A Teaching Minute: Fostering a Sense of Belonging
Friday, 9/13/2024
This first principle of the Framework recognizes that courses are intellectual, social, and emotional experiences, and that instructors and students create the learning environment together. Social and racial identities affect how courses unfold, and a foundation of shared respect and trust is essential for navigating the complexity and uncertainty inherent in education. A sense of belonging is created out of connections with peers and others; it supports persistence through challenges and cultivates engagement. Some small ways that you can encourage students to feel belongingness include:
- Communicating your belief that everyone can succeed; courses are not designed to “weed anyone out."
- Creating opportunities for students to talk with each other during class.
- Pointing all students to the structure and supports that are available to everyone, rather than only recommending them privately or after problems arise. (Feel free to draw from our resource list)
To dig deeper into the research of the importance of belongingness and student success, we recommend:
- Peter Felton’s blog post “A Relentless Welcome”
- The Tea for Teaching podcast episode with Cate Denial discussing kindness
- The Norton Guide to Equity-Minded Teaching, available as a free e-book, discusses both empirical research and practical tips on belonging in Chapter 5. (Join our October book group!)
If you have thoughts in response to this email, we'd love to hear from you!