Teaching in Turbulent Times — UVA Teaching Hub

This blog post offers several concrete ideas and other things to think about related to teaching in difficult times, framed around the events of January 6th, 2021.

Rick Moore

I found the suggestions in this blog post from Michele DiPietro very helpful, both in themselves, but also for thinking about larger issues involved when something happens outside the classroom.

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Supporting Our Students Through Collective Turbulent Times

Kennesaw State University Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning

My first piece of advice is to do something. The most common response after 9/11 was to do nothing, show up and teach as if nothing had happened. There were various reasons for that. Some didn’t know what would be advisable. Some had an idea of what would be recommended (maybe hold a discussion), but they did not feel equipped with the skills to do so. Some were processing the events themselves and were not ready to help students process. Some intentionally wanted to foster a sense of normalcy in the midst of the chaos. Whatever the reason for not doing anything, students found it very frustrating when the tragedy wasn’t even acknowledged.

facultydevelopment.kennesaw.edu/scholarly-teaching/news-articles/supporting-students-turbulent-times.php

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Derek Bruff interviews Bethany Morrison about supporting faculty during this election year on the Intentional Teaching Podcast. Dr. Morrison is a political scientist and an assistant director at the Center for Research on Learning and Teaching at the University of Michigan.

Rick Moore

Derek is always an engaging host and Bethany brings an important perspective to teaching and the election.

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Teaching in an Election Year with Bethany Morrison

Intentional Teaching Podcast

Listeners in the United States might have noticed that there’s a presidential election coming up, and we know that can make for a challenging teaching environment. Fortunately, I have an interview to share that addresses just this moment. Bethany Morrison is a political scientist and an assistant director at the Center for Research on Learning and Teaching at the University of Michigan, and she has been working with colleagues at Michigan to support faculty teaching in this election year. In the interview, Bethany shares ideas for making connections between course material and the election, managing high-stakes discussions and hot moments in the classroom, and encouraging voting and civic engagement skills among our students.

intentionalteaching.buzzsprout.com/2069949/episodes/15803003-teaching-in-an-election-year-with-bethany-morrison

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This classic resource from Vanderbilt's Center for Teaching offers practical resources on teaching during a crisis that can easily be adapted to your institution.

Rick Moore

I like this evidence-based resource because it offers ideas that you can immediately enact in your teaching and can be adapted to the resources your institution has available for students.

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Teaching in Times of Crisis

Vanderbilt University Center for Teaching

Whether local, national, or international in scope, times of crisis can have a significant impact on the college classroom. The students need not be directly related or personally involved to experience anxiety or trauma. While proximity (a local event) may lead to a more obvious impact on your students, the effects can be just as difficult based on “the sheer magnitude and scale (national events with wide media coverage)” and “the degree to which students are likely to identify with the victim(s) of the tragedy and feel like ’vicarious victims’” (fellow students, fellow women, fellow members of a group targeted by a hate crime, fellow Americans) (Huston & DiPietro, 2007, p. 219).

derekbruff.org/vanderbilt-cft-teaching-guides-archive/teaching-in-times-of-crisis/

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There's lots of overlap between preparing to teach in turbulent times and discussing challenging topics in general. This concise resource offers guidance on how to prepare for and discuss difficult topics in class, no matter whether the times are turbulent or not.

Rick Moore

While this resource isn't on turbulent times per se, it offers useful advice for discussing any potentially challenging topic in the classroom. I appreciate the emphasis on laying the groundwork for these conversations before they start, which is doubly important when times become turbulent.

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How Do I Engage Students in Difficult Class Discussions Around Sensitive Topics?

University of Massachusetts Amherst Center for Teaching & Learning

Class discussions can become difficult for many reasons: Your course topics focus on sensitive or even controversial issues; learning activities ask students to make personal connections to the class materials; or you wonder about how to bring up current difficult issues in your class when these arise. Regardless of why, how, or when difficult class discussions happen, there are practices and strategies that you can use to help you and your students talk in ways that support positive engagement and minimize harm and unproductive conflict.

www.umass.edu/ctl/how-do-i-engage-students-difficult-class-discussions-around-sensitive-topics

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Sometimes turbulent times can lead to so-called "hot moments" in the classroom. This blog post offers strategies to better equip you to effectively respond to any hot moments, if they arise.

Rick Moore

I love the concrete suggestions for language to use if you encounter a hot moment in the classroom.

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Managing Hot Moments in the Classroom: Concrete Strategies for Cooling Down Tension

Faculty Focus

If students make blatantly inappropriate remarks, consider the following steps below (adapted from Obear, 2010):

Clarify what you heard. “I want to make sure I heard you correctly. Did you say…”
If they disagree with your paraphrase, you could move on. If you suspect they are trying to “cover their tracks,” consider making a statement about the initial comment. “I’m glad I misunderstood you, because such comments can be…”
If they agree with your paraphrase, explore their intent behind making the comment. “Can you please help me understand what you meant by that?”
Explore the impact of the comment. “What impact do you think that comment could have on…”
Share your perspective on the probable impact of comments of this nature. “When I hear your comment, I think/feel…” “That comment perpetuates negative stereotypes and assumptions about…”

www.facultyfocus.com/articles/effective-classroom-management/managing-hot-moments-in-the-classroom-concrete-strategies-for-cooling-down-tension/

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This online guidebook provides a variety of evidence-based strategies and resources to help you promote student well-being in your courses, which is even more necessary when times are turbulent.

Rick Moore

Promoting student well-being in your course when things are "normal" builds a foundation that you'll need when times are turbulent. This guide offers a menu of easy-to-implement strategies to help promote student well-being in various course stages, from planning to throughout the semester.

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Promoting Student Well-Being in Learning Environments

Washington University in St. Louis Center for Teaching and Learning

The guidebook is based on the idea that we can help students meet our high standards and engage in the complex learning and exploration that we expect of them by creating learning environments that promote well-being. Even small shifts can make a major difference for students. Think of the guidebook as you would a menu. It provides a variety of evidence-based strategies and resources to choose from depending on the needs of your course. There are ideas you can use in course design, in developing your syllabus, in the first weeks of class, and throughout the semester.

ctl.wustl.edu/resources/well-being/

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