Inclusive Learning

Knowing your students helps you tailor your teaching to integrate their unique experiences and goals, build trust, and foster a sense of belonging that supports their academic and personal growth. CITL offers strategies for getting to know your students in both in-person and online asynchronous courses, with examples to help you build meaningful connections from day one.

In-Person Courses

1. Learn Names Early
   • Use name tents or seating charts.
   • Ask students to share their name when they ask questions or participate in class.
   • Practice names outside of class using photos from your LMS or roster.

Example: “I noticed you had a great question last class, Jordan. Want to share it again for the group?”

2. Use Icebreakers with Purpose
   • Start the semester with activities that reveal student's: interests, goals, or learning styles.
   • Choose prompts that are fun and low-pressure.

Example: “What's one thing you're passionate about outside of this course?”

3. Conduct a Student Survey
   • Use the introduction to the course activities to learn about preferred names, pronouns, academic goals, and any concerns.
   • Include open-ended questions at the end of the assignment, such as how does this topic connect to your career path?
   • Use Informal Early Feedback (IEF) tools to gather information about the student experience in the course.
4. Be Present and Approachable
   • Arrive early or stay after class to chat informally.
   • Share information about your hobbies and interest and encourage your students do share as well.
   • Hold office hours at varied times and encourage attendance.

Online Asynchronous Courses

Building connections in asynchronous environments takes intentional design, but it's just as important.

1. Create a Welcome Video
   • Introduce yourself and invite students to do the same.
   • Share a bit about your teaching philosophy and what excites you about the course.

Example: “Hi everyone, I'm Dr. Rivera. I'm passionate about inclusive teaching and can't wait to learn with you this semester!”

2. Use Introductory Discussion Boards
   • Prompt students to share something about themselves and how the content relates to them.
   • Ask questions about potential barriers to success in the course and answer them with supportive responses.
   • Respond to each post with a personal comment or question.

Example: “Thanks for sharing your interest in environmental justice, Maya! We'll touch on that in Week 4 - looking forward to your insights.”

3. Personalized Check-Ins
   • Use tools like mail merge to send semi-individualized emails.
   • Use LMS analytics to reach out to students who haven't logged in or submitted work.

Example: “Hi Alex, I noticed you haven't posted in this week's forum. Just checking in - anything I can do to support you?”

4. Encourage Peer Connection
   • Create optional “coffee chat” threads or virtual meetups.
   • Assign collaborative projects with structured roles and reflection.

Trust is the foundation of a meaningful and inclusive learning experience. When students trust their instructors, they are more likely to engage authentically, take academic risks, and seek support when needed. Trust fosters psychological safety, which is essential for learning, especially in diverse classrooms where students may carry different lived experiences, identities, and levels of comfort in academic spaces.

Building trust isn't a one-time action; it's a continuous process rooted in consistency, transparency, empathy, and respect. CITL offers strategies to help faculty intentionally cultivate trust with their students throughout the semester.

Strategies to Build Trust

1. Be Transparent and Consistent

   • Clearly communicate expectations, grading policies, and deadlines.
   • Follow through on commitments and be consistent in how you apply course policies.

   Example: If you offer flexibility for one student's late assignment due to illness, make sure that flexibility is available to others under similar circumstances.

2. Share Your Teaching Philosophy and Values

   • Let students know why you teach and what matters to you.
   • Acknowledge your commitment to equity, inclusion, and student success.

   Example: “I believe learning happens best when students feel safe and supported. I'm here to help you succeed, and I welcome your feedback throughout the course.”

3. Respond Promptly and Thoughtfully

   • Timely responses to emails and questions show students that you care.
   • Even a short acknowledgment can build connection and trust.

   Example: “Thanks for your question - I'll look into it and get back to you by tomorrow.”

4. Normalize Help-Seeking and Mistakes

   • Encourage students to ask for help and reassure them that mistakes are part of learning.
   • Share your own academic challenges or growth moments when appropriate.

