Welcome to the Tuesday Teaching Tip, an easy-to-implement tool that you can use immediately in your classroom teaching. 

TUESDAY TEACHING TIP: Rethinking Student Belonging in the Classroom

When fostering a sense of belonging among college students, it's important to move beyond the "get out there and find your place" message. Instead, consider how you, as an instructor, can create an environment where belonging is offered and shared within the classroom community. Belonging isn't something students can demand or find on their own—it must be extended by the group.

Here’s one way to do it: 

1. Actively Welcoming Contributions: Encourage participation in ways that show students their perspectives and presence matter. Rather than waiting for students to volunteer, invite quieter students to share, affirming the value of their contributions. You could let them know in advance that you’ll do this, or select them randomly using the app Popsicle Sticks or the like.
2. Building Peer Connections: Incorporate activities that allow students to collaborate in meaningful ways, not just for academic purposes, but to recognize each other's presence and contributions. This could be a jigsaw activity, an icebreaker, or just a chance to talk to each other.
3. Reinforcing Significance: Regularly remind students that their absence or disengagement impacts the learning community. Foster a classroom culture where students feel they would be missed if they weren't there or if they didn’t participate.

By shifting the focus from individual initiative to community-building, you help students experience a deeper sense of belonging that goes beyond mere involvement in activities.

DID YOU DO IT?

Let us know how it went. We would love to hear your feedback about how you implemented today’s Tuesday Teaching Tip in your classroom. Click here to fill out our 3-question survey.

UPCOMING EVENTS 

• Join us tomorrow! for our CAFE (Conversations Advancing Faculty Excellence) for a panel discussion about integrating Ignatian Pedagogy in the classroom across the curriculum. RSVP here.

• Join us October 28 for Fostering College Belonging with Lisa Nunn. RSVP here.

• College Belonging Book Club – first meeting on Friday, Oct 25, 11:00-12:00pm, Varsi 222. Sign up to join here.

WANT TO READ A LITTLE MORE?

• Visit our Faculty Development DRT pages on Inclusive Teaching, Building Classroom Community, and Engagement
• Nunn, Lisa. (2019) 33 Strategies for Faculty: A Week-by-Week Resource for Teaching First-Year and First-Generation students (ebook from our library) (summary)
• Nunn, Lisa. (2021) How First-Year and First-Generation Students Navigate Campus Life 

This week’s Tuesday Teaching Tip was prepared by Amy Leuck and Patti Simone on behalf of the Faculty Collaborative.

Missed a teaching tip? Read them all here. Don’t forget to check out our Faculty Associates office hours here

And check out our full calendar of CAFEs and other Faculty Development and Faculty Collaborative events.