense of belonging. This entails examining structures of power and questioning assumed knowledge in our practices.

We suggest trying Liberating Structures in group settings such as crits and seminars to break free of hierarchical structures. These are a range of methods that disrupt conventions to support equitable interactions, amplify freedom, mutual respect and creativity.

https://www.liberatingstructures.com/

Image: Mixed materials art by Zsuzsa Szuts, Private View, Show One, MA Fine Art, Central Saint Martins, UAL. Photo by John Sturrock.

Co-designing teaching strategies promotes the inclusion of all voices and perspectives by reducing power dynamics and shifting to a culture of learning alongside each another as equals. In this lightening talk, Mo-Ling Chui shares a Hackathon designed to address issues of identity, belonging and sense of community through collaborative strategies and design thinking.

https://vimeo.com/654571278

Screenshot of Decolonising the Arts Curriculum website.

We think it is important to examine what assumptions the curriculum is communicating about who is valued and who is not. In what ways do our students see themselves represented within the curriculum? We can enable students to bring their interests and identities into the taught curriculum, for example by working in student partnerships. In the Decolonising the Arts Curriculum Zines, students and staff contributed to two publications and events to challenge dominant narratives in the curriculum and within the wider university context.

https://decolonisingtheartscurriculum.myblog.arts.ac.uk/

https://issuu.com/susanbubble/docs/final_decolonising_zine2.compressed

https://issuu.com/theexchangeual/docs/final_v_online_zine2/2

Sequin fabric in blue, red, green and white.

Micro-affirmations

Prof. Mary Rowe defines micro-affirmations as small acts that demonstrate we want others to succeed. They are gestures of inclusion and care, of generosity and credit, of finding strengths and successes. These small behaviours can have a big impact. Through these affirmative messages we show students that we believe in them, we value what they bring to the course and that they matter to us.

Micro-affirmations can be applied in many ways, such as the way we phrase formative feedback, respond in an email, and personal tutoring. Dr Candice Powell, Dr Cynthia Demetriou and Dr Annice Fisher offer practical suggestions for applying micro-affirmations into our exchanges. You can read the full article here:

https://journals.psu.edu/mentor/article/view/61286/60919

Image: Claudia Gusella, BA Fashion Design Womenswear, Central Saint Martins, UAL. Photo by Francesca Landi and Mariachiara Rigoni.

Practice active listening

Lean forward, make eye contact, focus on hearing what is being shared, summarise to ensure understanding, and ask follow up questions to demonstrate interest and help the student come to their own conclusions.

Recognise and validate experiences

Accept the individual’s lived realities (we don’t need to agree). Demonstrate care about the impact of experiences through non-judgmental and open body and verbal language, and offer help in working through the challenge(s).

Affirm feelings

Empathetically acknowledge the feelings they are experiencing as being valid. Whilst offering perspective of how we can turn our feelings towards opportunities for personal growth and empowerment.

Reinforce and celebrate success

These might be big or small wins; progress made, the joy experienced, taking a first step, a contribution to discussion. Openly give praise.

In our podcast, Belonging in online learning environments, we explore how different educators have fostered belonging in digital spaces. We hear about the challenges and affordances of online environments in nurturing belonging, as well as suggestions as to how we might create a sense of presence, shared humanity, and help student feel valued.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/2phF79n4V6gY8dcqzb4x1p?si=JhM1UqNeQ3el–NwAT0UcQ

Compassionate groups

Sometimes we take for granted that students have the skills to collaborate with each other. If we teach students how to work together cooperatively and provide opportunities to learn through structured group activities and collaborative work we can support belonging. Dr Theo Gilbert has developed a range the micro-skills of compassion that encourage active listening and supports students to reflect on their own contribution to a group dynamic.

Compassion in Higher Education: https://compassioninhe.wordpress.com/

Vikki Hill and Dr Theo Gilbert recorded the following conversations exploring how compassionate pedagogy can be embedded within teaching.

Creating connections: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsa8fFZxGBQ&t=5s

Love and oppression: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epboSuWplTA&t=62s

Risk, failure and resistance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCnsIzHSVu0

Stereotype threat and micro-skills: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vHY4tvWxnnA&t=53s

Creating connections
Risk, failure and resilience
Love and oppression
Stereotype threat and micro-skills

White, blue and pink circles painting, with drawn white lines on top.

In this article, Dr Kathleen Turner Ledgerwood discusses how she embeds radical empathy and compassion in her classroom. They demonstrate that co-creating a course charter for compassion with students is a way to promote a hopeful and supportive community of learners.

You can read more here:

https://www.digitalrhetoriccollaborative.org/2021/03/24/radical-empathy-and-compassion-in-fyw/

Image: Close-up multimedia installation by Janet Waring Rago, MA Visual Arts, Fine-Art Digital, Camberwell College of Arts, UAL. Photo by David Poultney

This is an adaptation of the contract developed by Charter for Compassion International, who aim to co-create a peaceful and kind world, where everyone is invested in living by the principle of compassion in all relationships. For more information visit: https://charterforcompassion.org/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7CzrMfTBwws