   Example: “I struggled with statistics in college too. It's okay to feel stuck sometimes. Let's work through it together.”

5. Provide Constructive and Compassionate Feedback

   • Frame feedback as a tool for growth, not judgment.
   • Normalize “failure” as an essential step in the learning process.
   • Use encouraging language and offer actionable suggestions.

   Example: “You've made a strong start here. To deepen your analysis, consider exploring X. Let me know if you'd like to talk it through.”

6. Check In Regularly

   • Use surveys, polls, or informal messages to ask how students are doing.
   • Follow up when students seem disengaged or overwhelmed.

   Example: “Hi Taylor, I noticed you missed a few assignments - just checking in. Is everything okay? I'm here if you need support.”

See “strategic communication” page

7. Respect Student Identities and Experiences

   • Use students' preferred names and pronouns.
   • Be mindful of cultural, linguistic, and accessibility needs.

   Example: Include a question in your welcome survey: “Is there anything you'd like me to know to support your learning this semester?”

See “Getting to know your students” page

8. Create Opportunities for Voice and Choice

   • Invite students to co-create aspects of the course, such as discussion topics or project formats.
   • Solicit feedback and show how you've used it.

   Example: “Thanks to your feedback, I've added more real-world examples to our lectures. Keep the suggestions coming!”

As faculty, we juggle multiple responsibilities—teaching, research, service, mentoring, administrative tasks—all while supporting our students and navigating institutional demands. The pressure to excel in these roles can make it easy to overlook our own well-being. Just as we encourage our students to take care of themselves, we must also prioritize our own self-care to sustain our energy, creativity, and passion for teaching.

Practicing Self-Care and Wellness 

Practicing self-care doesn’t require major life changes. Small, intentional habits can make a significant difference. Here are some practical strategies and university resources to help you navigate stress, prevent burnout, and prepare to teach effectively during challenging times.

1. Assess your workload and lighten the load

Take a close look at what you are doing. When your to-do list is longer than your arm it’s time to prioritize. Remember the 80/20 Pareto Principle? Not everything is equally important, and we can usually pick out the one or two things that need our immediate attention from things that are less urgent. Identify tasks that can be delegated or even ignored to lighten the load, and consider scheduling time to sit and think, or catch up on reading, or take a walk. Say no to back-to-back Zoom meetings and free up time for tackling the most pressing tasks on your list.

2. Know your limits and set boundaries

Sometimes we expect too much of ourselves, trying to be problem solvers, counselors, or crisis responders for everyone and everything. Faculty need to be available to students, but we also need to set boundaries for ourselves and help students understand how to manage their own boundaries. It’s ok to remind students when our office hours are, and when they can expect to receive an email response. We can offer them grace periods for late assignments or unexpected turbulence in their lives. We can also direct them to walk-in campus resources like the Counseling Center or the Connie Frank CARE Center for immediate assistance with personal or emotional issues that are beyond the scope of our course and professional abilities.

3. Strengthen your support network

Many successful people secretly struggle with the belief that they need to do and be everything for everyone. Not only is this exhausting, but it keeps us from enjoying the benefits of a healthy support system. Who are the people—friends, family, and peers—that you can turn to for emotional or professional support? This worksheet on overcoming loneliness at work is a great place to start. Research shows that cultivating a strong social support system, composed of people or places that offer emotional, informational, and companionable support, can help us to set more realistic goals, improve our physical health, and lead more balanced and productive work lives.

Campus Resources to Support Well-Being

Faculty/Staff Assistance and Well-Being Services offers a variety of free and informative resources to support faculty and staff. Detailed website guides describe counseling services, helpful tips, and engaging programs and activities that can be especially helpful during challenging times. Some of the programs and resources available to faculty include:   

• Work Well Spotlight providing strategies for managing stress during uncertain times,

tailored specifically for university employees. 

