At all levels of learning, meaningful work is outcome of an environment that supports students as they solve new and hard problems, work together as a cohort, and connect their learning to life. This sort of environment is not only necessary for students to thrive, but also faculty.
In our series in early 2020, faculty across campus shared their approaches to creating a meaningful environment. While methods varied by discipline, the foundational pedagogy was remarkably similar and can be adapted to any class.
During March 2020 and a switch to remote instruction, fostering joy, creativity, and meaning became more challenging. As we become more accustomed to our new world of mixed modality teaching, hopefully there will be more mental space to return to a space where we are all more joyous about teaching and learning.
Empower your students by:
- designing activities that are accessible, with a low bar and high ceiling.
- fostering resilience through low stakes assignments and activities; practice failure.
- providing opportunities for students to be creative and have choice in their assignments.
- allow time for students to tell their stories.
- model desirable attitudes: humor, humbleness, forgiveness, diplomacy.
Motivate your students by:
- providing opportunities and guidance for productive collaboration and community building.
- designing assignments and activities that have clear application.
- make class experiential.
Surprise students by:
- including art everywhere.
- modelling and supporting different types of thinking, and doing.
- reconnect learning with joy and sometimes fun.