• Well-Being Services including fun and informative programs like Dare to Dream, Mindfulness and Movement, Financial Fitness, and Art Journalling.
• Resources Hub including the Stress Management Toolkit, the iWalk Toolkit, Wellness-in-Action techniques like Box Breathing* and more.

Prioritizing wellness and self-care is as much a part of teaching as preparing lectures and grading exams. Particularly in challenging times, developing strategies to manage stress and build supportive relationships with students and colleagues can help make our work and personal lives more productive and satisfying.

Learn More

• * Sara Maxwell discusses the Box Breathing technique and other fun facts in CITL Podcast, Episode:
• A complete list of campus Well-Being Services and programs
• Website for Faculty/Staff Assistance & Well-Being Services (FSAWS)

This article highlights ideas gleaned from an interview with Nic Flores, an assistant professor in Latina/Latino Studies. His teaching revolves around gender, sexuality, public health, ethnic/racial studies, and HIV/AIDS—especially as they impact Black and Brown communities in the Midwest. 

Nic Flores is a devoted instructor, researcher, and teaching pedagogist who is passionate about building student-centered learning communities in the classroom. His courses regularly include discussions around sensitive topics that others shy away from, but Dr. Flores believes in empowering students to take part in and lead classroom discussions that pointedly deal with uncomfortable and sometimes controversial subjects. Below he shares some tips for building effective learning experiences and creating a classroom space where everyone feels heard and supported.

Setting the Stage

On the first day of class Flores talks to his students about their role in co-creating a safe and open container space where everyone’s thoughts and feelings can be shared honestly and processed safely. The first day discussion extends to the practice of developing Ground Guides (not rules) that help set expectations for engagement, active listening, respect, and accountability. These classroom behavior norms are intentionally framed as evolving guides rather than rigid rules, which allows for adaptability to different situations and continuous reflection among the students, especially if a situation arises where they need to be reinforced.

Each student is given a paper tent to print their name and pronouns. On the other side they begin listing the class guides while engaging in a whole class conversation. Guides typically include behaviors like active listening, challenging ideas—not people, using I statements instead of You, respecting silence, and honoring confidentiality. One guide that is frequently included is reading the room, which students come to understand as a valuable life skill as well as a way to take note of and support their peers in class.

The guides are distributed at the start of each class and collected at the end. They are visual touchpoints for students reminding them of their personal role in developing scholarly arguments and supporting differing points of view.

Modeling Effective Conversation Skills

Early in the term, Flores actively models strategies for navigating tense or difficult moments when differing opinions arise. He begins by reminding students of their commitment to the classroom ground guides. Then he specifically calls out an example and demonstrates how to restate the argument or point of view in a more appropriate way. This kind of transparency—with Flores modelling more effective statements—helps students to think through their ideas before they speak and to formulate their statements intentionally, being mindful of their words and the impact they can have on others.

In smaller classes, this extends to training students to become co-facilitators by teaching them how to navigate difficult discussions effectively. In larger classes, he trains TAs in the same facilitation techniques they will use to model effective discussion strategies with students in their sections. This creates a ripple effect where everyone learns by example, becoming more self-aware, and more skilled in leading and participating in conversations where all voices are included.

Content Transparency and Grounding in Research

One practice Dr. Flores strictly adheres to is grounding every conversation in facts, not just personal opinions. He continually reminds students to present ideas that are rooted in readings, scholarly research, and historical context. This has the effect of making students slow down, check their facts, and be sure of the accuracy of their statements—something that is increasingly rare in these days of unreliable news reports and social media. It also has the effect of making students more responsible for doing their homework and being informed about issues so that they can contribute meaningfully and elevate class discussions.

Sometimes a topic is particularly divisive or emotionally charged. Nic believes that content transparency, telling students ahead of time what they will be learning, helps to prepare them emotionally and intellectually for the activities they will encounter in class. Students are invited to revisit syllabus statements on content sensitivity and are reminded about presenting ideas that are grounded in fact. This practice supports students who might otherwise feel overwhelmed because they are able to rehearse their feelings and viewpoints before they come to class, and it cuts down on ambushing, a practice that is strictly forbidden.

Rituals and Flexibility

Another strategy Flores has developed over time is beginning and ending each class with a Check-in and a Check-out. These classroom rituals help build self-awareness and strengthen emotional readiness. Students come to class with a lot on their minds and it’s important to help them get ready to start class on the same page. Check-Ins may be the instructor telling a funny or touching story, having students share a particular accomplishment, recognizing someone who’s completed a milestone, or asking silly questions like favorite candy bars. These ice-breaking activities at the start of class help reduce distraction and get students checked in to the classroom community.

Check-outs help students to debrief and collect their ideas before transitioning from intense classroom conversations. One-minute papers, what I know and what I want to know, questions for further research, and similar kinds of activities conducted during the last few minutes of class help to cement important ideas and create a natural stopping point before going out into the world.

And when the world throws us curveballs? Sometimes all we can do is bunt. Flores is clear that shocking or distressing news and world events requires us to shift gears and adjust our class plans. This means scrapping the day’s lesson and just holding space for students to reflect and share their thoughts and feelings. Flores has found that much more can be accomplished by working together through challenging circumstances and showing the students that you value their well-being and care about building and strengthening the classroom learning community.

This article highlights key ideas from an interview with Clara Bosak-Schroeder, an associate professor in the Department of Classics. Dr. Bosak-Schroeder teaches a large (300+) lecture course on Greco-Roman Antiquity and U.S. Minority Cultures, a course that merges classics and ethnic studies with lectures supplemented by TAs.

Clara Bosak-Schroeder understands the challenges that Teaching Assistants face in her course. Not only is the subject matter challenging, but TAs are expected to navigate uncomfortable discussion topics that regularly arise in class. Below she shares some of the strategies that she practices in her own teaching, and suggestions for helping TAs develop the skills and confidence needed to face these challenging situations.

Building Trust Through Vulnerability

Teaching Assistants often report feeling unprepared to navigate difficult or controversial topics that come up in classroom discussions. Even when they know the course material well, they can still feel vulnerable when unexpected comments are made or student conversations turn tense.

Bosak-Schroeder encourages TAs to lean into their vulnerability and let students see that they are sometimes uncertain or uncomfortable. This has the effect of humanizing the TA and can often help defuse a tense moment. Being willing to share a personal story—especially involving non-marginalized identities—is another important skill. When students see the TAs taking risks and describing how they struggled, made a mistake, or learned a hard lesson, they are more willing to accept that the TA isn’t trying to be something they are not. And if the TA’s story is humorous as well as self-effacing, that’s a plus.

Responding to Problematic Comments

Fear of offhand or rude comments in the classroom is another challenge that faculty and TAs face. Although seriously offensive comments may be rare, it’s important to understand the polarizing effect this can have on the learning environment. Many students will remain silent, unsure of how to respond, but others may jump in with comments of their own.

Bosak-Schroeder is clear that this situation can’t be ignored. Instead, she teaches TAs to name the discomfort out loud. Recognizing that an issue has been raised is the first step. Then the TA may ask if peers want to respond, emphasizing the use of “I” statements to clarify what was heard and its implications. It’s especially important to address the offending comment directly, but in a way that does not shame the person who made the comment. A private conversation with the offending student may be held later.

A TA may also suggest that the discussion be tabled to allow for feelings to settle or encourage students to gather research-based facts so that a more balanced and informed discussion can be continued in the next class.

TAs can also prepare for ambiguous or potentially harmful comments by practicing likely scenarios ahead of time. In weekly meetings Bosak-Schroeder will often present scenarios where the TA can think about responses and develop learning activities that will build and strengthen student understanding.

Using Silence Effectively

it in the classroom. This can feel like an eternity, but Bosak-Schroeder assures TAs that waiting for students to think about and prepare a response, particularly during a challenging moment, lets them know that you care about what they think, and that you are willing to give them space and time to process their ideas and develop their viewpoints.

Silence can be especially useful when trying to get students to think more broadly about a topic. TAs who learn to wait before rushing in with their own answers are usually rewarded by students who propose more nuanced definitions or open up to sharing their unique and diverse perspectives. Creating that small bit of space can open the door to deeper and more meaningful conversations.

Checking in and Encouraging Multiple Modes of Participation

No one method works for every class or every TA, but Bosak-Schroeder emphasizes that checking in with students is a powerful tool for connecting. In the same way that showing one’s vulnerability helps to build trust, so too does the simple of act of showing that you care enough to ask how someone is feeling.

Having a variety of teaching tools and discussion activities can also help TAs be more prepared. Bosak-Schroeder suggests different methods for getting students to participate, such as writing prompts, pair and share, role play, and small group activities that build their confidence and encourage them to be more productive contributors over time.

This kind of scaffolding is especially important for engaging marginalized students who don’t feel safe sharing their ideas or feelings, and international students trying to understand US politics and classroom dynamics. Bosak-Schroeder explains that it all comes down to trust: students must trust the TA, and the TA must also trust the students. Because students who feel listened to and cared for, who believe that the classroom is a safe and supportive community, will become more aware of their authentic selves and be more willing to grow in knowledge and experience.

College students face a variety of stress-inducing issues as they settle into life on campus—being away from home, dealing with roommates, managing finances. But recent reports paint a more complicated picture of student mental health, with anxiety and depression topping the list.  

“The most common issue we’ve seen for the last several years is anxiety,” says Dr. Sue Stock, Associate Director of Clinical Services at the Counseling Center. “Generalized anxiety and social anxiety are at the top, with a close second being depression. This has been noted in counseling centers across the country, not just here.”  

Faculty are also aware that students seem anxious in the classroom. Some students have trouble talking to teachers or working with peers. Others just seem unprepared for in-class engagement. Stock can relate. “For many students, the pandemic occurred when they were at an important stage of interpersonal development, and they missed out on opportunities to learn and practice more effective social skills,” she explains. “Social issues related to COVID and overuse of cellphones are not helping students function interpersonally very well.”  

With so much about mental health in the news, some of us may be tempted to diagnose or label student behaviors, but Stock cautions against this. “Saying something like ‘I think he’s depressed,’ is not really your role, even if you mean well. Instructors should refrain from casting themselves as diagnosticians or trying to analyze a student.” 

What all of us should be doing is noting changes in a student’s behavior such as the student who is always on time but suddenly starts missing class or coming in late, or who stops submitting assignments on time, or starts falling asleep in the class. “Faculty have a baseline for seeing a student day to day, so they’re in the best position to notice important changes in their behavior,” says Stock. “Observing change is the first step in supporting your students.” 

The second is to reach out and ask students how they are. Some of us may hesitate to ask because we don’t feel equipped to address a student’s needs or worry that a student may not like us or the class. But Stock is clear that asking is the right thing to do.

“Speaking directly to students not only shows them that you care, but can also help address our own insecurities,” she explains. “Sometimes a student’s behavior has nothing to do with us or may be perfectly understandable. I had a student who suddenly started being absent, and I first interpreted that as being about my class. However, it turned out that he and his wife had a baby two weeks earlier.’” 

It’s important to remember that you don’t have to be a mental health professional to offer support to your students. “Just pulling someone aside and telling him that you are seeing behavior changes, and that you’re concerned, can make a huge difference to a student who is struggling,” says Stock. “Never underestimate the power of showing that you care.” 

Sometimes offering make-up sessions or assignment extensions to students who are experiencing course related problems may be all that is needed to get a student back on track. But there are other issues that faculty should not try to solve. Instead, the best we can do is to direct students to the Counseling Center or the Connie Frank CARE Center. Both offer a wide range of services, including urgent care, and make sure students know that they can walk in and receive assistance right away. Giving students these resources can point them in the right direction and lead them to counselors who can give them the help they need. Stock also suggests including these resources in the course syllabus.

And for the student who isn’t responsive to inquiry? “We don’t want to overstep,” says Stock. “It’s important to leave it to the student to decide if they want to have more resources. They might say no, I’m fine. And a faculty member could say, ‘Absolutely. I respect that. Could I check in with you in another week?’ And then make sure you do.” 

Faculty can’t fix or change things for every student, and they shouldn’t expect to, but 1) being observant, 2) reaching out to students, and 3) steering them toward campus resources are the best and most responsible things they can do to support student mental health. 

Resources: 

Counseling Center website: https://counselingcenter.illinois.edu/  

Connie Frank CARE Center website: https://odos.illinois.edu/community-of-care/CAREcenter  

Student Mental Health is in Crisis American Psychological Association, October 2022.

Disruptions in the classroom are challenging. Students look to instructors for how to respond, and instructors struggle with maintaining classroom order while correcting errant behavior. Most disruptions occur with little warning, so having some tactics available can help defuse difficult moments.

Start out Strong

Two things can help instructors prepare the ground for peaceful classroom relationships. The first is the most obvious. Do your students think of you as a kind, and fair teacher who wants the best for them? If so, they will be more likely to view your attempts to navigate all classroom situations positively. 

The second is to work with students to develop ground rules for classroom behavior. It’s tempting to overlook this step early in the term when things are going smoothly but, like insurance, you won’t need it until you do. The Eberly Center from Carnegie Mellon University has a great method for establishing ground rules with your students so if a difficult situation should arise there’s an agreed upon set of community standards you can remind them of. 

Note: If you believe the situation is an immediate threat to an individual’s life or safety, call University Police at 217-333-1216 or 911.

Manage Disruptions Effectively

For the most part, a disruption or difficult situation in class will not rise to the level of calling the police or initiating a coordinated response with several campus units. But you still need to think quickly and calmly to address the matter at hand.

1. Don’t ignore the problem

If the disruption is mild, it’s tempting to just ignore it. But the disruptor and the rest of the class will be looking to you for direction, so make the effort to address the issue. Try a discreet response first. Approach the student after class for a short conversation or put students into groups to work and pull the errant student aside for a minute. Email the student outside of class. These low-key interventions are easier to manage if you have previously established ground rules so you can simply remind the disruptor of the rule they are breaking. 

2. Call out the disruption

If a situation is seriously disrupting class, a discreet intervention is not going to work. It’s OK to call out the disruption but try to do it in a low-impact way. Instead of singling out a student by name, give a general reminder to the class of your behavioral expectations such as, “Please don’t talk while I’m presenting – either raise your hand or wait until we break up into groups,” or “Please don’t eat food during class – it violates the rules for classroom use and may be distracting to others.”  

3. Deal directly with the situation

Sometimes you need to be direct. Maybe a student has said something offensive. Maybe the disruption is intended to challenge your authority. These situations require immediate attention but it’s important to stay calm and in control. The steps in this Open The Front Door (OTFD) framework can help you deal directly with a difficult situation: 

O – Observe: Using only descriptive language, describe what just happened. Refer to specific evidence – what you saw and heard. Do not offer any inferences, interpretations, or evaluations at this point. 

T – Think: With evidence in hand, now you can offer an interpretation of what you saw. Based on your observations, explain what you think is going on. Focus on the evidence you are basing your interpretation on. 

F – Feel: Disruptions and difficulties generate emotions in students and teachers. Describe how the situation is making you and others feel in the moment. Some students may be unaware of the impact their behaviors have on others.

D – Desire: Tell your students what you would like to happen next. You will still have to decide how to proceed, but taking students through the preceding steps helps everyone understand their role in the process. 

Note: If the problem is persistent, recurring, or resistant to other strategies, please review Responding to Disruptive or Threatening Student Behavior prepared by the Office of the Dean of Students which outlines three levels of severity and offers guidelines for each level. 

Given the proliferation of social media, news outlets, and other avenues for obtaining information, it’s not surprising to find students bringing misinformation into the classroom. Misinformation can foster confusion that leads to misunderstanding of course content and could spread beyond the classroom in ways that may be hurtful or damaging to others.

Where Misinformation Comes From

• Confirmation Bias: Seeking out and repeating information that confirms one’s existing beliefs.
• Emotional Response: Experiencing powerful feelings about something heard or read and sharing that experience.
• Lack of Critical Thinking: Being unable or unwilling to critically evaluate a piece of information one hears about or reads.
• Social Pressure: Sharing information or points of view in order to fit in, or appear to fit in, with a peer group.
• Online Sharing: Occurs when social media platforms reward users for sharing content, regardless of its accuracy.

The Misinformation Effect

Misinformation can be a stubborn roadblock for students, many of whom are still developing the media literacy skills needed to identify credible sources and to avoid creating and spreading misleading content. Students are spending more time online than ever before, and their discernment of credible content can become blurred. For many students, online trends earning thousands of likes may seem more relevant than static textbooks and can shape their understanding of the world in ways that are incompatible with course content.

The CRAAP Test 

One of the best ways to tackle misinformation in the classroom is to teach students how to evaluate the sources where they are getting their information. As crude as it might sound, the CRAAP Test (developed at California State University, Chico) can be an effective acronym to help students question and evaluate the information they bring into class discussions or utilize in their writing. Here’s what the letters stand for:

• Currency: Ask students to look for when the information was posted, and if it has it been revised. Have them check the links and look closely at the web addresses for clues about veracity.
• Relevance: Ask students to evaluate how closely the information relates to the course content at hand. Some information is emotional but may also be outside the scope of your discussion.
• Authority: Ask students to look up the author or publisher. What are their credentials and what else have they written about. Ask students to look for other sources to collect additional points of view.
• Accuracy: Ask students to look at the evidence being presented. Is the information reliable, well-supported by research? Published in peer-reviewed journals? Have them identify errors or weak arguments.
• Purpose: Ask students to consider the purpose of the source. Is it meant to be informative, entertaining, or to sell something? Distinguish between academic and other forms of writing.

The CRAAP acronym is easy and fun to remember and can help students think through where they get their information and how accurate these sources are. 

Creating Teachable Moments

Model Fact-Checking and Transparency

One way to combat misinformation in the classroom is to replace it with correct information, being careful to challenge the information and not the person. Walk students through the process of checking facts and model the process of using verified resources to confirm. The extra time it takes to show students how to analyze current news articles or viral social media posts in class will pay off in more balanced and informed discussions.

Address Cognitive Biases Directly 

Helping students to recognize their personal biases requires trust and a safe classroom environment. Many students may not understand why they think the way they do, or how their beliefs color their point of view. Reflection activities like journaling and think-pair-share can help students explore examples of confirmation bias more effectively, clarify their thinking, and separate facts from fictions.

Foster a Culture of Intellectual Humility 

The classroom should be a place where students can explore new ideas and grapple with differing opinions, but also where they can grow and learn peaceably. Encourage students to acknowledge uncertainty and foster a classroom environment where they accept intellectual differences and engage in civil discourse. Consider sharing your own intellectual journey and describing ways that you have changed viewpoints when presented with new evidence.

Learn More

Resources

Caulfield, M. (2017). Web literacy for student fact-checkers. PressBooks. 

Kahneman, D. (2011). Thinking, fast and slow. Farrar, Straus and Giroux. 

Lewandowsky, S., Ecker, U. K. H., & Cook, J. (2017). Beyond misinformation: Understanding and coping with the "post-truth" era. Journal of Applied Research in Memory and Cognition, 6(4), 353-369. 

Wineburg, S., & McGrew, S. (2019). Lateral reading and the nature of expertise: Reading less and learning more when evaluating digital information. Teachers College Record, 121(11), 1-40. 

All of us including instructors and students, bring to the classroom our experiences and how they have shaped us up to that point. Those experiences influence how we interact with others, with our own perceptions, and how we learn. We as instructors often will not know about how our teaching and the course content will impact our student's; learning. How do we teach to ensure that our student's; trauma has little negative impact on their learning? Below are 5 beginning steps to teach in a trauma-informed way:

Establish Trust with your Students

The easiest and often overlooked method to teaching college students in a trauma-informed way is to ensure that you have a clear and frequent line of communication with your students about what is going on in class, your intentions with your teaching methods, and what they should expect from you as the instructor. Establishing trust involves a lot of small, seemingly insignificant - but incredibly important - tweaks to your interactions and communications with students. Some examples of these changes can be encouraging students to come talk to you during your office hours if they are struggling, creating assignment guidelines that are clear and state how they connect to the course outcomes, and being open about your own teaching methods. By modeling an open dialogue for communicating with your students, you are creating an avenue for them to communicate when they are encountering difficulties in the course or completing course components.

Foster Relationship Building in your Course

What we need to realize is that establishing trust - being the bedrock of trauma-informed teaching - is not just a two-way stream of interactions. Other students in your classroom play a huge role in helping create that trusting environment that can help mediate trauma responses. Creating opportunities for students to build relationships with their fellow students is crucial in this process. Student relationships can help with trauma-induced behavior by providing mutual self-help networks in your classroom of students helping each other with the course content and when they have trauma responses. Group discussions, ice breakers, and group projects that are structured to build those working relationships are great ways to establish those networks in your student population.

Empower Your Student's Voices

Often a key issue in a classroom where students are hindered in their learning is that they feel like their voices aren't heard when issues arise. This can lead to a state of learned helplessness, and consign students to their fate because they feel like any issue they bring up with be unheard or dismissed. Creating a learning environment where students feel empowered in their learning goes a long way in ensuring that a student feel like their voice will be heard. An easy way to achieve this is creating avenues for students to voice their concerns in a low-cost way, such as an anonymous survey or discussion forum. The key with these is that you need to respond to the concern quickly and not dismissively. A more complex and egalitarian approach is to find places in your course where you can engage in power sharing with your students. Are there policies you can co-create with your students? What are the consequences for missing a deadline? Will you allow for a certain number of absences? By going through your course materials and asking students what they think will help hold them accountable can create a space where they feel like their personal learning journey is important and cared for by you.

Intersectionality: Your Students and You

We all have different identities that we bring with us through life. Those identities ebb and flow in importance depending on the person and the stage in life they are in. These identities interact and overlap in many ways and can color how a student interacts with you as the instructor, how you interact with your students, and how they interact with their classmates and the course content. It is critical to be aware of your own identities and think about how they affect your interactions with the course, the content, and your students. Acknowledging those identities and how they might affect your teaching is a good way to let your students know that there are multiple ways to interact with the content, and that our own experiences can shape our responses.

Campus Networks for Help

We cannot be all things to all people. We are hired to teach. We cannot also play therapist, advocate, parent, sibling, and everything else as that goes beyond our training and our role in the classroom. What we can do is be sure to know where to send our students when they need help. Whether this is needing someone to talk to, needing help with nutrition insecurity, roommate trouble, or any issue they may face. There are a multitude of resources and networks on and off campus to help your students with issues they face, and it's important to know about them. Recognizing your own limitations is key to supporting your students. Being every role to your students does them a disservice, and making sure they get the help they need makes all the difference.